Neenah Paper Inc.

ABOUT A year ago, one of my clients came to me and said he wanted me to help his company get FSC certified. My response was F-S—WHAT? That was the start of a journey that has led me to become somewhat of a specialist in the relatively new world—for printers at least—of sourcing from well-managed forests. Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, like many, I knew about recycled content, federal guidelines for its use, and a few other environmental paper-related preferences such as acid-free options. But I never gave much thought to virgin fiber or the forests from which they were sourced.

A digital print job is only as good as the paper used. To ensure you are getting the most out of your digital print jobs, IPG spoke with industry suppliers, who shared some important tips. Identifying Quality Paper Formation, which is the uniformity of fiber distribution, affects a paper’s strength, runnability, consistency in caliper and print performance. Hold a sheet of paper up to the light and observe the uniformity. Paper with poor formation will have an inconsistent, splotchy appearance. Copy paper should be lightweight with a degree of opacity so that it will move through the photocopier rollers easily, and neither curl nor become brittle

Neenah Paper has decided to permanently close one of the fine paper plants acquired in the purchase of Fox River Paper. Operations will cease at the Housatonic mill in Great Barrington, MA, at the end of the second quarter. The Housatonic mill, the smallest of the facilities acquired from Fox River Paper, had annual production capacity of about 15,000 tons. Ongoing annual savings of approximately $5 million are expected from the elimination of fixed costs and increased manufacturing facilities.

Neenah Paper signed a definitive agreement to purchase the Fox Valley Corp., owner of Fox River Paper, a leading U.S. producer of premium fine papers. Its brands include STARWHITE, SUNDANCE, ESSE, and OXFORD. “The purchase of Fox River provides a unique opportunity to strengthen our existing Fine Paper business with added scale in the marketplace, better prospects for growth, and the ability to offer a broader array of premium branded products and better service to our customers,” said Sean Erwin, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board. “We also expect to be able to create real value as we optimize our combined operations and