Leading Executives from Industry Eagerly Await Pulp and Paper International (PPI) Awards 2012 on November 12, 2012 in Brussels, Belgium

BEDFORD, Mass., Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- RISI, the leading information provider for the global forest products industry, today announced that some of the highest ranking executives in the pulp and paper industry will be in attendance at the PPI Awards ceremony on Monday, November 12, in Brussels, Belgium where category winners will be announced.

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The evening, complete with live entertainment and a celebrity host, is sure to be one that sets the industry alight with enthusiasm and celebration.  To reserve tickets, go to www.ppiawards.com/tickets.

Mark Rushton, Editor of PPI Magazine and Chairman of the jury for the PPI Awards 2012 commented, "Each year we have seen growth in the PPI Awards program.  And in 2012, not only did we see a three-fold increase in award entries across all categories, but we have also seen a fantastic turn out of senior management and top executives from all over the world in attendance.  

"The whole room is going to be full of real movers and shakers from the global industry.  This is the most excitement I have experienced around the event since its inception in 2009," continued Rushton.

Judges include high profile industry figures Teresa Presas (CEPI), Martyn Eustace (Two Sides), Rod Young (RISI) and Bob Latham (Delphi Projects).      

All key players in the industry are encouraged to be in Brussels as the final winners are announced and receive their trophy at the PPI Awards 2012 dinner and awards ceremony on Monday, November 12.  To reserve tickets, go to www.ppiawards.com/tickets.

Prior to the ceremony, RISI is offering an afternoon seminar which includes the popular "Big Debate," this year on the subject of "The Future of Graphic Papers." The "Big Debate" is hosted in association with HP and ColorLok Technology. The seminar will also include presentations from Greenpeace and CEPI on the subject of sustainability in the pulp and paper industry.  For tickets or more information on the event please go to www.ppiawards.com

The PPI Awards finalists appear below, by category and in alphabetical order:

Advances in Innovation in Speciality Papers (Mill) Sponsored by Metso

• Carvajal Pulp & Paper, Cali, Columbia – Earth Pact ®
• Middle East Paper Company, Saudi Arabia – Plasterboard grade paper
• Sappi Alfeld GmbH, Germany – White liner for corrugated board production
• Smurfit Kappa, Europe - Paper & Board Division – Recycled high performance fluting portfolio
• Wausau Paper, Rhinelander, WI USA  - Eco Select RT™ PCW Release Line

Advances in Innovation in Sustainable Packaging (Mill) Sponsored by Eka

• Carvajal Pulp & Paper, Colombia – Earth Pact®
• Mondi Industrial Sacks, Austria – Biodegradable Valve Bag
• Papeles y Cartones de Europa SA (Europac), Spain – Icepac
• Sappi Alfeld GmbH, Germany & Innovia Films – Laminar Structure for Compostable Packaging
• Smurfit Kappa – Eco Tray
• Smurfit Kappa – Salad Pack

Breakthrough Technology of the Year Supported by CEPI

• ABB Ltd, Ireland – New Optical Caliper Sensor
• EcoSynthetix Inc. Canada - Ecosphere® / Ecosphere®  Biolatex®
• RYECO, Inc, USA – Defect Marker Technology
• Sanata Technologies Inc. Canada – DAS Technology

Business Strategy of the Year Sponsored by Voith

• Appleton, USA and Domtar, North America collaboration
• Cascades Sonoco, Birmingham Mill, USA
• DS Smith, UK
• Hengan International, China
• Klabin, Brazil
• Resolute Forest Products, Canada

Efficiency Improvements of the Year Sponsored by Kadant

• BILT Graphic Paper Products Ltd. Ballarpur Unit, India
• BILT Graphic Paper Products Ltd. Bhigwan Unit, India
• Cascades Sonoco, Birmingham Mill, USA
• Middle East Paper Company, Jeddah,  Saudi Arabia
• Mondi SCP Ruzomberok, Slovakia

Environmental Award (Mill) Sponsored by Cargill

• BILT Graphic Paper Products Limited, Bhigwan Unit, India
• Mondi Steti, Czech Republic
• SAICA, Partington Mill, UK
• Smurfit Kappa Comptoir Du Pin, France
• Smurfit Kappa Roermond Papier, Netherlands
• UPM, Shotton Paper Mill, UK

