Consumables-Paper - Offset

BY CAROLINE MILLER As a weak U.S. economy continues to batter the printing industry, several pulp and paper producers have announced that they are either closing mills or cutting production. In a flurry of first quarter earning statements, companies such as International Paper, Weyerhaeuser and Sappi Fine Paper North America, among others, have announced plans to cut production in response to a softening economy. In its first quarter earning report, Weyerhaeuser says that it expects the slowing global economy to result in a weaker demand for production in all its major pulp, paper and packaging product lines. This resulted in Weyerhaeuser's decision to

Like the rest of the business-to-business dotcoms, the online paper procurement segment has seen its share of out-of-business signs in recent months. Still, despite the inevitable thinning of the dotcom ranks, the fact remains that the graphic arts is continuing to move toward e-commerce. By 2003, 30 percent of all transactions for wood, paper or building products will be made online. And that number will rise to an estimated 75 to 80 percent by 2010. Whether you are looking for a marketplace to sell or buy paper, or a supply chain management solution to help you streamline your inventory, there are a variety of

Printers debate the availability and prices of paper as the economy weakens. BY CAROLINE MILLER It could be said that as the economy goes, so goes the paper market. And, in recent months, that has certainly been the case. The slowing economy has resulted in what appears to be a stabilization in pricing and availability, reports NAPL Chief Economist Andrew Paparozzi. "We saw paper prices continuing to aggregate along with the economy right through mid-year 2000. Prices really peaked sometime in the spring of 2000. Then, in the second half of the year, prices started to moderate significantly as the economy rapidly degenerated," he

BY CAROLINE MILLER When it comes to buying paper online, change certainly seems to be in the wind these days. There is currently much activity in this space; companies are adding new features to their Websites, restructuring their business models, expanding their offerings and some are closing up shop for now. And, don't look for the wind to die down any time soon. There are four new companies that are about to enter into the online paper procurement mix. Printing Impressions presents a look at all the new developments in online paper procurement. PaperExchange.comPaperExchange has announced plans to expand beyond its original

BY CAROLINE MILLER The paper market is not unlike the direction of the wind: It can change directions at any given moment. For the last year, the price of paper has been blowing steadily upwards. But that may be changing, according to National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL) Chief Economist Andy Paparozzi. "Things have been pretty interesting since March, when we began to start to see some change in the market." Each month, the NAPL surveys 500 printers across the country on paper prices and availability. In the past four months, the monthly survey has seen some dramatic changes that indicate rising paper prices

Industry consolidation continues, paper availability tightens and prices rise—but not by much. BY CAROLINE MILLER The April announcement that International Paper (IP) was upping the ante by making a $7.3 billion offer to purchase Stamford, CT-based Champion International came as no surprise to many in the printing industry. "We were not surprised by International Paper's bid for Champion," remarks Tom Hayes, vice president of marketing and sales for R.R. Donnelley Paper Services. "When StoraEnso paid a higher market premium for Consolidated than what UPM was paying for Champion, it was almost a fait accompli." International Paper's offer exceeds UPM-Kymmene's February move to acquire

BY ERIK CAGLE "Sir, please put the abundant supply of paper down and slowly back away from the edge! Don't stockpile for Y2K; you simply won't need that much paper before the new millennium. C'mon, buddy, don't make the plunge. You have so many other things to invest in without tying money up in a large supply of paper. Don't do it, no!" OK, so it's highly doubtful that the "paper police" would ever have to talk a print customer off the ledge of paper stockpiling. Admittedly, there's no such thing as the paper police or a ledge of stockpiled paper. But there are interested parties

There are few signs that current, favorable conditions for paper pricing and availability will change anytime soon. BY ERIK CAGLE The current market prices for coated and uncoated groundwood and free sheet are progressing like a '74 Pinto spinning its wheels in the snow: going nowhere slowly and, if anything, digging itself into a deeper hole. Don't expect "CNN" to break into its regular news coverage with a special market report on paper. Same low prices, different day. Same high availability, different quarter. And still no drastic changes in sight. The price increases being implemented aren't taking hold, according to Karen Kelty, director of marketing for King

BY ERIK CAGLE Let's face facts. Paper is not exactly chic these days. There is nothing more appalling than a printing commodity strutting around while wearing last year's price tag. Unless, of course, you're a paper purchaser for a commercial printer. Unchanged prices make this person the most popular man/woman in the eyes of estimators and the person drawing up the next budget. That explosion you heard was definitely something else, not an increase in paper prices. Uncoated free sheet experienced a first quarter boost in some circles, but a number of observers wonder if they will take hold. In short, nothing's changed since

Paper manufactured overseas is comparatively inexpensive and readily available, but what's its long-term potential for commercial printers here in the United States? BY ERIK CAGLE Like Beanie Babies and baseball cards, foreign paper has become too much of a good thing. The respective markets all reached a saturation point, but when it comes to paper, you won't hear any printers complaining about the situation. Collectors may bemoan the dwindling value of Rainbow the Unicorn or a 1984 Fleer Update Kirby Puckett, but it's not likely the decline in price for Phoeno Star No. 2 is going to make a commercial printer throw a mug