2007 a record year for Millar Western’s pulp production and sales
Despite the highly challenging conditions experienced by Canada’s forest sector in general, 2007 was a banner year for Millar Western’s pulp business.
Responding to strong demand and high prices, the company’s totally chlorine-free bleached chemi-thermo-mechanical pulp (BCTMP) mill in Whitecourt, AB, set a new annual production record, generating 306,480 tonnes of pulp in 2007. Some 46% higher than the mill’s original design capacity of 210,000 tonnes per year, the production figure was all the more impressive, considering that the mill is now 20 years old, and that mill staff were contending in ’07 with a range of factors including curtailments necessitated by high energy prices.
As well as producing record volumes, Millar Western set a new high mark in pulp sales, shipping a record 320,434 tonnes. Again, the new record was set despite daunting obstacles, including a rail strike and other rail service problems, and congestion at the Vancouver port.
Given the extraordinary difficulties presented to the forest sector by a soaring Canadian dollar, rising costs and extremely weak lumber markets, the contributions made by its pulp business segment were key to Millar Western’s competitive performance in 2007. As a low-cost, high-efficiency, high-quality producer of lumber and pulp, the company remains well positioned to take on the ongoing market challenges of 2008.