Volume 1, Number 1
Jun 1994

Georgia-Pacific has Alkaline Hotline

Printers and converters who call 800/214-2786 will reach Georgia-Pacific's Alkaline Hotline, a service set up to help them troubleshoot any problems that arise when they start using G-P's new alkaline papers from the Ashdown and Port Hudson mills, where five machines were converted to alkaline this year. Callers are sent a pH pen and a brochure, which describes how G-P coordinated with customers in advance of its conversion, gives background information, and provides "alkaline handling tips" for offset printing, xerography and forms. The company reports that its customers have had very few problems.

In January, the G-P conversion team published the schedule for converting each of the five machines in the program. The brochure says:

February 1994. Georgia-Pacific's Ashdown mill will begin manufacturing alkaline paper on one paper machine.

March 1994. Georgia-Pacific's Port Hudson mill will make the conversion to alkaline on 2 paper machines.

April 1994. Georgia-Pacific's Ashdown mill will make the conversion to alkaline on 2 additional paper machines.

June 1994. Conversion of 5 machines complete. Swatchbooks of these new alkaline products will be available in June-July, 1994.

The conversion team's confidence was well justified. Both of the Port Hudson mill's machines converted during the week of March 21, right on schedule. This means the entire mill's production is alkaline. The three machines at the Ashdown mill also converted on schedule, during the week of April 18. One machine remains acid.

Since all of the alkaline grades meet the specifications of the ANSI/NISO permanence standard (Z39.48-1992), those papers are identified with an infinity sign in a circle. This goes on carton, roll and skid labels.

Georgia-Pacific's mills in Nekoosa and Port Edwards, Wisconsin, already make alkaline paper, having converted three or more years ago.