Kadant Receives Order for More Than $3 Million from Sappi Saiccor Ltd.
ACTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 14, 2005--Kadant Inc. (NYSE:KAI) has received an order from Sappi Saiccor Ltd., of South Africa, for a Chemi-Washer(R) horizontal-belt washing system valued at more than $3 million. Sappi Saiccor is the world's largest producer of chemical cellulose, or dissolved pulp, which is used in the manufacture of a range of products, including textiles, food, chemicals, and plastics. Sappi Saiccor is a division of leading South African pulp, packaging, and newsprint producer, Sappi Forest Products.
The Chemi-Washer system, to be supplied by the company's Kadant Black Clawson Inc. subsidiary, will be installed at Sappi Saiccor's mill in Umkomaas, south of Durban, to remove impurities from brown pulp in the production of chemical cellulose. The proprietary technology offers a single-system approach to pulp washing, combining simple operation with superior water economy to achieve high washing efficiencies. The entire washing process is self-contained in the Chemi-Washer unit to prevent emissions and provide an environmentally friendly pulp-washing solution.
"Sappi, a long-time Kadant customer, is a prominent player in the global paper industry," said William A. Rainville, chairman and chief executive officer of Kadant Inc. "They've maintained their leadership by continually investing in the best technology available, and we're proud to supply them with a system that offers highly efficient and effective pulp washing. In addition to demonstrating our technological leadership, the Chemi-Washer order is a result of our global presence, which allows us to serve the needs of our customers anywhere in the world."
Kadant Black Clawson Inc., based in Mason, Ohio, is a leading fiberline process equipment supplier that designs, manufactures, and services equipment used in paper recycling, chemical pulping, and paper machine approach-flow systems.
Kadant Inc. is a leading supplier of a range of products for the global papermaking and paper recycling industries, including stock-preparation equipment, water-management systems, and paper machine accessories. We also develop and manufacture composite building materials produced from recycled fiber and plastic. Kadant, based in Acton, Massachusetts, had approximately $204 million in revenues in 2003 and 1,000 employees worldwide. For more information, please visit www.kadant.com.
The following constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including forward-looking statements regarding the performance of our products. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such statements are set forth under the heading "Risk Factors" in Kadant's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the period ended October 2, 2004. These include risks and uncertainties relating to our dependence on the pulp and paper industry; international sales and operations; competition; ability to sell the composite building products business on favorable terms; ability to manufacture and distribute composite building products, and the seasonality in sales and the long-term performance of such products; availability of raw materials and exposure to commodity price fluctuations related to the manufacture of composite and fiber-based products; acquisition strategy; protection of patents and proprietary rights; fluctuations in quarterly operating results; and anti-takeover provisions. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
CONTACT: Kadant Inc.
Investor contact:
Thomas M. O'Brien, 978-776-2000
or
GreatPoint Communications
Media contact, 978-392-6866
SOURCE: Kadant Inc.