Domtar (Montreal, Canada) this week (Aug. 13, 2018) announced leadership transitions for two fluff pulp producing mills, in Plymouth, N.C., USA, and Ashdown, Ark. Both mills are getting new qualified leaders as 40-year P&P industry veteran Bob Grygotis prepares to retire as GM at Ashdown on September 1.

Allan Bohn, manager of Domtar’s Plymouth Mill, will move to Ashdown, replacing Gryotis. Everick Spence, who currently works in the Fort Mill headquarters office as director of Continuous Improvement, is being promoted to replace Bohn as Plymouth Mill manager. Both Bohn and Spence will report to Steve Makris, Pulp business VP, effective September 1.

"It is hard to say goodbye to a leader who is so highly regarded and brings so much experience to the operation of Ashdown, our largest mill. However, after more than 40 years in the pulp and paper industry, Bob deserves the opportunity to return with his family to their home in Kingsport, Tennessee," said Domtar CEO and president John D. Williams.

"We have a deep bench of proven manufacturing leaders, so we are well equipped to keep the Ashdown and Plymouth mills competitive in their respective markets today, and prepared to compete in changing markets tomorrow."

President of Domtar’s P&P division, Mike Garcia, is charging Allan with continuing Grygotis’ success at ramping up fluff pulp production at the Ashdown Mill and getting the product qualified with customers. According to Garcia, operations at the Plymouth mill will not miss a beat when Bohn heads to Ashdown, since Spence will be replacing Bohn.

"Everick Spence is going to do a great job as the new General Manager at Plymouth," Garcia said. "He is both passionate and practical in his approach to driving continuous improvement in manufacturing operations. And he brings an interesting breadth of manufacturing experience to the table, which helps us look at issues in a new light.