International Paper was named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Magazine. IP said in a statement that it was recognized “for its strong leadership in ethics and compliance, advancement of industry discourse on social and ethical issues and positive engagement in the communities in which we operate.” www.internationalpaper.com.

Voith has formed Voith Paper Environmental Solutions (VPES) with its HQ in Ravensburg, Germany. The focus is on concepts for preserving water and creating new resources from residual materials. www.voith.com.

 Mohawk Fine Papers has launched Via Digital in satin, felt and linen finishes. Designed for use on digital production presses, they are available in 30% PCW and basis weights ranging from 24 writing to 100 cover. Mohawk also reported it has increased its purchase of wind-generated electricity from 45M kWh/y to 60M kWh/y or about 60% of all its manufacturing, converting and distribution needs. Mohawk says its mills were the first in the US to use wind to produce energy to make paper. The wind farms are in upstate New York and Pennsylvania. www.mohawkpaper.com.

Caraustar and Mayers Fibre Tube and Cores of Winnipeg, MB, have a strategic alliance to market and manufacture, sell and distribute concrete column forms in the southeast US. Mayers has supplied construction products for Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the Carolinas for over 30 years. www.caraustar.com.

Finch, Pruyn & Co., Inc. shareholders voted to accept an offer from Finch Paper Holdings LLC (formerly Atlas Paper Resources LLC) to purchase all the company’s assets including its Glens Falls, NY, pulp and paper mill and its Adirondack forestland. An investor group led by Atlas Holdings LLC and Blue Wolf Capital Management LLC formed Finch Paper Holdings. Atlas owns four paper mills and nine packaging plants in North America. Blue Wolf is a private equity firm. Terms of the sale were not disclosed and it is expected to be final in June 2007. www.atlasholdingsllc.com, www.blue-wolf.com, www.finchpaper.com.

Finland’s Ahlstrom and Brazil’s Votorantim Celulose e Papel (VCP) are to form a joint venture for specialty paper production in Brazil. Ahlstrom will hold 60% and VCP 40% of the shares. The price for Ahlstrom’s shareholding is about EUR 80 million. The assets, currently owned by VCP, comprise a 110 000-tonne/y capacity paper machine, an off-line coater and extensive finishing equipment at the Jacarei mill, near São Paulo which generate net sales of about EUR 100 million. The joint venture will be part of Ahlstrom’s Specialty Papers segment serving mainly the labeling applications and certain flexible packaging markets. It will continue to produce coated and uncoated paper grades for other end uses. Most of the paper is sold locally but Ahlstrom aims to expand globally through its sales network. Jacarei is an integrated pulp and paper mill; it has capacity to produce 1.1 million tonnes/y of eucalyptus pulp. VCP will supply eucalyptus pulp, utilities and other services to Ahlstrom at competitive prices. After the transaction closes in 3Q07, Latin American markets will generate some 10% of Ahlstrom’s net sales. Ahlstrom has an option to buy VCP’s share in the joint venture after two years. www.ahlstrom.com. PI