Environmental Strategy (Company) Sponsored by Metso

• Grupo Portucel Soporcel, Portugal
• Kruger Products, Canada
• Mondi Group, Austria
• SAICA, UK
• Sappi Fine Paper, North America
• Shandong Sun Paper Industry Joint Stock, China
• Suzano Pulp and Paper, Brazil

Global CEO of the Year Sponsored by StepChange Consulting

• Mark Gardner, President and CEO of Sappi Fine Paper North America
• Richard Garneau, President and CEO of Resolute Forest Products, USA
• Xu Lianjie, CEO, Hengan International, China
• Miles Roberts, CEO, DS Smith, UK
• Sami Ali Al Safran, CEO, Middle East Paper Company, Saudi Arabia
• Fabio Schvartsman, CEO, Klabin, Brazil

Innovative Products- Graphic Papers  Sponsored by HP

• Cascades Fine Papers Group, Canada – Checksecur Platinum Enviro™
• Gold East Paper Company, China – Art-tech C2S
• Holmen Paper, Sweden – Holmen TRND
• Mohawk, USA - Mohawk Panoramic Papers 
• North Pacific Paper Company, North America - Norbrite®92
• Sappi Fine Paper Europe – Jaz Silk, digital paper
• Suzano Pulp and Paper, Brazil, -Art Premium PCR®

Managing Risk and Safety Sponsored by FM Global

• BILT Graphic Paper Products Limited , Bhigwan Unit, India
• Emin Leydier, France
• Middle East Paper Company, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
• Mondi Group, Austria
• Mondi SCP, Slovkia
• Smurfit Kappa Coronel Suarez, Argentina

Mill Manager Sponsored by ABB

• Emmanuel Boullay- Cascades Sonoco, Birmingham Mill, USA
• I.N.Guha - Bilt Graphic Paper Products Limited, Bhigwan Unit, India
• Farid Ibragimov- Mondi Syktyvkar, Russia
• Subrahmanyam Sv- Tamilnadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd, India

Promotional Campaign Sponsored by RISI Marketing Services

• Arjowiggins Graphic , France– Cocoon Campaign
• Double A , Thailand– Transforming Paper, Global Campaign
• DS Smith Packaging, UK – The Design Challenge
• Finch Paper, USA – Digital Field Guide Campaign
• Sappi Fine Paper Europe – Houston, the digital universe of paper and printing knowledge
• Sappi Fine Paper North America, USA- eQ Journal 004: Taking the Guilt out of Paper?
• Smurfit Kappa Recycling, UK – Be part of Birmingham's Paper Chain
• Two Sides, UK – No Wonder You Love Paper

The Green Energy and Biofuels Sponsored by Andritz

• Metsa Fibre Oy, Finland
• Mondi Syktyvkar, Russia
• Tamilnadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd, India
• UPM, UK

Water Efficiency Sponsored by Kemira

• Bignardi Papeis, Brazil
• BILT Graphic Paper Products Limited, Bhigwan Unit, India
• Cascades Candiac Mill, Canada
• Klabin Monte Alegre, Brazil
• Shandong Sun Paper Industry Joint Stock Co, Ltd, China
• Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Ltd, India

For additional information on the categories, judges, agenda for the seminar, attendee list or to reserve tickets, visit www.ppiawards.com.

About RISI (www.risi.com)
Owned by UBM plc, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange, RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. The company works with clients in the pulp and paper, wood products, timber, biomass, tissue, nonwovens, printing and publishing industries to help them make better decisions.
Headquartered in Boston, MA, RISI operates additional offices throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.

About UBM plc (www.ubm.com)
UBM plc is a leading global company. We inform markets and bring the world's buyers and sellers together at events, online, in print and provide them with the information they need to do business successfully. We focus on serving professional commercial communities, from doctors to game developers, from journalists to jewelry traders, from farmers to pharmacists around the world. Our 6,000 staff in more than 30 countries are organised into specialist teams that serve these communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively and efficiently.

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SOURCE RISI