Category: Featured

  • SWM and Neenah Complete Merger

    SWM and Neenah Complete Merger

    Mativ Holdings today announced the completion of the merger of equals between Schweitzer-Mauduit International (SWM) and Neenah, two leading global manufacturers of specialty materials, effective July 6, 2022.

    Mativ has approximately $3 billion in sales, supporting customers in more than 100 countries, and manufacturing capabilities on four continents. Beginning Wednesday, July 6, 2022, the company will commence trading on the New York Stock Exchange, under the new ticker symbol MATV.

    “I am extremely excited and proud to mark this important milestone in the journey of our two companies with the formation of Mativ,  said Julie Schertell, president and CEO of Mativ, in a statement.

    “This merger is a unique opportunity to boldly reimagine our future as a stronger and faster-growing global enterprise. As we come together, we see significant near and long-term value creation opportunities to accelerate growth and amplify margins. With compelling strategic touch-points in key market categories, complementary geographies and technologies, increased global scale, and a passionate workforce with deep roots in material science, we are ideally suited to help solve our customer’s most critical challenges, which is the foundation of our cultural, commercial and financial success.

    “As we bring the best of these two organizations together, our priorities are centered around supporting our customers, accelerating our growth, delivering the $65 million, or more, of deal-enabled cost synergies, and driving margins and cash flows to support deleveraging and a strong dividend.  We will also continue to execute our strategy, including investments in our fastest growing and most profitable business units and decisive actions to optimize our portfolio over time.  Mativ has tremendous potential, and, as we celebrate this new beginning, I want to recognize the efforts of our outstanding employees who work tirelessly every day to push the limits of what is possible.”

    This merger is a unique opportunity to boldly reimagine our future as a stronger and faster-growing global enterprise.

    Julie Schertell, president and CEO, Mativ

    “Today marks an exciting new chapter in the rich histories of both companies, forming a scaled global leader in specialty materials to drive value for customers, employees, stakeholders, and our shareholders,” said John Rogers, chairman of Mativ’s board of directors. “We will continue executing a well-defined strategy, maintain an attractive financial profile, and advance our corporate stewardship and governance efforts. Mativ is committed to providing attractive returns to shareholders while maintaining a prudent balance sheet and disciplined approach to capital allocation. We have assembled an exceptional, diverse, and experienced leadership team, and we look forward to working with Julie and her talented group of leaders to deliver on the promise of this transaction.”

    Mativ will disclose financial results for two reporting segments: advanced technical materials (ATM) and fiber-based solutions (FBS). The ATM segment is comprised of five non-reporting business units: filtration, protective solutions, release liners, healthcare, and industrials. This segment generally represents the combination of SWM’s legacy advanced materials and structures and Neenah’s technical products reporting segments. ATM will deliver solutions that filter and purify air and liquids, support adhesive and protective applications, advance healing and wellness, and solve some of material science’s most demanding performance needs.

    The FBS segment is comprised of two non-reporting business units: engineered papers and packaging and specialty paper—and represents SWM and Neenah’s respective legacy paper segments. FBS will leverage the combined company’s extensive natural fiber capabilities to provide specialty solutions for various end-uses, including sustainable packaging, imaging and communications, home and office, and consumer goods, among other applications.

    For the second quarter of 2022, Mativ will report financial results for legacy SWM and select financial and business highlights from Neenah.

  • FDA Suspends Juul Ban Pending Appeal

    FDA Suspends Juul Ban Pending Appeal

    Photo: steheap

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has temporarily halted its ban on Juul Labs products while the e-cigarette maker appeals the agency’s decision, the FDA announced on Twitter.

    On June 23, the FDA ordered Juul Labs to pull its e-cigarettes from U.S. store shelves, saying the e-cigarette manufacturer had submitted insufficient evidence that they were “appropriate for the protection of the public health.”

    A federal appeals court then granted Juul Labs a emergency stay of the order to give the judges time to evaluate the merits of Juul’s appeal. The e-cigarette company separately asked the FDA to stay its own order pending the appeal.

