| PAPER INDUSTRY NEWS - JUNE 2005 |
This page contains pulp and paper industry news for June 2005
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NEWS JUNE 2005
Thilmany, LLC, New Name for IP's Former Industrial
Papers Business
Kaukauna, Wisconsin, USA; 02 June 2005/PRNewswire/ -- Officials from the Mt.
Kisco, New York-based Kohlberg & Company, LLC, an affiliate of which acquired
the Industrial Papers Business from International Paper yesterday, have
announced the identity and organization structure under which its newest
portfolio company will operate, effective immediately.
The new company is named Thilmany, LLC and has operational headquarters in
Kaukauna, Wisconsin, where Oscar Thilmany founded the original Thilmany Pulp and
Paper Company in 1883. The paper mills in Kaukauna and De Pere, Wisconsin, will
operate as Thilmany Papers; the converting operation in Kaukauna as Thilmany
Packaging; and the release products facilities in Menasha, Wisconsin, Lancaster,
Ohio, and Heerlen, The Netherlands, will operate as Akrosil.
A Stand-Alone Company
Thilmany, LLC will be governed by a Board of Managers consisting of principals
of Kohlberg & Company; a nonoperating chairman and a president and chief
executive officer, who will be responsible for the overall operations of the
company.
Jack Rohrbach will serve as the chairman of the Board of Managers. With more
than 20 years experience in the paper and packaging industry, Rohrbach is the
retired founder and former CEO of Coating Excellence International in
Wrightstown, Wisconsin, and is the former CEO of The Paper Factory and of
Artfaire, both divisions of The Fox Valley Corporation of Appleton, Wisconsin
and the former president of Cleo Gift Wrap, Memphis, Tennessee.
President and Chief Executive Officer
John Zuleger has assumed the role as Thilmany's president and chief executive
officer (CEO) effective June 1. In this role, Zuleger will assume responsibility
for overall operations for Thilmany, LLC, and will serve as a manager on the
Thilmany, LLC, Board of Managers.
With nearly 14 years experience in the specialty papers industry, Zuleger has
been in the role of business manager for the Papers Business of the Industrial
Papers Business since 1999. He joined International Paper in 1992 and has served
in various positions in sales, marketing, and supply chain leading up to his
most recent role as business manager-packaging papers. His prior work
experience was with Exxon Mobil Corporation in the U.S. Marketing and Refining
Group.
"John's experience in leading teams, strategically positioning this business for
long term growth, and drive for results make him an outstanding choice to lead
Thilmany," Rohrbach said.
Chief Financial Officer
Thilmany, LLC is pleased to announce that Dale Von Behren has joined the company
as chief financial officer (CFO) effective June 1. As CFO, Von Behren will be
responsible for the company's existing and new financial matters and will have
operating responsibility for the company's information technology function.
Von Behren joins Thilmany with more than 25 years financial and managerial
experience in the manufacturing environment. He most recently served as CFO for
Creative Forming, Inc. in Ripon, Wisconsin, and previously held positions of
vice president-CFO for Promo Edge Company, an affiliate of Menasha Corporation,
and vice president-finance for Neenah-based ABT Building Products Corporation, a
former Kohlberg portfolio company.
"Our experience working with Dale in the transition process the last few months
gives us confidence that Dale is the ideal choice for the role of CFO for the
Thilmany team," Zuleger said.
UPM Acquires Russian Wood Products Company
Helsinki, Finland, 09 June 2005--UPM is to acquire 40% minority shareholding
in ZAO Chudovo-RWS from the shareholders of UPM's Russian partner
Novgorodlesprom. The purchase price will consist of 738,000 UPM's shares. The
shares will be disposed of at the closing price of 09 June 2005 in connection
with the transaction. The total value of the transaction will be approximately
EUR 12 million.
UPM's Board of Directors decided on the disposal of UPM's own shares as payment
in company acquisition, as authorized at the Annual General Meeting on 31 March
2005. After the transaction, UPM retains 162,000 of the company's own shares.
After the transaction, UPM owns 100% of ZAO Chudovo-RWS, which produces plywood
and veneers in Russia, and its sawmilling subsidiary ZAO Pestovo Novo.
The Chudovo mills have an annual production of 75,000 cubic meters of birch
plywood and 10 million square meters of birch veneer. Most of the production is
exported, mainly to Central European markets. The plywood is mostly supplied to
the construction industry and the veneer to the furniture and interior design
industry. The Chudovo mills both carry the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality and
environmental certificates. The mills employ approximately 600 people.
The annual production capacity of the Pestovo sawmill is 300,000 cubic meters of
sawn whitewood. Most of the production of the plant, which started operations in
2004, is exported to the European and Asian markets for use in the building
industry. The Pestovo sawmill employs approximately 140 people.
ZAO Chudovo-RWS was one of the first Finno-Russian joint companies in the Soviet
era. It was established in 1988 by the Soviet company Novgorodlesprom and
Finnish companies Raute and Wilh. Schauman, which was one of UPM's predecessor
companies. In 2002, UPM acquired Raute’s shares in the company. The veneer mill
started up at the beginning of 2003. Both the Chudovo and Pestovo mills are
located in the province of Novgorod.
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