The Appleton Post-Crescent reported that GP’s Green Bay Broadway mill won the Pulp and Paper Energy Efficiency Award at the 2006 Forum on Energy for the Pulp and Paper Industry held in Appleton. In 2004, GP changed paper grades on No. 1 machine causing it to consume more natural gas. A new drying hood reduced gas consumption and has saved $650,000 to $700,000 in annual energy costs. www.gp.com.

Neenah Paper transferred its Terrace Bay pulp mill and woodlands operations in Ontario to Buchanan Forest Products Ltd. following negotiations with mill and woodlands employees. The mill was shut in February and was to be permanently closed. Sean Erwin, Neenah’s chairman and CEO, said “we will provide funds to Buchanan that would be required to close the facilities and which can now be used to help make the operation successful.” Neenah is also to buy FiberMark’s German subsidiaries for $218 million. Three manufacturing sites produce specialty products including auto filter media, tape and abrasive backings, and other specialized printing and coating substrates. FiberMark Germany’s 2005 operating income was about $29 million on net sales of $221 million. The  transaction fits “our strategy of transforming into a company focused on premium fine papers and technical products,” said Erwin. www.neenahpaper.com.

CANAMPAC ULC is the name of the Forest Resources LLC subsidiary which acquired most of the assets of Roman Corp. Ltd. including the Strathcona coated recycled paperboard mill in Napanee, ON, and Boehmer Box, Kitchener, ON. www.atlasholdingsllc.com.

Jolina Capital Inc. now owns 93.4% of Arbec Forest Products Inc. and intends to take Arbec private once it holds the remaining shares. Both are Montreal-based companies. www.arbec.ca.

German chemicals maker BASF AG has acquired the US firm Engelhard for about $5 billion. The new corporate name in the US is BASF Catalysts LLC. www.basf.com.

A New York-based investment advisor, Third Avenue Management LLC (TAM), wants to increase its current 19.8% holdings in Catalyst Paper Corp., Vancouver, BC, to 37.98% buying another 18.17% of the outstanding common hares through a public general tender offer. Catalyst asked its investors to sit tight while it assessed the offer and has now urged them to reject it. www.catalystpaper.com.

On August 30, Chile’s Arauco started its new bleached pulp mill at the Nueva Aldea complex in the province of Ñuble, 8th Region, and about 400 km south of Santiago. This, the firm’s fourth mill in Chile, is the biggest in the country. The furnish is pine and eucalyptus. Start-up will take about nine months until capacity of 856,000 tonnes/year is reached, said the company. The complex cost $US1.4 billion and will generate exports of over $600 million a year. Arauco produces about 2.2 million tonnes/year of pulp. www.arauco.br.