MWV is to close a plant in Enfield, CT, and cut about 190 jobs in its envelope business within two months. The shut-down is part of plan to cut about 2,000 jobs, or nearly 10% of MeadWestvacoÕs global work force, and closing or restructuring 12 to 14 manufacturing plants to save the company $250 to $300 million by mid-2010. www.meadwestvaco.com

Domtar Corp. will shut one of its two fine paper machines at the Plymouth, NC, mill, cutting its uncoated free-sheet capacity by 293,000 tons/year. Staff cuts will total about 185. The mill will continue to operate two pulp lines, a pulp dryer and a paper machine. Total pre-tax charges to earnings will be about $51 million. Domtar reported a preliminary net loss of $676 million ($1.31 per diluted share) for 4Q08 versus net earnings of $43 million ($0.08 per diluted share) for #3Q08 and a net loss of $26 million ($0.05 per diluted share) for 4Q07. Excluding certain items, the company lost $20 million ($0.04 per diluted share) for 4Q08 versus earnings of $51 million ($0.10 per diluted share) for 3Q08 and earnings of $29 million ($0.06 per diluted share) for 4Q07. Sales for 4Q08 were $1.5 billion. www.domtar.com

Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. (SSCC) filed for bankruptcy protection in both the US and Canada. Only operations in those two countries are affected. The company has commitments for up to $750 million in debtor-in-possession funding for continuing operations. The company was subsequently de-listed from the NASDAQ. Subsequently, Smurfit Kappa Group, Dublin, Ireland, issued a statement to say that it was not affected by SSCCÕs situation and emphasized that it was a totally separate company. www.smurfit-stone.com. www.smurfitkappa.com

OntarioÕs provincial government said it will provide a $1.16-million grant from a forest sector aid program to help AbitibiBowater increase the efficiency of the kraft pulping process at its Thunder Bay complex. Reduced energy demand for steam production is one of the goals. www.abitibibowater.com

Amongst the recipients of awards granted at the February 2009 Annual Meeting of the Pulp and Paper Technical Assn. of Canada (Paptac) were: Donald B. Mutton, retired Ð John S. Bates Memorial Gold Medal for long-term contributions to the pulp and paper industry. He also received recognition for 50 years of membership in Paptac.; Xujun Hua and Makhlouf Laleg, FPInnovations Ñ Paprican Ð Jasper Mardon Memorial Prize for Best Paper Contributing to the Advancement of Papermaking; Sylvain Robert, Centre intŽgrŽ en p‰tes et papiers/UQTR Ñ F.G. Robinson Committee Service Award for serving outstanding leadership as Research Committee chairman 2001 to 2008; C. Scott Travers, Minas Basin Pulp & Power Co. Ñ Honorary Life Membership for outstanding contributions to the Association and the industry. www.pap tac.ca.

ItapagŽ SA is reported to be re-opening its bamboo-furnish paperboard mill in Coelho Neto, Northeast Brazil, with a modernized machine. The mill was shut in 2006 but will re-start in early 2009. New at the mill is a recovery boiler, 15-MW electricity generator, a CTMP mill. www.itapage.com.br.