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NEWS         CONSUMABLES AND PAPER




      Fedrigoni acquires certain                                                               Valmet names
                                                                                               new CEO

      assets of Mohawk Fine Papers                                                             Directors has appointed
                                                                                                Valmet’s Board of
                                                                                               Thomas  Hinnerskov
                                                                                               President and CEO of
        Italian specialty paper                                          cant financial distress that   Valmet. He will start in the
      producer Fedrigoni today                                           affected the U.S.-based com-  position during the second
      announced the acquisition                                          pany in the past months,”   half of 2024 — by the end of
      of certain assets of Cohoes,                                       Fedrigoni stated in a press   September at the latest.
      New York-based Mohawk                                              release.              Hinnerskov will succeed Pasi
      Fine Papers.Mohawk has a                                            “The transaction entirely   Laine, who will continue as
      paper mill and converting                                          cleared the new company   the President and CEO until
      plant in Cohoes and a con-                                         from existing indebtedness,   his successor starts.
      verting facility for the pro-                                      allowing to preserve the   Thomas Hinnerskov is a
      duction of envelopes in                                            majority of existing jobs,   Danish citizen and was born
      S o u t h  H a d l e y ,  Terms and specific assets involved in the deal are not disclosed  industrial activities and cus-  in 1971. He joins Valmet
      Massachusetts.        used for personalized sta-  with Fedrigoni were not dis-  tomer relationships,”   from Mediq B.V. where he
        In addition, Mohawk   tionery, wedding invita-  closed. According to   Fedrigoni added.
      owns a paper converting   tions, holiday cards and   Fedrigoni, the transaction   Marco Nespolo, CEO at   has been working as CEO
      plant in Ashtabula, Ohio   other personalized prod-  was finalized through a   Fedrigoni Group, stated,   since 2022. Prior to his cur-
      (Saybrook Converting   ucts.  Some  75  employees   new, yet to be named sub-  “This is our third M&A this   rent position, Hinnerskov
      Center), which it abruptly   involved with the Crane seg-  sidiary company incorpo-  year (after SharpEnd in UK   was  the  Executive  Vice
                                                                         and Arjowiggins China), a
      shut down last week on Feb.   ment of Mohawk’s business   rated by Fedrigoni to   relevant step  forward to   President at Kone, responsi-
      13, putting 93 people out of   in Cohoes also were   acquire Mohawk’s assets in   enhance our premium prod-  ble for South Europe, Middle
      work.                 abruptly terminated on Feb.   a sale process initiated by a   uct offerings to customers in   East and Africa between
        Mohawk also owns the   13.                 financial institution.  the U.S. in specialty papers   2021-2022 and Executive
      Crane Stationery brand,   The terms and specific   The deal came about “fol-  for luxury packaging and fine   Vice President for Central
      which includes fine papers   assets involved in the deal   lowing a period of signifi-  digital printing.”  Europe between 2016-2021.
      DS Smith announces EUR 13                                          Cascades announces


      million investment                                                 optimization


        DS Smith announced that                                            Cascades has announced
      it is making significant                                           an operational realignment
      investments in Austria: a                                          and optimization of its
      total of EUR 13 million in its                                     Containerboard Packaging
      Margarethen am Moos and                                            platform. The currently
      Kalsdorf bei Graz plants. The                                      idled Trenton, Ontario
      investment will increase pro-                                      (Canada) corrugated
      duction in Austria by 20%.                                         medium mill will not restart
        The investment is part of                                        operations, while the   Containerboard operations
      the company’s packaging                                            Belleville, Ontario and   be shut down is 175,000
      segment’s ambitious growth                                         Newtown, Connecticut   short tons of corrugated
      strategy in East Europe.                                           (U.S.) converting plants will   medium and 500 million
        In a press release, DS                                           be permanently closed, in a   square feet of corrugated
      Smith stated, “The first steps   DS Smith says that it is making significant investments in Austria  progressive manner, by May   packaging.  The company
      have already been taken by   tivity as well as innovation   the production process, will   31, 2024. Following recent   will record $61 million of
      harmonising the business   capabilities.”    enable a significant increase   strategic investments in the   impairment and environ-
      processes of both sites,   As part of the investment   in efficiency.  Bear Island mill and its con-  mental obligation charges
                                                                         verting network, production
      including quality manage-  program at the plant in   At the Kalsdorf facility, a   from these facilities will be   associated with these clo-
                                                                                               sures in its fourth quarter
      ment and system standardia-  Margarethen, new palletis-  new folder gluing machine   moved to other units with   2023 financial results and
      tion. These initiatives are   ing robots and transfer car-  (Masterfold) and a high-per-  available capacity and more   will incur approximately $35
      supported by investments in   riages have been installed,   formance die-cutter   modern equipment.  million of additional restruc-
      new machinery at both sites   which, in combination with   (Masterline) were put into   The annual production   turing charges in the coming
      increasing quality, produc-  the targeted optimisation of   operation.  capacity of the equipment to   years.

      18 PrintWeek MENA March 2024                                                                www.printweekmena.com
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