March 4, 2025
PRODUCERS AND CONVERTERS
Essity’s president and CEO, Magnus Groth has informed the company’s board of directors that he has decided to step down from the board in 2025 after 14 years with the group and almost 10 years as CEO. Groth has a notice period of one year and will continue as president and CEO until a successor is appointed.
Georgia-Pacific is investing $90 million at its Crossett, Arkansas, mill to continue growing its retail consumer tissue business. The investment at the Crossett mill will add 50 new jobs and increase converting capacity for high quality bath tissue, including Georgia-Pacific’s valued Angel Soft® brand. Initial production from this investment is expected in 2026. By the end of this project, Georgia-Pacific will have invested more than $250 million at Crossett since 2019.
Irving Consumer Products has ordered a third Valmet Advantage ThruAir Drying (TAD) tissue machine for its mill in Macon, Georgia. The new installation will support Irving Consumer Products’ commitment to provide ultra-premium tissue products to the North American market. The startup is planned for 2027.
Juthor Paper Manufacturing, part of Middle East Paper Co. (MEPCO) Group, has ordered a high-speed double-width tissue machine from Andritz. The tissue machine will be one of the world’s fastest high-capacity machines, with a design speed of 2200 m/min and up to 5.47 m width at the reel.
India’s Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited is advancing its entry into the tissue paper market with a $40 million investment in a 100-tonne-per-day tissue paper machine at its Unit-II facility in Mondipatti, Tamil Nadu. The expansion is slated for completion by March 2026, with work already underway to procure equipment and secure regulatory approvals.
Metsä Group’s tissue business has presented an investment and capacity adjustment plan for its mill in Kreuzau, Germany, to ensure long-term competitiveness and future profitable growth. Several actions are planned to ensure the mill’s long-term competitiveness and to build on the site’s existing strengths: a mix of efficiency measures, investments into modernizing the production equipment and capacity adjustments, including the closure of one paper machine at the end of its life cycle.
Leading Chinese tissue producer Hengan International Group started up a TADVISION tissue machine supplied by Toscotec at its headquarters facility in Fujian. This is the second of two TAD (Through-Air-Drying) machines that Toscotec supplied to Hengan, of which the first came online in 2023 at their Xiaogan mill in Hubei.
Domtar has reached 1 million hours without recordable injury at its tissue mill in Hialeah, FL. The mill is one of the few fully integrated tissue manufacturers in North America producing virgin and recycled tissue products in a variety of grades for the at-home and away-from-home markets. The mill boasts a number of environmental certifications and has achieved several safety milestones.
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TAPPI NEWS
Each May, TAPPI offers tissue-specific courses designed to help industry newcomers and seasoned professionals deepen understanding of production processes, develop new skills, enhance intermediate-level abilities, and hone specialized training in tissue converting. Participants leave equipped to tackle manufacturing challenges, optimize processes, and achieve greater operational success.
The trio of 2025 courses kick off the first week in May at TAPPICon in Minneapolis, with Tissue 101: Properties and Processes, offering a comprehensive introduction to tissue manufacturing and its key components. Designed for engineers, sales staff, management, and anyone new to the industry, T101 is also an excellent refresher for seasoned tissue pros. To learn more about these courses, contact TAPPI Academy Training and Development Manager Clay Oldham by email: coldham@tappi.org.
SUPPLIERS
Andritz has developed the PrimeDry HotAir Box, an innovative solution that enables tissue producers to reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions while increasing machine efficiency. Designed to address the energy-intensive nature of tissue drying, the PrimeDry HotAir Box recovers a portion of the hot, wet exhaust air from the drying hood for reuse in the process.
Toscotec will supply two Yankee hood upgrades in Europe and in the United States to a leading tissue manufacturer that remains confidential. The projects are scheduled for completion in 2025. On both projects, Toscotec will supply high-efficiency Yankee hoods complete with burner system and ductworks.
Buckman has unveiled a new $10 million pilot plant in Memphis. The new facility has been designed to accelerate and support chemical and digital innovation. The R&D pilot plant is designed to accelerate the development of advanced chemical processes and products, enabling the company to respond swiftly to market demands and customer needs. By integrating the latest technologies and methodologies, the company aims to launch new products, enhance existing product offerings, improve efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.
UB Forest Industry Green Growth Fund (UB FIGG) has acquired 100 percent of the shares of FiberLean Technologies from the Werhahn Group, Germany, for an undisclosed consideration.
The German company emtec Electronic GmbH, known for its innovative test devices, has taken over responsibility for sales and support in the USA and Canada. Both countries have always been among the company´s most important markets and play a key role in its strategy for the coming years.
PEOPLE
Jukka Tiitinen, Valmet’s area president, North America, has retired after a long and successful career at Valmet. Tiitinen stepped down from his role on December 31, 2024.
Joonas Kukkonen has been appointed senior vice president, Finland and the Baltics, and member of the company’s management team. He reports to Metsä Tissue’s CEO Esa Kaikkonen.
Rodger Segelstrom is now responsible for emtec North America and the main contact for manufacturers and converters in the pulp and paper industry in the USA and Canada. Segelstrom has many years of experience with laboratory measuring instruments and is an expert in the North American paper industry.
TAPPI President and CEO Larry N. Montague will retire on December 31, 2025. Montague has been at the helm of the member-driven organization since 2006 and led the team that worked on the association’s turnaround. He will work closely with the board of directors Executive Committee on a succession plan to ensure a seamless transition to new leadership.
Montague successfully led TAPPI through 17 consecutive years of financial stability and created a “member first” approach to running the organization. Montague also launched TAPPISAFE; acquired PIMA, which later became an active division of TAPPI; and expanded the volunteer footprint by adding the Women in Industry and Young Professionals Divisions.
TAPPI’s board of directors Chair Don Haag, retired vice president at Packaging Corporation of America, says, “Larry’s successful tenure as president and CEO saw some of the most significant advances and innovative changes in TAPPI’s 110-year history. It seems fitting that he will close out his outstanding service in the same year we celebrate this historic milestone.”