Oji suspends tender for Kinleith, Kawerau mills until June

Oji Fibre Solutions, which bought Carter Holt Harvey’s pulp, paper and packaging businesses in 2014, will put off a tender for wood processing services at its Kinleith and Kawerau mills until a full court hearing in June after current operator Pedersen Group sought an injunction to stop the process. 

Rotorua-based Pedersen made the application for an injunction against Oji and adviser Partners in Performance International (NZ) last week over concerns the process will interfere with its contracts that run through to 2024, chief executive Gavin Hudson said in a statement. 

"We think Oji Fibre Solutions can be a great part of New Zealand's fibre future," Hudson said. "We've got lots of ideas and have invested millions of dollars in specialised equipment to help them achieve that. But it needs to be done on the basis of mutual respect." 

Pedersen operates the Kinleith and Kawerau mills in New Zealand, Norske Skog's pulp mill in New South Wales, the Maryvale paper mill in Melbourne and the Vanua Levu chip plant in Fiji. It's owned by private equity firm Maui Capital. 

(BusinessDesk)