RISI Announces Winners of the PPI Awards 2009

BRUSSELS, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- RISI is proud to announce the winners of the 2009 Pulp & Paper International (PPI) Awards program. The winners received the good news and their trophies at the PPI Awards ceremony on Wednesday, October 28, in Munich, Germany.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080521/NEW122LOGO )

Mark Rushton, Editor of Pulp & Paper International (PPI) and chairman of the jury for the PPI Awards, commented, "We were excited to see so many companies and countries represented at the PPI Awards gala dinner this week. I'd like to congratulate all of the winners on their achievement and also the companies and individuals that made the shortlist for these prestigious awards."

PPI AWARDS 2009 WINNERS:

ADVANCED USE OF BIO-ENERGY
Sponsored by Metso (www.metso.com)

• CASCADES
  

EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Metso (www.metso.com)

• FINCH PAPER
  

GLOBAL CEO OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by StepChange Consulting (www.stepchange.com)

• JIM RUBRIGHT, ROCK TENN
  

BUSINESS STRATEGY OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by StepChange Consulting (www.stepchange.com)

• SUZANO
  

MILL MANAGER OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Kadant (www.kadant.com)

• RIKARD WALLIN, HOLMEN PAPER, BRAVIKEN PAPER MILL, SWEDEN
  

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY OF THE YEAR (MILL)
Sponsored by HP (www.hp.com)

• SCA - ORTVIKEN PAPER MILL, SWEDEN
  

PROMOTIONAL / SALES / MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by HP (www.hp.com)

• GRYCKSBO PAPER
  

ENVIRONMENTAL STRATEGY OF THE YEAR (COMPANY)
Sponsored by Cargill (www.cargillindustrialstarches.com)

• STORA ENSO
  

INNOVATIVE PRODUCT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by BTG (www.btg.com)

• SAPPI FINE PAPER EUROPE
  

RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
Sponsored by Kemira (www.kemira.com)

• SODRA CELL - JOAKIM NYGREN
  

Jaana Ahlroos, Sales & Marketing Manager at Grycksbo Paper, who collected the prize for Promotional / Sales / Marketing Campaign of the Year, said, "Winning the award was a great honor for us and we are very proud. We are a small company, and this is a big award to win. It is so good to get this kind of high level recognition for the work we have put in on what is the first digital media promotional campaign in the industry. Our campaign has not only strengthened our brand, but has also helped to bring our customers something to smile about in difficult times."

Ilkka Hiirsalmi, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Paper and Fiber
Technology at Metso commented, "We were proud to be associated with the PPI Awards program as the headline sponsor, as we strongly believe that promoting best practices in this way can truly contribute to our industry's success."

For further details of the finalists and winners and to see pictures of the awards ceremony, please visit http://www.ppiawards.com. RISI will also be publishing a full report on the event on its website, http://www.risi.com, and in the December issue of PPI magazine.

About the PPI Awards
Launched for the first time in 2009, the PPI Awards are designed to honor leadership, vision, innovation and strategic accomplishments of companies, mills and individuals within the global pulp and paper industry. An international panel of judges, made up of industry experts, selects the finalists and winners. The Awards were held in conjunction with the Metso Pulp and Paper Technology Days and a half-day RISI Seminar.

About Pulp & Paper International (PPI) magazine
For 50 years, the global pulp and paper industry has relied on the quality editorial found in Pulp & Paper International (PPI) magazine. That's why it is the leading magazine for pulp, paper and paperboard manufacturers in Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa. It offers the most comprehensive coverage in the industry and reaches more people around the globe than any other pulp and paper publication.

About RISI
RISI is the leading information provider for the global forest products industry. We work with clients in the pulp and paper, wood products, timber, tissue, nonwovens, printing and publishing industries to help them make better decisions. More information can be found at www.risi.com.

    Contact:
    Rhiannon James
    Senior Vice President, Marketing Services
    RISI
    326 Avenue Louise
    Brussels, B-1050, Belgium
    Tel: +32 2 536 0742
    rjames@risi.com