As of November 7, 2011, AbitibiBowater will change its name to Resolute Forest Products. When communicating in French, it will use the name Produits forestiers Résolu.
The company identity change follows an initiative, launched in April 2011, in which employees were invited to suggest a new name for the company. An internal selection committee and an executive team chose Resolute Forest Products from among approximately 1,400 employee submissions.
The new logo calls to mind the forest in which the company works, the paper and lumber products it manufactures, and the modern and dynamic nature of the organization.
Paper products are reflected in the half-circle of the “R” (symbolizing a paper roll) as well as in the folds within the logo. The rectangular and triangular shapes in the legs of the “R” represent wood products and forestry. Through the use of green as a primary color, the design also depicts the company’s determination to be a profitable business, committed to sustainability.
While the company will be doing business as Resolute Forest Products as of November 7, AbitibiBowater Inc. and its subsidiaries will not change their legal entity names until the company obtains shareholder approval as required by law. It will seek formal shareholder approval at the 2012 Annual General Meeting.
The company will operate “business as usual” with respect to invoicing, payments, contracts, company stocks, and stock market listings.
