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Nine Dragons Paper and China

Editorial by Marty Ochs

Executive Director, Green Bay Innovation Group

Did you know that China has become the world’s largest producer of paper and paper products? The United States fell to second place. This shift in dominance is something to be concerned about.

China is having major issues with freshwater. Simply put, the availability of fresh water is becoming a crisis. A lack of freshwater negatively affects their manufacturing and their economy. China paper manufacturing will be very limited in growth due to the lack of water and natural resources. Their solution is to buy USA and Canada paper and pulp companies. In addition, they see ALL of the outstanding manufacturers in Wisconsin producing products for the Paper and Pulp industries. Next, China will be buying, investing and partnering with manufacturers in Wisconsin – which already has happened!

Isn’t it ironic that Nine Dragons Paper buys the Wisconsin Rapids Paper and Pulp Mill along with 3 other paper and pulp plants in the United States, gaining access to the American Great Lakes? The Great Lakes account for 21 percent of the Earth’s surface freshwater. In addition, the Great Lakes and Canada have vast natural resources for the paper industry. 

Currently, Vietnam is the largest woodchips supplier worldwide and to China. China shifted its purchase of additional softwood pulp from Europe, with fewer purchases from the United States. Currently, the USA will have no issues exporting our pulp to China, and China will continue shipping paper products back to the United States using our natural resources! 

In addition, China has stopped the USA and other nations from shipping our waste products, including paper, as a source for fiber leaving the USA with our garbage in the United States. It is much more cost-effective buying and building pulp and paper companies in the USA.  

The paper industry built Wisconsin! It is time that Wisconsin and the USA support Verso Paper Company and USA-based companies! If not, we will be dependent on Chinese who will control our Paper and Pulp Industries! China is investing in a long-term resource strategy, and the USA is looking at a short-term strategy based upon a return on investment!  

IN CONCLUSION:  

1. Nine Dragons Paper will have direct access to abundant freshwater and use our vast natural resources in the USA and Canada, without using China’s dwindling water or forest product resources.
2. ND Paper has exceptional access to supplying USA customers with pulp, paper, printing, packaging and our converting industries. 
3. ND Paper will be able to manufacture and supply pulp from America and Canada using our natural resources and ship it back to China and worldwide markets, avoiding duties and tariffs imposed upon them.
4. ND Paper can eliminate ALL the logistics of transportation of paper products to the United States with the high cost of containers and shipping by manufacturing the products in the United States. ND Paper will be supplying all kinds of paper that was in the past produced by American paper mills.
5. ND Paper headquarters is in Hong Kong and under the watchful eye of the Chinese Government. CNBC: China is building up its ability to weaponize trade, new report says, published March 17, 2021. China relies heavily on imports to meet its domestic demands for commodities.
6. China will continue to buy up America’s Paper and Pulp Companies.
7. China has and will continue to buy up or partner up with American manufacturers supplying the Paper, Pulp and Packaging Industries.

The Wisconsin Paper industry needs to take a page from the Nine Dragons playbook! Otherwise, the Paper Industry of Wisconsin will definitely lose its prominence in paper production in the USA.

It will have a major impact on the 5P, Converting, and our Forestry Industries! Understand, it is much more than just paper. The Wisconsin paper industry no longer has control of its future, because of the majority of ownership by national and international companies. There were two new acquisitions in Wisconsin by out-of-state companies this past month!  

Wisconsin was built on paper, and we will have to decide its future together. The Green Bay Innovation Group will advocate and support paper. GBIG will continue to educate our industries, government officials, organizations and the people of Wisconsin on its impact on them! 

We need to support ALL paper companies to expand their presence in Wisconsin. We need to build new paper and pulping facilities! WEDC and WPC have done a great job supporting the 5P and Converting Industries, which are the backbone of the Wisconsin economy. Let’s rebuild the Wisconsin Paper Industry. 

GBIG will continue to supply more data on the impact of the 5P and converting industries through our bi-weekly newsletter – www.gbignews.com. You can sign up for FREE. We welcome your feedback. 

For more information on the Green Bay Innovation Group, go to: www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com. In addition, if you have updated articles on the 5P industries, please forward them to us. 

We have a number of articles on Nine Dragons Paper Company based out of Hong Kong with a special section below called ND Paper. ND Paper started in 1995, built on waste paper from the United States. It is a story of success built by a true entrepreneur overcoming many challenges to become one of the largest paper companies in the world.

I have included a financial overview and financial graph of ND along with some other major USA based companies which tell the true story of the USA industry. The USA has moved to the No. 2 position in paper production. Unless we reinvest and reverse the trends, we will continue to decline across the USA and the world. Wisconsin can make the difference for USA production with vast resources to support the Paper Industry.

