Old Home Week

It never ceases to amaze me when TAPPI members come together for a corporate visit or TAPPI conference with anywhere from 100-5,000 people. We are strong, our connections last. Every time we come together, we seem to easily pick up conversations with our friends and colleagues right where we left off.

Recently Eric Fletty and I had the privilege to go back and visit the company where Eric began his career in the paper industry. That unique site was none other than GL&V located at 1 Cellu Dr., Suite 200, in Nashua, N.H., USA. As I approached the entrance, I noticed their tag line reading "Your Obvious Partner...in Pulp and Paper," which happened to catch my eye. They certainly project confidence in their business, which is something I like to see.

Mike Tardie (left in photo) of GL&V and Eric (right) came into the industry around the same time. They actually roomed together for a short time after attending the University of Maine, while working at IMPCO (now GL&V).

Mike and Drew Humphries were our hosts for this visit. In addition to their work with GL&V, they’ve been effectively "pinch hitting" for former TAPPI Board Members Lew Shackford and Jim Oswald, who have been called away to work on other issues, using their expertise to bring about the kind of solutions for the industry TAPPI is well-known for. We certainly appreciate their contributions during this time as well as their warm welcome during this most recent visit.

The GL&V team was a gracious host to say the least. They promptly brought together 21 of their 100 employees at the site for an hour meeting in their conference room during our time together. We shared updates on TAPPI, and had a Q&A Session on how TAPPI can offer even more value to GL&V as well as our industry in general.

In addition, Drew Humphries mailed me a copy of the book "Let’s Dance" by Laurent Verreault and GL&V, detailing their journey from humble beginnings to a major paper and packaging allied player over the past 40 years. What a great gift!

This is a great read and gives insight into the history and passion of GL&V. We are proudly adding it to our TAPPI Library in Peachtree Corners, Ga., where we have little doubt it will be an inspiration to others in the industry who want to learn about their successful rise during a time when some prominent companies in the industry were struggling to innovate and grow. But GL&V did – they had intelligent plans for their future from the get-go. This is one company that rarely if ever failed to successfully commit to reaching the next level, regardless of market circumstances.

November 2013–GL&V Fab (TR) sold to Employees–FAB 3R
Spring 2014 Groundbreaking–New Indian Shop-Markal Facility India
Operational January 2015
29,000 sq. ft. complete welding and machining capability
Owned and managed by GL&V P&P
September 2014—New website http://glvpulppaper.com launched
November 2014—Sale of Pulp & Paper to the Verrreault Family

Privatized by original founders
Focused on P&P
No change in Senior Management.

In the photo above are 15 of the 21 in attendance... Some employees were a bit camera shy, but all were extremely welcoming and cordial with us throughout our visit.

Where do they conduct business? Globally, like many of today’s leading industry players. Operations are active throughout the Americas (North and South), Eastern & Western Europe, Russia, and India.

What do they bring to the table? Solutions, to reduce operating costs in the areas of power and chemicals. Fiber breakthroughs, top safety protocols, and efficient productivity. They always deliver on time.

They offer a staff including key technology problem solvers as well as strong support for their strategic businesses. They offer local offices placed in strategic locations internationally for all product lines.