Fortress Global Enterprises Taking Market Downtime at Specialty Cellulose Mill in Thurso, Québec
Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill is taking market-related downtime beginning Oct. 8 for an unspecified interim period.
Oct. 8, 2019 - Fortress Global Enterprises Inc. yesterday announced that it will be taking market downtime at the Fortress Specialty Cellulose Mill (the "FSC Mill") in Thurso, Québec. The ongoing United States-China trade dispute, as well as weakening Chinese domestic textile and apparel consumption has destabilized the demand for dissolving pulp and caused a significant decline in pricing. As a result, the company will deploy a temporary market curtailment strategy to preserve the option of restarting the mill once prices rebound. Accordingly, Fortress Global will take market downtime at the FSC Mill commencing October 8, 2019 for an unspecified interim period. Market downtime will allow the company to manage its dissolving pulp inventory build-up, which has resulted from the recent uncertainty in pricing and demand, and execute on its previously announced strategic and financing initiative. Fortress Global's CEO, Giovanni Iadeluca, said, “As a result of a thorough evaluation of the current economics at the FSC Mill, the company has determined to take market downtime given the prevailing market conditions. This market curtailment strategy will allow us to focus our efforts on executing on the Strategic Initiative, as well as planning the optimized restart of the mill. We have also proactively allocated resources to enable us to restart the FSC Mill on an expedited basis in order to take advantage of any significant rebound in dissolving pulp pricing. “We continue to be confident in the future pricing and prospects for dissolving pulp as the market adjusts to currently volatile conditions, as we believe that the underlying supply and demand fundamentals remain stable,” Iadeluca concluded. Fortress operates its dissolving pulp business at the FSC Mill located in Thurso, Québec, which also operates in the renewable energy generation sector through its cogeneration facility. Fortress operates its bioproducts business through Fortress Advanced Bioproducts Inc., which has laboratory and pilot plant facilities in Vancouver, British Columbia. To learn more, visit: www.fortressge.com. SOURCE: Fortress Global Enterprises Inc. Go to a related story on PaperAge.com |