We need to learn from Mrs. Zhang Yin, CEO of Nine Dragons, who started the company with nothing and became one of the richest persons in greater China. She started by buying scrap paper from the USA and imported it into China. She turns it into cardboard for use in boxes to export Chinese goods. She became known as the Queen of Trash. China determined it would stop waste from the USA and others, which included paper products. Mrs. Zhang Yin was dependent on recycled, cheap pulp!  Therefore, she purchased paper and pulp companies in the United States without the trash! Her net worth is $1.8 billion dollars in 2021, owning one of the largest publicly traded paper companies in the world!

KK Integrated Logistics, a privately-owned company headquartered in Menominee, Michigan, has purchased the former Clearwater Paper Company property in Neenah, Wisconsin. 

Cynthia Kuber, KKIL president, said the purchase consists of a 250,000-square foot warehouse on the west side of Lake Street, and the nearly 1.2 million-square-foot mill site on the east side of Lake Street, with frontage on Little Lake Butte Des Morts.  The transaction was handled by Andy Lubinski and Justin Felix of CBRE. Financing was provided by Community First Credit Union.

The warehouse site is currently being renovated to accommodate a new tenant, Trilliant Food & Nutrition, that will take occupancy of the entire building by April 1st. Areas of the mill site will be utilized as warehouse space and is expected to be ready in early 2022 after mill equipment is removed. 

Plans are being explored for potential uses for the six-story south section of the building. A feasibility study is being considered to determine if converting the six-story south side of the mill to apartments, with indoor parking, a rooftop outdoor area, and numerous amenities is worthwhile. The apartments would overlook Little Lake Butte Des Morts and enjoy a large green area between the building and the lake.  The mill site has an interesting history dating back to the early Kimberly-Clark Corp. paper operations in Wisconsin. 

KK Integrated Logistics owns 5.4 million feet of space in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. Recent acquisitions include the former First National Bank building in Menominee for its corporate headquarters. In December 2019, KKIL purchased the 500,000-square-foot former Shopko distribution center in DePere, Wisconsin, which has been completely renovated and is fully leased to five tenants. KKIL purchased the 363,000-square-foot former KSG building in Marinette, Wisconsin, in September 2021.

Every manufacturer’s goal is precise, repeatable control. Whether you’re coating, printing or laminating, your winder plays a crucial role in overall efficiency. Tension controls are key to both the quality of the product and reliability of the machine.

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Quad Plus Announces New Building with New Capabilities

Quad Plus has built a 50,000 sq ft building in the Midwest to expand our capabilities with industrial control systems, system integration solutions, and system services.

New Lenox, IL – August 1, 2020 – Automation system integrator and industrial services company Quad Plus has announced that the new Quad Plus headquarters has been completed and our medium voltage capabilities have been expanded, along with the capabilities of the Quad Plus shop. 

Medium Voltage Testing – Currently, there are no other systems integrators in our class that offer medium-voltage testing. Quad Plus now can test up to 1000 KVA at 2400V, 4160V, 12,470V, 13,200V, 13,800V, and 14,400V. The more we can anticipate complications during in-field commissioning, the better our end users will be served. Of course, not all tests can be completed in our shop. However, reductions in complications and variables are always beneficial.

Training – There are not many opportunities for technicians and engineers to train, test, or qualify on this type of equipment. We have “upstream” isolation switches, which allow us to test cables, circuit breakers, transformers, and more. We can also provide in-house training for clients on SEL relays, MV gear, etc. Because we can now do MV testing and training within our own facility, we can operate under very controlled, low-pressure circumstances.

Medium Voltage VFD Testing – We’re able to test MV VFDs that we build in-house. Like our traditional LV coordinated drive systems, these 6000 HP MV VFDs require extensive in-house testing prior to being deployed to the field.

MCC Testing – Replacing or adding an MCC lineup may require installation into a client facility with difficult mechanical access. Once installed, the commissioning and verification process begins. Off-site MCC testing prior to installation reduces the chance that a major problem will require removal of the entire line for remediation. Completing communications and coordination settings within our facility allows for defect detection and correction before installation. Not only will this save our clients time and money, but we can also reduce the number of in-field commissioning hours while significantly reducing client risk after installation.

Research & Development – We recently provided proving grounds for Siemens to test a small system, and we learned a great deal from their R&D process. Now that we can offer similar opportunities for other MV systems, we’re looking forward to even more ways to contribute to developing and implementing new technologies.

New Equipment – Along with our new facility we have several new pieces of equipment that will not only make our jobs easier and safer, but also provide us with the capabilities to expand the types of services we provide. Here are some of our newest additions and why we’re so excited about them.

26-Ton Overhead Crane – When it comes to moving heavy items in the shop, a high-capacity overhead crane is one of the safest, most reliable options. Before obtaining this crane, we relied on less capable lifting solutions that no longer suit job requirements. Today we can put long enclosure lineups together and then lift them as a single unit overhead for direct placement on the truck. Because we can now load by crane indoors, our client’s products will be kept dry and safe during preparations for transport. Our customers will also enjoy a decrease in installation costs as they receive enclosure lineups in one piece. Less installation time means that they can begin production sooner to help boost their bottom line.

