Canfor announced it has reached multi-year $30-million agreements with Peak Renewables involving the sale of the Company’s forest tenure in the Fort Nelson region of British Columbia. The transactions are subject to customary closing conditions, including approval from the BC Minister of Forests. Closing is expected to occur in the first quarter of 2021. The agreements follow Peak Renewables’ purchase of Canfor’s Fort Nelson mill assets in the third quarter of 2020. “I am pleased to have reached an agreement to sell our Fort Nelson tenure to Peak Renewables, a company that is committed to developing a long term plan to rejuvenate the forest industry in the region,” said Don Kayne, President and CEO, Canfor.

EcoVadis has awarded UPM a platinum score based on the company’s sustainability performance in four categories: Environment, Labour and Human Rights, Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. Only one percent of the 130,000 global companies assessed received a platinum rating. UPM scored 81/100 in the Manufacture of Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard industry. “The feedback from Ecovadis, both on strengths and areas of improvement, is extremely valuable and helps us to continuously improve our sustainability performance,” says Sami Lundgren, Vice President, Responsibility, UPM.

Mark Ushpol has been appointed Executive Vice President of the Food Packaging & Technical Solutions business area and a member of the Group Executive Management team as of January 1, 2022. Mark has more than twenty years of experience in the paper and packaging industry and was most recently managing director for DS Smith North America Packaging. Prior to this, he held several management positions at companies such as Mondi and Domtar in the US., Europe and South Africa, as well as served as association representative in several industry organizations. “I am truly inspired by the work Ahlstrom-Munksjö does in the area of specialty papers and packaging, and I am very much looking forward to working with this talented team to bring sustainable fiber-based solutions to the world,” commented Mark Ushpol. Robyn Buss, currently Executive Vice President of the Food Packaging & Technical Solutions business area and member of the Group Executive Management Team, has announced her retirement effective at the end of 2021. Robyn Buss has spent more than 30 years in the specialty paper industry and has served several Wisconsin-based paper plants during her career. Robyn Buss joined Ahlstrom-Munksjö with the acquisition of Expera Specialty Solutions at the end of 2018.