New solutions.

It's been said that every problem is an opportunity. If that's the case, the paper industry, is the land of opportunity. We certainly seem to be having more than our share of problems (let's be nice and call them challenges). Slow growth, job losses, bad exchange rates (if you live in the United States), excess capacity--the list goes on. As the global economy slows, paper and board production growth has slowed to a crawl in Europe and Asia, and has gone negative in the North America.

And yet there are solutions to every problem--whether they are short term or long term. Today, in the midst of tough market conditions, paper companies and suppliers are developing new solutions, looking to the future of an industry with a proud past. Consolidation, capacity rationalization, and grade shifting are tough but necessary solutions to prepare the industry for a future of moderate but more, profitable growth. At the same time, the industry is learning the new techniques it needs to manage a smaller but more versatile workforce. Suppliers and mills are exploring new ways of implementing technologies that improve production, quality and reliability. We're making paper better than we ever have, using faster and safer processes.

In other words, this industry continues to seek solutions to the challenges it faces. This spirit of continuous renewal is the inspiration for the Solutions! we are offering to the worldwide pulp and paper industry. This enterprise, which I am proud to be a part of, has a unique profile: the only monthly paper industry publication distributed worldwide, staffed by an experienced publishing team, and backed by the resources of two venerable associations: TAPPI and PIMA. Our goal is simple: we want our publication, Solutions! for People, Processes and Paper, to be the leading source of management, technology and networking information for industry professionals throughout their careers. Achieving that goal, of course, will be a challenge, but we have the resources, tools and connections to make it happen.

Pardon the sales pitch, but it is exciting to be part of this new venture, which combines the heritage of TAPPI JOURNAL and PIMA's Papermaker (see page 46 for more information). It's not often that you get to be part of a novel publishing approach that brings together the talents and ideas of two complementary organizations. In these times, there is strength in unity--a fact already proven by the extraordinary consolidation taking place in the industries we serve. It is our hope that we address the information needs of a wide range of people who call the pulp and paper industry home, from students in paper schools to technical specialists, managers and researchers in mid-career, to retirees who keep a hand in the industry they've served for many years.

As we begin this new publishing venture, we welcome your thoughts, ideas, comments and criticism. We're open to your input and ideas on how we can improve a publication designed to present ideas and solutions to the challenges you face on the job each day. Feel free to write us--you'll find our email and phone contacts in the opposite column.

In this inaugural issue of Solutions! and in the months to come, we'll be bringing you news analysis, features, columns and commentary focusing on critical technology and management trends within the industry. We'll also examine the networking process that makes those trends a reality. As an old boss of mine once said, I don't want to hear about problems--tell me about the solutions. We'll do our best to do just that.

ALAN ROOKS Editorial Director; [e-mail]