INDUSTRY / NEWS 6 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk May / June 2024 - Issue 348 PrintMonthly printmonthly PrintMonthlyMagazine DS Smith and International Paper Company have announced a combination of the two companies following a £5.3bn deal which has gone ahead after a failed deal with rival paper company Mondi. Under completion of the combination, DS Smith shareholders will own approximately 33.7% and International Paper shareholders will own around 66.3% of the combined company. Mark S. Sutton, chairman and chief executive officer of International Paper, comments: "Combining with DS Smith is a logical next step in International Paper's strategy to drive profitable growth by strengthening our global packaging business. “We are confident this combination will drive significant value for our employees, customers, and shareholders." Under the terms of the combination, DS Smith shareholders will be entitled to receive 0.1285 new International Paper shares for every DS Smith share. The two company boards believe the combination will create a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions which is focused on the growing regions of North America and Europe. The deal is expected to become effective in the fourth quarter of 2024 subject to the satisfaction of the combination terms and approval of DS Smith shareholders. International Paper and DS Smith combine Goldman Sachs, Citi, and J.P. Morgan Cazenove consider the terms of the combination fair and reasonable An industry collaboration has recently been formed to entice young people into print. The collaboration is a partnership between cosmetics retailer LUSH, Dayfold Printing Services, and Foilco, with paper specialist G.F Smith also involved in this latest competition. First-year students on Arts University Bournemouth (AUB)’s BA (Hons) Graphic Design course were tasked with selecting one of five wellbeing-themed briefs and using this to produce “aesthetically beautiful”, creatively printed and packaged wellbeing kits containing LUSH cosmetics. Partners of The Creative Print Collab announced the winners, runners-up, and those shortlisted from more than 90 entries at a ceremonial event on the AUB campus. Julia Anderson took first prize with her project ‘Mane Memories’. As a result, she will complete an eight-week internship at LUSH as well as see her wellbeing box be produced by Dayfold using Foilco foils which will then be distributed at major music festivals. Simon Allen, senior R&D creative production support at LUSH, says: “We don't use social media or mainstream media so our print needs to work harder for us on the high street to communicate our messages and values.” Creative Print Collab rewards young talent [L to R front row] Marten Sims, Annabelle Turner, Julia Anderson, and Lauren Gardner By David Osgar By David Osgar For the past couple of years, direct-to-film has been a rapidly growing area of the print industry with new launches and technology innovations not showing signs of slowing. At FESPA 2024, the focus was on powderless DTF technologies with Brother demonstrating a prototype and Kornit Digital previewing a new DTF-like solution. Now, Keypoint Intelligence has revealed its 2022-2027 Global DTF Forecast: Navigating the Future of Direct-to-Film Technology. This forecast is designed to reveal the projected growth and dynamics of the DTF industry and whilst the DTF industry has shown significant growth, it hasn’t been without its challenges. The forecast will act as an essential guide for navigating the industry and offers a deep dive into the DTF market’s current state and future growth outlook. Including expert analysis of DTF printers, inks, and technology platforms, the report provides a comprehensive view of hardware placements, installed base, print volume and value, and other metrics. The report is available to purchase individually or through a subscription to Keypoint Intelligence’s advisory services which provide ongoing market information and timely insights. First Global DTF forecast report revealed Keypoint Intelligence has revealed its first Global DTF Forecast Report which will act as an essential guide Part of the Koehler Group, Koehler Renewable Energy’s new wind farm Wetzlar-Blasbach is now up and running. Marking a “major milestone” in Koehler Renewable Energy’s mission to promote sustainable energy, the wind farm has been over ten years in the making with planning starting back in 2012 along with the inception of Koehler Renewable Energy. Final approval for the wind farm was given ten years later with construction beginning that same year. Now finally up and running, the Wetzlar-Blasbach wind farm features two Vestas V150 turbines with a total output of 8.4 megawatts and is expected to produce 23,000 MWh of electricity – roughly the equivalent to the annual power consumption of 9,000 average two-person households in Germany. The opening of the wind farm will also support the city of Wetzlar’s climate protection plan with the city aiming to reach net zero emissions by 2035, except energy-intensive industry. The Koehler Group has been addressing the issue of renewable energy generation for many years and through its 2030 Koehler Promise, aims to produce more renewable energy with its own plants than is required for its paper production. Koehler’s Wetzlar-Blasbach wind farm now live Koehler Renewable Energy’s WetzlarBlasbach wind farm is now live after ten years of planning By Carys Evans By Carys Evans
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