Packaging Corporation of America, Lake Forest, Ill., USA, has donated $100,000 to the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation, Orono, Me., to establish an endowed scholarship fund for engineers. The gift is made in recognition of the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation’s mission to develop engineers of all disciplines for the pulp and paper Industry as well as the need for student scholarship funds, according to Mark Kowlzan, CEO and president of Packaging Corp. of America.

"It is a pleasure to be able to participate in such a quality effort," said Kowlzan. "The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation certainly has earned this recognition, and the students deserve this level of support."  

Packaging Corp. of America also supports the foundation’s Consider Engineering Program for high school juniors, provides internship and co-op positions for undergraduate engineering students, and hires UMaine graduates. 

"We are thrilled with this gift and grateful for the leadership demonstrated by Packaging Corp. of America. This donation will allow us to support three additional students with full tuition scholarships over the next four years and beyond," said Carrie Enos, president of the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation. "This $100,000 gift will allow us to further our mission of providing highly skilled engineers to the Pulp and Paper Industry, both in Maine and throughout North America. The demand for new engineers in our industry continues to be strong due to expected high numbers of retiring engineers over the next 15 years."

The University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation has been an affiliate of the University of Maine since 1950. During that time, more than 4,000 scholarships have been awarded to students interested in technical careers in the pulp and paper Industry. The Foundation currently supports more than 80 students with both full and partial tuition scholarships. More information is available online. 

PCA is one of the largest producers of containerboard, corrugated products, and uncoated freesheet in North America. It has approximately 13,000 employees, with operations primarily in the U.S.

PCA’s Packaging segment includes five containerboard mills, one containerboard machine at the Wallula, Wash., white paper mill, and 95 converting operations. In 2015, PCA produced about 3.7 million tons of containerboard and shipped about 48.9 billion sq. ft. (BSF) of corrugated products.

PCA’s Paper segment operates under the trade name Boise Paper, a Division of Packaging Corp. of America. This division manufactures and sells white papers, including both commodity and specialty papers, at three white paper mills located in the U.S. PCA’s net sales for 2015 were $5.7 billion. 

In the photo below, seven PCA representatives from four mills across the U.S. present UMPPF President Carrie Enos with their $100,000 Scholarship Pledge.