    In a series of Twitter messages, the FDA said it had determined that there are scientific issues unique to the Juul application that warrant additional review. The agency stressed that the stay suspends but does not rescind it the marketing denial order (MDO).

    The FDA initially rejected Juul’s request for a stay, prompting Juul to seek a stay of the ban in court, according to The Wall Street Journal.

    In its court filing challenging the FDA ruling, Juul said the agency had overlooked more than 6,000 pages of data that the company had submitted to the FDA on the aerosols that users inhale. Juul also suggested that the FDA’s decision was influenced by political pressure.

    The FDA’s marketing denial order for Juul surprised many in the vaping business, especially in the wake of marketing authorizations for vapor products manufactured by competitors such as Reynolds American Inc. and NJOY Holdings. A pioneer in the vaping segment and backed by Altria Group—a company boasting decades of experience with regulatory compliance—Juul labs appeared in a better position than most to meet the agency’s exacting standards.

    Public health advocates criticized the stay of the FDA ruling.

    “It is deeply disappointing and harmful to our nation’s kids that the FDA has issued an administrative stay of its marketing denial order for Juul’s e-cigarette products,” wrote Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a statement.

    “This decision will allow the continued sale, at least for now, of the brand most responsible for creating and fueling the youth e-cigarette epidemic. We are nearly 10 months past a court-ordered deadline for the FDA to complete its review of e-cigarette marketing applications and can’t afford more delays by the FDA in removing kid-friendly products from the market.”

  • Zim Tobacco Earnings Surpass Last Year’s

    Zim Tobacco Earnings Surpass Last Year’s

    Photo: Taco Tuinstra

    Zimbabwean tobacco growers had sold 167 million of tobacco and earned $505 million by the end of June, reports The Herald, citing statistics from the Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board.

    By comparison, in the entire 2021 marketing season, farmers pocketed $504 million from the sale of 183 million kg.

    While this year’s volumes are lower than in 2021, the higher quality has been commanding better prices, according to experts.

    The average price for this year is $3.02 per kg while that of last season was $2.76 per kg. The lion’s share of Zimbabwean tobacco is sold under a contract system. Only 5 percent of farmers are sufficiently solvent to borrow from banks or fund their own operations.

    Tobacco is a key crop for Zimbabwe, with exports and supporting activities contributing earnings of more than $1.2 billion annually.

    Eager to capture more value from the golden leaf, the government aims to transform the business into a $5 billion industry by 2025. Its Tobacco Value Chain Transformation plan calls for increasing primary production to 300 million kg by 2025 and localizing financing for smallholder farmers, among other initiatives.

  • PM Eager to Partner in Ukraine Recovery

    PM Eager to Partner in Ukraine Recovery

    Photo: alphaspirit

    Philip Morris may act as a partner and advisor in Ukraine’s recovery in line with the concepts adopted during the recent Ukraine Recovery Conference in Lugano, Switzerland, Philip Morris Ukraine CEO Maksym Barabash told journalist on July 6.

    According to Barabash, Philip Morris has a solid record of operation in Ukraine. “Philip Morris is a key American investor, employer and taxpayer in Ukraine,” Barabash was quoted as saying by Interfax. “And this is how we see our future in Ukraine.”

    The company has experience in both upgrading outdated production facilities building a new ones, he added.

    “Therefore, I see our role not only as an exporter, one of the biggest taxpayers, and an employer, but also as a partner and advisor on the country’s recovery,” Barabash said.

    Philip Morris has operated in Ukraine for more than 20 years and owns a factory in the Kharkiv region. Before Russia’s invasion on Feb. 24, its Ukrainian facilities employed about 1,300 people. The factory served as an export hub for over 20 countries, including major markets such as Japan and Egypt.

    In 2020, Philip Morris Ukraine reported a net profit of UAH2.73 billion ($92.38 million), up 5 percent from 2019.

  • Convention Alliance Publishes 2021 Report

    Convention Alliance Publishes 2021 Report

    Photo: olrat

    The Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) has published its 2021 annual report.

