If you had to cite one current trend in the containerboard industry, the obvious one would be consolidation. The latest example of this, of course, would be International Paper's (IP) purchase (for $6 billion in cash) of Weyerhaeuser's containerboard and paper recycling division. And don't for a minute think that this trend is over. It's just a matter of time before the top eight producers shrink yet again.
What effect will this consolidation have on recovered fiber markets? Very little, says Jim Porter, president and coo, Solvay Paperboard, Rock-Tenn Corrugated Division, Syracuse, N.Y. He discussed this issue in detail at last week's Paper Stock Industries Open Meeting, ...