U.S. Pulp, Paper, and Wood Industry Maintenance Shutdowns Scheduled for the Second Quarter of 2005 Total $73 Million

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources, Incorporated; Houston, Texas). U.S. pulp, paper, and wood products manufacturers have scheduled maintenance shutdowns at thirty-three plants in the second quarter of 2005. Scheduled downtime provides an opportunity for plants to perform preventative and predictive maintenance, thereby, helping to extend the life of processing and production equipment. The combined total investment value (TIV) of maintenance expenditures for the period is approximately $73 million. Individual shutdowns range in investment value from $1 million up to $4 million with downtime lasting from a few days up to one week. In some instances, maintenance activities are scheduled around the clock, particularly, in plants where the plant is without electricity or steam.

Click on the image at right to view a chart showing the number of shutdown planned by state for the Pulp & Paper Industry during 2Q05.

In the month of April, eleven plants will temporarily stop production to inspect, repair, and overhaul key component of the manufacturing process. Altogether, those shutdowns have a combined TIV of $24 million. The largest among them in terms of TIV, will take place at a pulp and paperboard mill in Alabama.

Sixteen maintenance shutdowns are slated for the month of May. Shutdowns the month range in value from $1 million up to $3 million and combine for a total investment value of $34 million. Companies are currently seeking the services of contractors and suppliers to provide labor, equipment rentals and various services.

In June, only six mills have scheduled downtime. However, those shutdowns represent a combined investment of $15 million or 20.5% of the value of maintenance expenditures for the quarter. Notable among them, is a 6-day shutdown of a large pulp and paper mill located in the upper peninsula of Michigan.

Industrilainfo.com coverage of the forest products industry in the United States and Canada includes data on over 3,300 major manufacturing plants that produce pulp, paper, and wood products. Industry sectors include tissue, newsprint, coated and uncoated papers, packaging and industrial converting, lumber, plywood, and reconstituted wood products, such as particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF) and oriented strand board (OSB).

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