AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL MACHINERY (AIM), Oak Creek Wisconsin, USA, announced the start of its new question-and-answer column "The Gluer Guy". Written by Jeff Wilcox, AIM's Sr. Technical Advisor, this monthly column will be available on the AIM web site www.aim-inc.net. With over 30 years experience in the paperboard converting industry, Jeff will address various folding and gluing questions submitted by customers. To submit a question to "THE GLUER GUY", please contact Jeff via phone (414/764-3223) or email your question to (jwilcox@americanintl.com).

FORBO ADHESIVES, LLC, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, and Industrial Adhesives, Inc., Eugene, Oregon, have announced an alliance in which Forbo will be granted the right to exclusively distribute Industrial's Hot Melt Wide Tape products under the Packtape and Packstring trade names worldwide. On a non-exclusive basis, Forbo will also distribute Industrial Adhesives' complete line of thermoplastic hot melt adhesives and hot melt tape and string products. Industrial Adhesives will also have access to portions of Forbo's product lines to distribute throughout the North American marketplace. Under the terms of their agreement, Forbo also retains the option to purchase substantially all the assets of Industrial Adhesives at a later point in time. Forbo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Forbo Holding AG, Switzerland,

In addition, Forbo will construct a new water based adhesive manufacturing plant at the Industrial Adhesives site in Eugene. The intent of this facility is to support expansion and distribution of Forbo's complete line of water based adhesives under the Forbo brand name, for their customers on the West Coast of the United States. Forbo expects to begin construction of the new facility during the second quarter of 2004.

GEORGIA-PACIFIC CORP. (G-P), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and Temple-Inland have signed an agreement for G-P to acquire the assets of Temple-Inland's corrugated box plants in Harrington, Delaware, and Ontario, California. The transaction is expected to close on or about April 12, 2004. Specific terms of the agreement weren't disclosed. The two box plants produce litho-laminated corrugated packaging for consumer goods companies and employ more than 200 people.

SOUTHERN CONTAINER CORP., Hauppauge, New York, USA, has purchased a 50% interest in Manufacturers Promotion Group (MPG), Carlstadt, New Jersey, a provider of custom packaging and displays. MPG has specialized in marketing and sales services in traditional and value-added packaging, promotional displays, printing, forms, labels and bags since 1972. MPG works with a network of 27 plants in seven states throughout the United States with 3500 employees and $500 million in sales. Southern Container is a 55 year old, privately held packaging company, which specializes in the food, beverage, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry. It owns or is part owner in over 14 plants throughout the United States and Canada.

THE INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARDS OF the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy International Union (PACE), Nashville, Tennessee, USA, and the United Steelworkers of America (USWA), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, have forged a strategic alliance. The purpose of the alliance is to recognize that it is each union's interest to coordinate activities and share knowledge, techniques, and experiences of each. By joining the alliance, unions commit to conduct joint activities in support of their members, and to build on their rank-and-file programs to raise a collective voice on issues facing the labor movement -- especially industrial unions.

PACE has already enacted the Steelworkers Rapid Response political and education action program in its Union and the Steelworkers are implementing PACE's Emergency Response safety program. Both unions intend to combine forces on key legislative races in the fall and in support of the campaign of Senator John Kerry for president of the United States.

NEW ONLINE JOB BANK - TAPPI Career Center
The TAPPI Career Center, the online job bank, has undergone a major redesign to better meet your needs. You can now search and apply for targeted jobs with employers across North America, as well as manage your resume and job applications online. Job seekers, you can submit your resumes at no cost. Employers, as an added bonus, you can post as many positions as you'd like between now and May 1, 2004 for FREE! After May 1 there will be a nominal posting fee.

As a job seeker, you can post up to three unique profiles for free. The Career Center provides employers with a secure job posting tool that allows them to post, edit and delete jobs as well as screen candidates against specific qualifications while career seekers will be able to investigate new career opportunities and receive electronic follow up when a new posting fits their criteria.

Both employers and career seekers will have complete control over the confidentiality of their information and are able to undertake customized job searches. Complete information is available on the TAPPI website.

