Jan 12, 2009. /Lesprom.com/. NewPage Corporation plans to take approximately 150 thousand tons of market-related downtime during the 1Q 2009, the company said in a statement received by Lesprom Network. Specific operating and curtailment plans as well as timing will be developed across NewPage mills to best satisfy customer commitments. "We continue to operate in a very challenging economy and marketplace. In 2009, we will maintain our strong commitment to run our operations in the most efficient way possible as we balance our production to consumption," said Rick Willett, President and COO for NewPage. "Based on our estimates of market demand and inventory levels, this downtime is needed to help maintain that balance. Fortunately, our flexible system enables us to fully service our customers' needs during periods of curtailment." NewPage Corporation is the largest coated paper manufacturer in North America, based on production capacity, with $4.7 billion in pro forma net sales for the year ended December 31, 2007. The company's product portfolio is the broadest in North America and includes coated freesheet, coated groundwood, supercalendered, newsprint and specialty papers.