Paperloop announces plans to rebrand as 'RISI'

BEDFORD, Mass., Jan. 6, 2006 - Paperloop, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, today announced that it will change its name to 'RISI' in the first quarter of 2006. The rebranding is part of a corporate strategy to better position the company to enter new market segments and streamline the current brand structure.

Paperloop was formed in 2000 by bringing together several of the forest products industry's most respected information resources. These included the Pulp & Paper and PPI family of news products from Miller Freeman, and Resource Information Systems, Inc. (RISI), a long-established source of independent economic analysis and the inspiration for the new company name. Later acquisitions included the mill cost benchmarking group from Jacobs Consultancy in 2002 and the assets of C.C. Crow Publications, a provider of prices and news for the North American lumber and panel markets, in 2005.

The strategy of blending select organizations, each with its own particular expertise, was successful in building a market-leading company. One of the legacies, however, was an overly complex brand structure. Liza Turner, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Paperloop, commented, "As we have expanded into industries like timber, wood products, tissue and nonwovens, the name 'Paperloop' has become a limiting picture of who we are. By renaming the company 'RISI' we are leveraging the heritage of one of Paperloop's strongest brands, as we meet our customers' needs to expand into new sectors and regions."

The new RISI identity will roll out externally over the next month, culminating in a revamped web site set to launch in Q1. The site will blend cutting-edge technology with Paperloop's deep experience and industry knowledge to deliver news and analytical content to customers more quickly and in a more customized way.

"We're incredibly excited about this rebranding. We've built a strong track record of capitalizing on new opportunities within the global forest products industry, and the new name will position our company to move aggressively into new industries," said Rod Young, Paperloop CEO.