Oct 25, 2004. /Lesprom Network/. Rock-Tenn Company's (NYSE: RKT) paperboard division announced today a $30 per ton price increase on all clay coated recycled newsback grades effective with shipments on December 1, 2004. "Our previous increases were cost recovery increases," said Executive Vice President and General Manager of the paperboard division David Dreibelbis. "Since we announced those increases, natural gas and oil prices have continued to rise to unprecedented levels. The NYMEX winter gas strip for the coming months of December, January, February and March now averages in excess of $8.50 per MMBtu. Additionally, chemical costs, particularly for coatings, and freight costs have escalated. For some destinations freight carriers are either completely unavailable or are auctioning the available units to the highest bidder, even after recently published rate increases of 25 to 50 percent. The price increase we are implementing reflects our need to compete for these important resources." Rock-Tenn Company provides marketing and packaging solutions to consumer products companies at low costs and has annual net sales of over $1.5 billion and over 70 operating locations in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Chile.