Mead

ATLANTA—The U.S. paper and forest products industry buys and sells more than $400 billion worth of products annually. Some estimates are that at least a third of these transactions will be conducted online within the next few years. With that in mind, Georgia- Pacific Corp., International Paper and Weyerhaeuser Co. have committed funding of $51 million to establish a global business-to-business electronic marketplace for forest products. The entity will be known as ForestExpress. Four other forest products companies—Boise Cascade, Louisiana-Pacific, Mead and Willamette—are reportedly considering taking part, as well. Officials say the goal is to create a common platform to simplify and accelerate