Steinhauer CNC Machine – This machine eliminates many of the time-consuming and costly manual methods of performing enclosure modifications. For example, we have not only saved employees from having to drill 400 holes per panel, but we have also decreased our assembly time by days on some jobs. In most cases, it takes a bit more work to set up the Steinhauer, but the machine can drill and tap 400 holes precisely in 45 minutes–a job that would take the shop three days to layout, drill, and tap the holes using conventional methods. Our customers will value the decreased project lead times and we may be able to offer the use of the Steinhauer for select customer projects on a per-job basis.

Shop Features – 

• Expanded Inside workspace. We can now assemble equipment of up to 50,000 lbs. completed weight in temperature-controlled work areas without extreme heat or cold affecting the job. Plus, the crane allows installation of heavy components quicker, easier and safer.
• Heavy Equipment Pad. Our new reinforced concrete pad area allows work with heavy equipment in excess of 50,000 lbs. and provides 100A electric service power.
• Pneumatic Tests and Tools. We also have air service throughout the shop so we can now do pneumatic testing when required.
• Upgrades to Work Areas. Six work areas now support 60A test equipment while two retain support for 30A equipment.
• UL508A Industrial Certification. We are looking to add UL698A Hazardous Location certification to our file in the near future.

Looking to the Future – At Quad Plus, the foundation of our operations is keeping industry prepared for what the future will bring. With our new shop, new equipment, and new capabilities, we can do even more to make sure our customers enjoy faster, more reliable service so they can stay focused on advancing into the future.

Learn more about Quad Plus’s services at www.quadplus.com or contact Jim Woulf at (920) 515-4155 or jwoulf@quadplus.com.

Since 1990, Quad Plus has grown to include several offices throughout the United States and internationally. Today, the company provides automation system integration, control retrofits, and engineering services to a variety of industries. With a skilled design, implementation, safety, and after-care support team made up of mechanical, civil, structural, chemical, controls, and electrical engineers, Quad Plus has extensive process knowledge spanning from the utility pole to the motor shaft. Learn more about this recognized leader in automation system integration by visiting www.quadplus.com.

Fiberglass Solutions moves, expands production capacity

GREEN BAY WI Dec. 17, 2021: Fiberglass Solutions, a manufacturer of custom fiberglass for nearly 50 years, announces its move to a larger facility, 995 Waube Lane, Green Bay. 

Fiberglass Solutions provides high-quality fiberglass fabrication and repairs for a variety of industries. With the move, Fiberglass Solutions substantially increased its manufacturing and warehouse capacity, from 9,400 to 34,000 square feet. Owners Ben and Amy Bertram collaborated with industry professionals to design the open-concept, free-flowing manufacturing space.

“The overall space, layout, airflow technologies, and environmental improvements help to create a cleaner, brighter atmosphere for our employees,” Ben Bertram said. 

In addition, the Waube Lane facility provides extra space for large orders and finished product storage. Now Fiberglass Solutions can easily implement new technologies and train and develop its workforce.

“The new facility greatly increases our efficiencies and allows us to increase overall throughput for our manufacturing customers,” Ben Bertram said. 

Fiberglass Solutions serves many different industries, including pulp and paper, wastewater treatment, plating and coating, and dairy, cheese, and vegetable processing. The family-owned company is expanding its workforce to provide custom fiberglass solutions that contribute to client success.

Now equipped to handle larger orders and additional work, Fiberglass Solutions is accepting new clients and large-scale orders. Call 920-468-6261 to discuss fiberglass fabricating or repair and to request a quote for an upcoming project.

ABOUT FIBERGLASS SOLUTIONS: For nearly 50 years, Fiberglass Solutions has manufactured high quality molds, tanks, and other custom fiberglass fabrications for various commercial applications including the agricultural, chemical, paper, and recreational sectors. For more information, visit https://www.fiberglasssolutions.us/.

Join First Business Bank and the Green Bay Innovation Group for networking, food and beverages, prizes, and a brief five-minute presentation on the SBA 504 program. Beer, wine, and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be provided. This sponsor appreciation event is scheduled from 3-5:30pm Jan. 27. The event is free, and attendees are welcome to come and go as they please. Stay for the whole event or even just stop by for a quick drink. Enter to win a bottle of bourbon, Yeti tumbler and blanket. First Business Bank is located at 3913 W. Prospect Avenue, Appleton. Reserve your spot by registering at https://greenbayinnovationgroup.com/events/.

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Castle-Pierce New Press and Tour

The Green Bay Innovation Group set up a tour at Castle-Pierce for Michele Moran and Melanie Giles of Hoffmaster Group, Inc.  Castle-Pierce, Inc. has made substantial investments in new state of the art equipment providing Flexible Packaging, Folding Cartons, Labels and Commercial Printing for major clients across the USA.  Hoffmaster, Inc. focuses on Food service, Consumer and Contract Manufacturing for customers worldwide.