TAPPI PAPER SUMMIT - Bringing the industry face-to-face
Thousands of pulp and paper industry professionals will join together at TAPPI Paper Summit, May 2-5, 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, to share ideas, learn from each other, and experience the most comprehensive event ever held for the worldwide pulp and paper industry.

In addition to the world-class exhibit and extensive educational programming, TAPPI Paper Summit offers a variety of opportunities for participants to meet face-to-face with peers and colleagues from throughout the industry. All Paper Summit participants including exhibitors, visitors, guests, and conference registrants are invited to attend the following events:

Pub and Poster Session: In this informal technical forum, individual authors present new information, results, or data on posters. The authors will be present during the "Pub and Poster" reception Sunday May 2 from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. to discuss their work with Paper Summit attendees. Plus, the authors will be present at the Poster Session on Monday May 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for additional discussion.

Summit Soirée: At the Summit Soirée on Monday May 3 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., exhibitors and visitors will a reception in the Paper Summit Exhibit Hall.

TAPPI Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony: All Paper Summit attendees are invited to attend the TAPPI Annual Business Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday May 4 from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. During this event, TAPPI's highest awards, the Herman L. Joachim Distinguished Service Award and the Gunnar Nicholson Gold Medal will be presented and several new TAPPI Fellows will be recognized.

In addition, Spring Technical and International Environmental Conference attendees can participate in two Hot Topics Breakfasts and two Division Receptions. The Hot Topics Breakfast on Tuesday morning focuses on Environmental issues while Wednesday's Hot Topic Breakfast covers Papermaking. Conference attendees are also encouraged to attend the Sunday evening Environmental Division Reception and Awards presentation and the Monday evening Process Control, Electrical and Information Division Reception.

Like attending the exhibit, many of the Paper Summit face-to-face events are free but registration is required. Registration details are available on www.papersummit.org.

EASY, LOW-COST SOLUTION FOR IN-PLANT TRAINING: The Virtual Seminar
Presented by TAPPI's Corrugated Packaging Division, this training solution is great for training for your corrugated crewmembers, maintenance, supervisors, superintendents, Plant Managers and Staff Engineers!

• Eliminate travel and lodging costs
• Spend zero time away from work
• Participate as a group for one low fee (TAPPI members pay 199.00 per site, per seminar)
• Ask questions and hear effective solutions
• Gain new insights from TAPPI quality instructors, experts and other seminar participants on timely information covering the latest hot topics

Cost efficient, time efficient, and profitably informative are all words that describe TAPPI's Virtual Seminars. Today's economy, high cost of travel, production demands and loss of valuable employee time away from the plant forces us to look for viable alternatives to meet today's needs. The answer is a range of specially designed real time "Virtual Seminars" that can be viewed individually or in groups for the same low cost. Questions are encouraged, and access to the instructor is available via the Internet for additional questions! All you need is a telephone or Internet connection and you're ready to hear valuable information on the latest hot topics--in 90 minutes or less! Registration fees are per Internet or phone connection, so an unlimited number of people can share one site for one low cost.

Centerlining the Flexo Folder Gluer & Rotary Die Cutter
March 25

Understanding and Implementing "Time & Register"
April 20

Develop Best Run Settings and Create Formula Cards
May 4

Visit our website for a complete listing by date and industry category on upcoming TAPPI Virtual Seminars.

17th ANNUAL TABLE TOP TRADE FAIR
Hosted by Minnesota TAPPI
with a presentation by Dr. Ann Atkinson on Future Solutions Now
Thursday April 1, 2004
4:00 to 8:00 PM
Edinburgh USA Golf Course
Edinbrook Crossing
Brooklyn Park, Minnesota
Phone (763) 315-8500

In the past, this event has always drawn at least 100 box plant employees; for many it is their only opportunity to see the latest offerings from vendors. Dr. Atkinson counts the top 50 organizations in the world as her clients. Her Future Solutions Now presentation will be geared for corrugated box companies, which, like most contemporary organizations, are being challenged to adapt.

Cost to exhibit is $155 per tabletop. Cost to attend the presentation is $30 and includes dinner. Contact Correen Rosenberger (correen.rosenberger@containergraphics.com) or Dick Klick at 651-653-1400 for information on exhibiting or attending.