TAPPI 's annual PaperCon Conference and Trade Fair, which took place May 2-5 in Atlanta, Ga., USA, had more than 1,200 registered attendees and 70-plus exhibiting companies, the highest ever for the three-year old event, and a 60% increase over 2009. "This was clearly the best PaperCon ever," said Larry N. Montague, TAPPI President and CEO, "It is clear the industry has turned around and the informal discussions and presentations I heard reflected that. The success can also be attributed to volunteer organizers from our PIMA, Coating, Engineering, Paper & Board, Process Control, and Process and Product Quality Divisions who put together an outstanding program."
Keynote speaker Nina B. Link (photo at right) from the Magazine Publishers of America spoke to a standing room only crowd and gave a frank, yet optimistic portrayal of the challenges facing publishers today. "Magazine publishers must find innovative ways to work with electronic media as well as find more efficient ways to publish their products. But paper is still a vital link in the supply chain," she said.
Jim Hanna, director of Environmental Affairs from Starbucks Coffee Co., shared Starbuck's environmental philosophy and explained the company's goal to develop a 100% recyclable cup by 2012. He called on the assembled pulp and paper industry experts to help Starbucks meet this challenge and shared anecdotes about being both environmentally responsible and responsive to consumer demands.
Four pulp and paper company presidents took the podium to discuss the enormous transformational changes their companies have faced. Suzanne Blanchet, president and CEO of Cascades Tissue Group, described how her company has grown through acquisition to become a $4 billion corporation producing tissue and packaging products, mostly from recycled fiber. Today Cascades is the fourth largest tissue producer in North America.
Randy Nebel, president of Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging described his company's "transformation to excellence." Longview established a framework on which to operate based on safety and environmental aspects supporting operational excellence, capital management, and commercial excellence. It also set about instilling a performance-based, results-driven culture in which the top 15% of employees receive career mentoring.
David Scheible, president and CEO of Graphic Packaging gave a lively presentation during which he described some of the changes that have taken place within his company, a $4.2 billion corporation that through acquisition has increased its percentage of the North American Folding Carton Market from 13% in 2001 to 32% today. "A good strategy is not enough," said Scheible. "You also need good execution."
Don Rubright, president and CEO of CP Kelco, described approaching transformation within his company by analyzing the "commercial gearing" of the company and in doing so discovered that the company wasn't structured to meet customer needs. Today the company has changed so that innovation and technological innovations can now exist at any point.
Many PaperCon visitors were drawn by TAPPI's first ever Sustainability Forum, which provided an overview of existing and developing sustainability standards, metrics and labeling practices. Speakers from Colgate-Palmolive, MeadWestvaco (MWV) and GreenBlue highlighted the program. The program was well received and a second Sustainability Forum is being planned for PaperCon 2011.
PIMA's dynamic program featured two tracks exploring critical areas for the pulp and paper industry. Innovation for pulp and paper was discussed in three sessions which touched on both the corporate cultural factors nurturing innovation and specific technological developments in the pipeline at leading supplier companies. Nobel Laureate and global energy policy expert Dr. Marilyn Brown highlighted a series of presentations on carbon footprinting, carbon life cycle analyses, changing energy issues and policies, national energy security, global trade, balance of payments, altered business sustainability fundamentals, print versus digital carbon tradeoffs, and the emergence of biofuels/biochemicals businesses.
Innovation was highlighted from the perspective of a paper company (Appleton), suppliers (Metso, ABB, EKA Honeywell, ACA Systems), and several innovation experts.
TAPPI
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