Celebrating the best of the best

BRUSSELS, Nov. 25, 2010 (RISI) - The second PPI Awards was yet another delightful event held to celebrate all the good things that are going on in the global pulp and paper industry. The event, which was held in Brussels this year, saw representatives from companies all over the world, including Brazil, Chile, USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Columbia, India and many European countries. The quality and quantity of the entries this year even surpassed our high expectations.

Congratulations to all the winners on their fantastic achievements!

PPI Awards 2010 winners

Promotional Campaign

Sponsored by HP and ColorLok

Winner: SCA Packaging - Design Challenge

Runners-up:
- Grupo Portucel Soporcel - Navigator iPhone Promotion
- Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper - Green Range
- Neenah Paper - Do you love Linen?
- Papelera Nacional (Ecuador) - Banana Box Campaign
- SCA Containerboard - SCA Presentation Liners
- Södra Cell - PulpLabs
- Finch Paper - Finch is in the House!

The Design Challenge is a contest for non-packaging professionals from all over Europe. Participants enter this contest by submitting a packaging concept and the campaign is mainly supported via online and social media. Participants had to come up with a lean, smart - fat free - packaging solution for an existing product, taking complexity out. By organizing this challenge SCA is stimulating free thinking and innovation and generating positive PR for the company.

Sponsored by Metso

Winner: Mondi Group, Austria

Runners-up:
- Cascades Tissue Group, USA
- Celulose Irani, Brazil
- ITC, India
- JK Paper, India
- Suzano Papel e Celulose, Brazil

The Mondi Group is not backwards in coming forwards when it talks about its ambitions in relation to the environment. It says "Sustainability is a core element of our business at Mondi, and we aspire to be the best performing paper and packaging company in the world." Mondi Group's achievements are impressive: following efficiency improvements at various mills around the globe, the group has reduced CO₂ emissions by 40,000 tonnes; invested in anaerobic waste water treatment plants and follows a Zero Waste strategy across all operations.

The Green Energy and Biofuels Award

Sponsored by Andritz

Winner: Grupo Portucel Soporcel, Portugal

Runners-up:
- Arauco, Chile
- Klingele Papierwerke, Germany
- Kruger Products, Canada
- Pratt Industries, USA

Energy production was high on Portucel Soporcel's list when making a Euro 900 million (US 1.2 billion) investment decision a couple of years ago. Now the company is close to finalizing two important biomass projects that will see it account for some 5% of the total renewable energy output of Portugal. At the end of 2009, two new biomass power plants at its Casia and Setúbal sites started to feed power into the national grid, with the target of supplying 167 GWh/year.

Innovative Product

Sponsored by BTG

Winner: Strathcona Paper - GreenChoice 100

Runners-up:
- Arjowiggins Graphic - Cocoon
- Cascades Tissue Group - The intelligent^TM antibacterial paper hand towel
- Neenah Paper - Think Ink: Color Unleashed Website
- Packages - Base Art Paper & Stiffener
- Propal - REPROGRAF Copy Paper
- Sappi - Triple Green text
- Ziegler Papier - Z-Evolution

According to the company, Strathcona Paper's GreenChoice 100 is the first and only paperboard of its kind: it is made from 100% recycled fibers, is 100% recyclable in virtually all North American recycling centers, is 100% carbon neutral and uses 100% clean energy. GreenChoice 100 is used by many brand owners and has recently been chosen by consumer products companies who are concerned with demonstrating their environmental leadership to green conscious consumers.

Business Strategy

Sponsored by Voith

Winner: Arauco, Chile

Runners-up:
- Domtar, Canada
- Empresas CMPC, Chile
- Södra Cell, Sweden
- Suzano Papel e Celulose, Brazil

The Richter 8.8 earthquake and tsunamis that hit the nation of Chile in February 2010 wreaked havoc in the country and Arauco was not spared the devastation. Many of the facilities experienced some damage and more than 20,000 employees and contract workers also suffered. Literally overnight, the business and operating strategy for Arauco's facilities in Chile changed. The recovery from the quake and tsunami has had a profound and positive transformational influence on Arauco and its employees.

Sponsored by FM Global

Winner: Longview Fibre

Runners-up:
- Ahlstrom
- Eska Graphic Board
- Finch Paper
- Klingele Papierwerke

Since US-based Longview was acquired by Brookfield Asset Management in 2007, a complete restructuring has taken place including the introduction across the board of clear visions for health and safety. The result has been an incredible 80% reduction of incidents during the short three year period since the take over.

