Jun 17, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Canadian papermaker NorskeCanada and Norske Skog ASA of Norway have agreed to dissolve a joint venture arrangement that was formed in 2001 to market their specialty paper products in North America. NorskeCanada announced that it will market its specialty papers directly to North American customers starting this fall. The move reflects the company's continuing growth and market positioning as a producer of paper grades serving the magazine, catalogue and retail insert categories. The companies reached a mutual decision that sales of their individual products can now best be managed by their own organizations and that the joint venture, Norske Skog North America, will no longer be responsible for these sales, effective Oct. 1, 2005. Russell J. Horner, president and chief executive officer for NorskeCanada, said Norske Skog will continue to act as its agent in South America and there will continue to be a strong bond between the companies. "The joint venture has been very helpful in building the platform for NorskeCanada's specialty business in the U.S. and we are grateful for the support of our partners in helping us achieve that goal," Horner said. "NorskeCanada's growth as a significant specialties producer over the past four years has positioned it to go to market on the strength of its own name and reputation." NorskeCanada is one of North America's largest producers of groundwood printing papers. The company also produces market kraft pulp. With four paper and pulp manufacturing divisions and a paper recycling division employing 3,800 people at sites within 100 miles of each other on the south coast of British Columbia, NorskeCanada has a combined annual capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of product.