1998
JANUARY von Drehle Corp., a supplier of towel and tissue products for the away-from-home market in Hickory, NC, has formed a partnership with K.J.A., Inc., a manufacturer’s rep group based in St. Louis, MO.
The members of The United Group completed their purchase of the organization from founder F. Speed Bancroft.
FEBRUARY xpedx (formerly ResourceNet International) Covington, KY, has announced the acquisition of Taussig’s Graphic Supply, Inc. (based in Cleveland, OH).  Taussig’s will be part of xpedx’s Northeast Region, based in Erlanger, KY.
MARCH

Colorstar, Atlanta, GA, and Insty-Prints Inc., Eden Prairie, MN, have entered into a strategic alliance in which Colorstar will be a recommended       provider of connectivity products for color output devices for the Insty-Prints franchise network.  Insty-Prints, Inc. a subsidiary of IPI, Inc., is the franchiser for the Insty-Prints chain of fast-turnaround business printing centers.  Colorstar is the result of a recent merger of two connectivity product companies, Star Imaging and Digital Ideas Pty. Ltd.
APRIL/MAY Bowater Inc. and Avenor Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement by which Bowater will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Avenor.  The combination of these two market leaders creates a premier North American forest products company.  It is expected that shareholder meeting materials will be mailed to shareholders of both companies by the end of May and that the transactiion will be completed by the end of June 1998.
Plainwell Inc. announced that the company has completed the acquisition of all the tissue paper manufacturing and tissue business from Pope & Talbot Inc. of Portland, OR, (and P & T’s three facilities in Eau Claire, WI, Ranson, PA, and Pittston, PA) valued at $147 million.
Consolidated Papers, Inc. USA and Cham-Tenero AG, Switzerland, announced that the two companies have agreed to form a sales and marketing alliance for the global manufacture and sale of coated specialty papers in Europe, South America and Asia.
Mail-Well, Inc. announced that is has agreed to acquire the label division of Lawson Mardon Packaging, Inc.  The new acquisition will be called Mail-Well Label.  The acquisition includes four manufacturing facilities; two in the U.S. and two in Canada.
Also, Mail-Well has agreed to acquire Rono Graphic Communications of  Portland, OR (an 85-year-old printer with sales of $12 million).
MacMillan Bloedel announced a timetable for the proposed spin off of its MB paper business into a stand-alone company, independent of MB.
JUNE Jefferson Smurfit agrees to buy Stone Container Corp. for $2 billion in stock.  New name for the company will be Smurfit-Stone Container Corp., headquartered in Chicago  JS will assume $4.35 billion of SC’s debt as part of the deal.
Strauss Paper, Port Chester, NY, recently acquired the assets of Automated Maintenance Systems of Buchanan, NY.
Alliance Rubber Co. announces the acquisition of the Rotex shipping, mailing and tape line from Esselte Corp.
Mail-Well, Inc. has acquired Blue Line Envelope of Montreal, Canada.  BL reported 1997 sales of $6 million.
Mail-Well also acquired South Press, Inc., a printer in Dallas, TX.  SP had sales of $12 million in 1997.
Mail-Well also announced the signing of a definitive agreement with Anderson Lithographic Co., Los Angeles, to acquire AL, a high impact commercial printer, with 1997 sales of $135 million.
JULY International Paper reached a definitive agreement with The Mead Corp. to combine the two companies’ distribution businesses, xpedx and Zellerbach.  Valued at approximately $263 million, the transaction is expected to be finalized by the end of the month.
Performance Food Group announced that it has acquired the group and chemical business of the privately held Affiliated Paper Companies, Inc.
Domtar announced signing a definitive purchase agreement with George Weston Ltd., Toronto, for all the shares of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, E.B. Eddy Paper, Inc., for a total consideration of $803 million (US$544.8 million).
Mail-Well signed definitive agreements to acquire five commercial printers including:  Accu-color and Color-Art of St. Louis, MO; Clarke Printing of San Antonio, TX; French Bray of Baltimore, MD; and United Lithograph of Boston, MA.  Combined 1997 sales for all five printers totaled more than $140 million.
Sonoco has sold for $22 million in cash its Hamilton Hybar subsidiary to Cascades Sonoco, Inc., a joint venture between Cascades, Inc., Quebec (50%) and Sonoco (50%).  The Cascades converting group’s 1997 sales were $168 million.
CoStar Corp. announced the completion of its acquisition by Esselte Office Products Co., a unit of Esselte AB.
AUGUST National Envelope Corp. reached an agreement to acquire all the outstanding capital sotck of Colortree, Inc., Grand Prairie, TX.  The company will be named National Envelope of Texas.
Piedmont National Corp., Atlanta, GA, has acqired the assets of Signal Packaging, Chattanooga, TN.
Cahners Business Information acquired A.F. Lewis & Co., a directory and database provider in the graphic communications market.
OCTOBER Sonoco purchased the 50% share of its joint venture partner in Coretech-Sonoco, Canada.
A vote by the executive board of the Oil Chemical and Atomic Workers International Union (OCAW) to approve the merger deal between OCAW and the United Paperworkers International Union is set to merge in January, 1999.
Perkins-Goodwin will acquire LaBoiteaux’s inventory, accounts receivable and some personnel.  P-G will operate LaBoiteaux (an xpedx company) as part of its Atlantic Kraft Sales subsidiary.
DECEMBER International Paper and Union Camp Corp. announced they have agreed to merge in a tax-free, stock-for-stock exchange.  UC and IP have $4.4 billion and $20.1 billion respectively in 1997 net sales.  The transaction is valued at $6.6 billion, including assumption of debt, is subject to approval by IP and UC shareholders, as well as regulatory agencies.
Bunzl plc, parent company of Bunzl Distribution, has signed a letter of intent to acquire the grocery supply business of IP’s xpedx division.  Net assets to be acquired are estimated to be $6 million.