Global CEO

Sponsored by StepChange Consulting

Winner: John D. Williams, President and CEO, Domtar

Runners-up:
- Jouko Karvinen, CEO, Stora Enso
- Li Hongxin, Chairman, Shandong Sun Paper
- Antonio Maciel Neto, CEO, Suzano
- Gary McGann, CEO, Smurfit Kappa

John D. Williams has been at the helm of Domtar since the beginning of 2009 and has brought a breath of fresh air to the industry's leading uncoated freesheer producer in North America. A host of new endeavours have been undertaken since Mr. Williams joined Domtar that are aimed at helping the company evolve, even in declining markets. Apart from cutting costs and investing in new and innovative technologies, Domtar under Mr. Williams' guidance is also strategically investing in existing assets.

Mill Manager

Sponsored by ABB

Winner: Luis Henao, Pratt Industries, Shreveport Mill, USA

Runners-up:
- Dennis Askew, Domtar, Plymouth Mill, USA
- I.N. Guha, BILT Graphic Paper Products (Ballarpur), Bhigwan Unit, India
- Jonathan Hermanus, Sappi Cape Kraft Mill, South Africa
- Maciej Kunda, Mondi Swiecie Mill, Poland
- Randy Nebel, Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, USA

Luis Henao has been instrumental in the design, installation, startup and day-to-day operations of Pratt's Shreveport mill, a lightweight containerboard unit. He has loyally served Pratt for more than 20 years, playing an integral role in the successes of all three Pratt mills and the company's first Clean Energy plant in Conyers, Ga. Throughout this time, Mr Henao has exhibited a clear and infectious leadership, as well as a dedication to all whose careers he has touched.

Research Achievement

Sponsored by HP and ColorLok

Winner: Andreas Kornherr, Mondi Uncoated Fine & Kraft Paper

Runners-up:
- Kari Edelmann and Jussi Manninen, VTT
- Naila Yaqoob, Lahore College for Women University

Mondi has patented a new method for testing "particulate matter emissions" from paper surfaces - or "paper dust" as most of us outside of research circles know it. Andreas Kornherr is the team leader of the Mondi Uncoated Fine Paper R&D team.

The Water Efficiency Award

Sponsored by Kemira

Winner: Holmen Paper, Madrid, Spain

Runners-up:
- ArjoWiggins Graphic, Dalum Papir, Denmark
- Bio-PAPPEL International, Prewitt Mill, USA
- Cascades Fine Papers Group
- Lwarcel Celulose, Lencois Paulista Mill, Brazil

Measures taken by Holmen Paper Madrid on the management and use of water have put it way up at the top of the list in the industry. Even in 2008, the consumption of 8.3 m³ of water per tonne of paper was much lower than the industry standard generally required. But the mill has gone even further; working with the local public water supply company Canal de isabell II, it has developed a new technology that allows the replacement of fresh water consumed in the mill processes by reclaimed water from the local system releasing 10,500 m³ of drinkable water to the 80,000 inhabitants in the local area.

Environmental Strategy (Mill)

Sponsored by Cargill

Winner: Mondi SCP, Ruzomberok, Slovakia

Runners-up:
- Holmen Paper Madrid, Spain
- Smurfit Kappa Kraftliner, Piteå Mill, Sweden
- Södra Cell, Värö Mill, Sweden
- Strathcona Paper, Napanee, Canada

This Slovakian based mill has its DNA steeped in the environment, being located in the Ružomberok region, which is described as the "City in the Heart
of Nature". In this entry, Mondi included a catalog of improvements over the years resulting in a mill that is now a showcase of environmentally focused manufacturing.

Efficiency Improvements

Sponsored by Eka

Winner: BILT, Bhigwan Unit, India

Runners-up:
- Domtar Corporation, Kingsport Mill, Tennessee, USA
- Klabin, Monte Alegre Mill, Brazil
- Middle East Paper Company, Jeddah Mill, Saudi Arabia
- Mondi, Syktyvkar Mill, Russia

This Indian-based giant of the industry has spent the last two years on a mission to improve efficiency and has shown remarkable success. In an effort to address the challenges of rising fiber costs, BILT employees were asked to find "path breaking" initiatives to improve efficiency - and this they achieved with flying colors.

For further details of the finalists and winners and to see pictures of the awards ceremony, please visit www.ppiawards.com.

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