    In addition to highlighting projects carried about in 2021, the annual report covers topics such as the ninth Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the alignment of tobacco control with development and the UN sustainable development goals, and the inclusion of tobacco control in Covid-19 recovery initiatives.

    The report also discusses he FCA’s upcoming plans to transition to the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control, a move intended to help the organization position itself for new challenges.

    Created in 1999, the FCA is a confederation of nearly 500 organizations from more than 100 countries that supports the negotiation, ratification and implementation of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

  • E-Cig Batteries Power Drones in Ukraine War

    E-Cig Batteries Power Drones in Ukraine War

    Photo: Rakursstudio

    Ukrainian volunteers have started using e-cigarette batteries to help power drones deployed in the war against Russia, according to a report in The Independent.

    The batteries are being used to power release systems attached to drones so that they can carry and drop anything from medical supplies to grenades. The release systems are built using 3D printers.

    The initiative was developed in response to the rising price of lithium batteries. War-related airport closures have driven up the cost of many imports. To collect disposable e-cigarettes and retrieve lithium polymer batteries, the volunteers set up drop-off bins outside the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute

    “Lithium batteries used to cost $1 each but went up five times in price adding significantly to our costs,” says engineer and PhD student Maksym Sheremet. “So we started powering dropping systems from the batteries in disposable e-cigarettes. It’s free, easy to repurpose and environmentally friendly because we are recycling.”

    A team of around 60 volunteers are making the drone systems, with 30 working specifically on the e-cigarette plan.

    In four months they have built 4,000 dropping systems – which cost under $30 – and are sent to the front. They are also building drones from scratch and repurposing existing commercial drones to go with their dropping systems.

    Seriously outgunned by Russia, Ukraine relies heavily on drones, which allow its forces to spot artillery and so direct fire efficiently, saving ammunition.

  • Cigarette Firms Shift to Biodegradable Films

    Cigarette Firms Shift to Biodegradable Films

    Photo: Tobacco Reporter archive

    Cigarette makers have shifted from regular plastic wrapping to biodegradable wrapping for cigarette packs, well ahead of the India’s single-use plastic ban, reports The Economic Times, citing the Tobacco Institute of India (TII).

    The single-use plastic ban took effect on July 1. The biodegradable material being used is compliant with international standards and the recently released BIS standards, according to the TII.

    “Biodegradation of the biodegradable plastic starts upon coming into contact with soil. This material is extremely beneficial, as it would biodegrade naturally in landfills as well. The biodegradable plastic will not add any strain to the solid waste collection and recycling system,” TII said in a statement.

    TII represents cigarette makers such as ITC, Godfrey Phillips India and VST Industries.

  • Taat Shares 2022-2023 Financial Outlook

    Taat Shares 2022-2023 Financial Outlook

    Photo: Taat Global Alternatives

    Following its recent acquisition of HLND Holdings, Taat Global Alternatives anticipates generating approximately CAD88 million ($68.31 million) in sales between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023.

    Repeat orders of Taat, which comprised over 54 percent of the company’s gross revenue in the second quarter of 2022, are expected to continue at a steady pace as the company services its existing accounts while capturing new market share.

    Anticipated revenues for the company’s fiscal year ending Oct. 31, 2022, are CAD92 million. Taat projects a loss on operations excluding non-cash items of CAD1.9 million. The company anticipates continued quarterly losses through the remainder of calendar 2022 as it invests heavily in brand-building, distribution and further development of its nationwide sales network.

    To exploit its recently acquired distribution capabilities, the company plans to expand the scope of its offerings beyond Taat Original, Smooth and Menthol, with the objective of also becoming a global player in nontraditional smokable and non-smokable products.

    Shifting its business model from being “product-centric” to “brand-centric,” the company expects to benefit considerably from its enhanced management capabilities between ADCO executive team members as well as the addition of 20-year global tobacco industry veteran Michael Saxon as CEO of Taat.

    “In the approximately 18 months since Taat was first launched in the United States, we have established a solid foundation through strong execution of our priorities as well as continued attention to research and development,” said Taat Founder Joe Deighan in a statement. “The advanced formulation of Beyond Tobacco known as V3 has proven exceptionally popular among adult smokers and we have proactively taken steps to replace inventory of Taat made with previous iterations, thus ensuring that V3 is as widely available as possible.

