Domtar, FPInnovations nanocrystalline cellulose manufacturing JV in Windsor, Quebec, to be called CelluForce

Wendy Lisney

MONTREAL , June 3, 2011 (press release) – Domtar and FPInnovations are pleased to announce CelluForce, the corporate identity chosen for their new joint venture, launched in July 2010. CelluForce will manufacture nanocrystalline cellulose, a recyclable and renewable nanomaterial, that will be commercialized throughout the world. The new company's identity was developed to reflect both the origin of the nanomaterial, extracted from tree cellulose, and one of the multiple properties of the product to be sold by the new company.

Jean Moreau, President and CEO of CelluForce, explained, "Our new brand reflects who we are, how we want to position ourselves in our target markets and the innovation that differentiates us within our industry. The name "CelluForce" reminds us that one of the main characteristics of the nanocrystalline cellulose is the great strength it provides to the materials to which it is added, but the name also represents the strength of our relationships with our shareholders, our partners and our customers, which is one of the company's core values. It was essential that this feature be one of the key elements of our corporate identity."

The company's mission is "to harness the power of nature's basic elements to transform the performance of its clients' products." The personality of the product itself encourages the development of very strong partnerships with CelluForce customers, who will also be partners in the deployment of multiple specialized applications using nanocrystalline cellulose.

The typeface of the CelluForce logo uses two colours, to clearly illustrate the fundamental value of the partnership between two entities in the company - partnership between the two co-shareholders as well as with CelluForce employees and customers. The name is topped with a "C" formed of numerous tetrahedrons, which combine the blue and green colours that symbolize each partner. The spray of tetrahedrons gives a sense of forward movement, like the new technology's leap into the future. The logo was designed to be easily animated on multimedia platforms. The company's temporary website, www.celluforce.com, already displays the brand's new visual identity.

Nanocrystalline cellulose will be produced in a large-scale commercial demonstration plant using cutting-edge technology. The plant is currently under construction on the site of Domtar's pulp and paper mill in Windsor, Quebec. The construction of the demonstration plant is progressing quickly, and it should be operational in the first quarter of 2012. The plant's operations will be managed by a team of committed employees who have enthusiastically agreed to tackle the colossal challenge of getting a new plant up and running. For several weeks now, the management team has been preparing to welcome all the workers who are set to undergo training in June.

With regard to this major milestone, John D. Williams, President and CEO of Domtar, stated, "Emerging from a strategic alliance between two leaders in their respective industries, CelluForce creates new partnerships to develop innovative technology in growing markets. Domtar will bring its vast manufacturing experience to the table to produce a green nanomaterial that, like paper, comes from trees. We will therefore develop new applications for our market pulp."

For his part, Pierre Lapointe, President and CEO of FPInnovations, stated, "Thanks to a revolutionary technological breakthrough developed by FPInnovations and an exceptional government-industry partnership, the CelluForce team will benefit from a nanomaterial of high quality, which is stable, abundant and unique in the world, namely nanocrystalline cellulose, or NCC. With the combined strengths of FPInnovations researchers and Domtar staff, CelluForce will continue to develop new commercial applications and new market areas for NCC. The entire FPInnovations team is working to develop innovative and viable solutions to ensure the competitiveness and transformation of the Canadian forestry industry."

About CelluForce

CelluForce is a joint venture of Domtar Corporation and FPInnovations created to manufacture nanocrystalline cellulose in the world's first plant of its kind, located in Windsor, Quebec. Backed by a patented process, CelluForce develops and markets new applications for nanocrystalline cellulose. The company, whose head office is located in Montreal, employs some 30 people. For more information about CelluForce, visit www.celluforce.com.

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