• Millwood Inc., a provider of unit load and packaging systems, has acquired National Packaging Specialists Inc., a distributor of engineered packaging films, tape, hoods, air bags and other industrial packaging products to the United States and Canada. Company officials said the acquisition is a natural extension of Millwood’s core business of industrial packaging and material handling systems and unit load design. The new company will do business as NPS/Liberty, a Millwood Inc. Company.

          • Members of the forest products industry have expressed concern that President Obama’s Bio-based Product Procurement Memorandum will exclude most wood products. At issue is the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulation referenced in the memorandum. “Even though the statute that authorizes USDA’s bio-based programs clearly defines products made from forestry materials as bio-based, to date the department has failed to recognize most of our products,” said Donna Harman, President and CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA).

          • Additional ISPM 15 requirements are being considered in Europe. FEFPEB, the European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging Manufacturers, is currently assessing the potential impact of increasing ISPM 15 to include all movements of wooden packaging material within the European Union (EU). Current requirements are limited to movements into the EU or out of Portugal, a known pinewood nematode area.