Plant Services - October 2007 - (Page 47)

ManageMent Personnel up while paper prices have declined,” says Johnson. “We continue to work on what we can influence and control, but our primary obstacle is the price of paper. To compensate, we are getting out of commodity grades of uncoated paper and into specialty grades, which have a higher positive margin.” The company’s health insurance carrier was seeking a 17% rate increase. In response, the company instituted a health awareness program to minimize future healthcare costs. Working on this program with the carrier appears to be reaping early rewards as the carrier has reduced this year’s increase to 12%, in line with average industry rate increases. The local power company is seeking a 14% increase in electricity prices on top of a 10% increase instituted after the mill reopened in 2006. Flambeau River Papers is part of an electrical users group that is attempting to intervene and reduce or eliminate the requested increase. Regulatory uncertainty is another concern. The U.S. EPA promulgated ENvIRoNmENTally SENSITIvE Flambeau River Papers operates three paper machines, an integrated sulfite pulp mill, and an integrated de-inking facility where waste paper is recycled and printing ink and impurities are removed. Cost-efficient sulfite pulp fiber and de-ink fiber are used in production of new uncoated paper. Recycled content promotes conservation and eliminates waste. The products are chlorine-free because chlorine and its derivatives are harmful to the environment – particularly to aquatic life. The mill uses timber harvested from forests that meet environmental standards. Nearly 100% of the wood used in the pulp mill meets the Sustainable Forest Initiative standard and guidelines, ensuring that its products are made from responsibly managed forests. The 25% of paper production sourced from forests meeting the Forest Stewardship Council’s social and environmental standards is also FSC chain-of-custody-certified wood. is actively pursuing a vision of becoming entirely fossil fuel independent so it will no longer be subject to the high prices of natural gas or coal. Eliminating natural gas as a fuel would save the mill between $4 million and $5 million per year. Eliminating coal would generate an estimated $1.2 million annual savings while reducing the mill’s fossil fuel carbon output. If accomplished, Flambeau River Papers would become first energy-independent integrated mill in North America. Three projects are in the works to achieve this goal. The mill’s pellet project is one method of completely eliminating the need for coal. Flambeau River Papers is looking at new technology that uses densified biomass fuel with a heat value more than 10,000 BTU per pound made from wood mixed with a binder. The densified biomass Eliminating coal would generate an estimated $1.2 million annual savings. new boiler maximum achievable control technology (MACT) requirements regarding hazardous air pollutants. The requirement was amended and dropped by most states but not Wisconsin, leaving the state’s mills bound by more stringent and costly guidelines than competitors in other states. “It appears the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will follow the rest of the states and the federal government timeline, but this is subject to change as many governmental regulations are,” said Stoeckel. THREE DEFINING STRENGTHS ONE EXCEPTIONAL COMPANY Engineering and ingenuity from around the globe. 150 years of experience. And a new partnership with Fu Sheng, a precision manufacturer of some of the world’s most respected brands. Experience what the power of our new partnership can do for you. VISIT WWW.DISCOVERCURTIS.COM DISCOVER Future vision Beyond its short-term goals, the mill October 2007 www.PLANTSERVICES.com ©2007 Curtis-Toledo, Inc. 17640_2 07 CTGNL GENRL Wrap Up.indd 1 9/19/07 47 8:02:37 http://www.DISCOVERCURTIS.COM http://www.DISCOVERCURTIS.COM http://www.PLANTSERVICES.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Plant Services - October 2007

Plant Services - October 2007 Contents Monetize It Letters Step into the Blogosphere What it Takes to be a Leader Up and Running Crisis Corner What Works From the Summit Treat Them Right Access Control Out of the Woods Show Me, Don't Guess Condition Assessment Made Easy The Air Above the Floor Power to the Prime Movers In the Trenches Illuminating Maintenance

Plant Services - October 2007

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