    “Our acquisition of ADCO provides us more than just distribution bandwidth, which is to say that we can obtain priceless feedback and various types of insights (whether qualitative or quantitative) to continuously evaluate the performance of a given product on the market and shape our business decisions accordingly to drive sell-through and long-term brand equity.

    “Perhaps most exciting, we are branching out into segments that complement our core offerings, such as Taat heat-not-burn as well as a zero-hemp formulation of Beyond Tobacco that can enable us to commercialize Taat more broadly at a global level. We anticipate great outcomes in the rest of 2022 and throughout 2023 and are keen to continue with actively commercializing Taat as a better alternative to legacy tobacco products.”

  • B2B Vaping Conference to Tackle ‘Big Issues’

    B2B Vaping Conference to Tackle ‘Big Issues’

    The U.K. Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) will organize a B2B conference at the QEII Centre in London on Sept. 9.

    Among other topics, participants in the Vaping Industry Forum and Exhibition will discuss the challenge of tackling rogue vape traders, preventing underage access to e-cigarettes and creating a sustainable vaping industry.

    Entitled “Vaping for a Better Future,” the conference will also look at how the sector can maximize its public health, economic and social impact.

    The industry’s first ever economic impact report, conducted by the Centre for Economics & Business Research, will also be unveiled at the event.

    Confirmed speakers and panelists include Adam Afriyie MP, vice chair of the Vaping All Party Parliamentary Group; James Lowman, chief executive, Association of Convenience Stores; Pippa Bailey, head of climate change and sustainability practice, IPSOS Mori; Dan Marchant, managing director, VapeClub; Doug Mutter, director, VPZ; and Siyang Yu, global marketing manager, SMOK

    The event follows the government-commissioned independent review into tobacco control policies—the Khan Review—which has recommended that vaping feature prominently as a tool to meet England’s smokefree target by 2030.

    “This year’s Vaping Industry Forum is set to be the biggest yet,” said John Dunne, director-general of the UKVIA, in a statement. “The conference and exhibition come at a hugely exciting time for the vaping industry following the extremely positive Khan Review which has presented vaping as having a pivotal role in making smoking obsolete. It also comes ahead of the highly anticipated publication of the new Tobacco Control Plan.

    “Whilst vaping presents a huge public health, economic and social opportunity for the nation there are a number of challenges that the industry has to face up to. The Khan Review is placing its trust in the vaping industry to play a critical role in its harm reduction strategy, and we’ve got to show that we are a highly responsible industry that can live up to the government’s high expectations.”

  • EPA Ruling Threatens FDA’s Tobacco Plans

    EPA Ruling Threatens FDA’s Tobacco Plans

    Photo: renaschild

    The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to block the Environmental Protection Agency from curbing power-plant emissions also threatens the Food and Drug Administration’s attempts to limit nicotine and ban menthol in cigarettes, according to an article published by Bloomberg Law.

    In their ruling, the Supreme Court judges endorsed a legal approach that requires agencies to obtain Congressional approval to address issues of major financial or political importance in novel ways. The court’s conservative members have lamented the power agencies have to create and enforce their own rules.

    According to Lindsay Wiley, a professor at UCLA School of Law, the decision will be considered in any situation where an administrative agency is trying to solve a problem using authority given to it by Congress in more general terms.

    In the case of tobacco, the FDA will face greater pressure to prove it is authorized by Congress to propose its draft ban on menthol in cigarettes and cigars and other major rule changes, according to Marc Scheineson, a former FDA commissioner.

    While the Tobacco Control Act gives the FDA the authority to adopt product standards—including on the content of cigarettes—through notice and comment rulemaking, legal experts believe the June 30 court ruling will embolden tobacco manufacturers to challenge the menthol ban and other policies once they are finalized.

    “It definitely provides a roadmap that the industry will follow trying to attack the menthol regulation with everything they can come up with,” said Joelle Lester, director of commercial tobacco control programs at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law’s Public Health Law Center.