Donald Guay, Ph.D.

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Devoted Family Man with a Collaborative Spirit

Don has 21 years of experience in the paper industry, most notably at Verso, ND Paper and Ahlstrom-Munksjo in both Engineering, and Operations Management roles. Don also received tenure with the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point Paper Science and Engineering Department. He has a Bachelor of Science in Paper Science from University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point, and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Maine.

Don and his wife, Kelly, live in the Stevens Point area with their five children. He loves to camp with the kids and enjoys downhill skiing and curling in the winter. Don and Kelly also own a winery!

“It’s about the people you meet. I can’t tell you how many times I reached out to someone I met at a conference and ended up collaborating with them” – Don Guay, Ph.D.

1. What sparked your interest in Standards?

I was working with Integrated Paper Services at the time, now called SGS-IPS Testing. Obviously, when you’re offering testing services to the industry you want to make sure that you’re familiar and involved with Standards.

2. Is there any particular review that has impacted you? Please tell us about your experience.

What’s interesting is that I went to graduate school and did lots of work in pulping and bleaching. We did the Kappa number test at least a thousand times, then, I went on to review the TAPPI T 236 test method (dug into it) and for the first time I realized that I didn’t really understand how the test works. That review was really invigorating, I found certain things that I did not like. There were conversions that were a bit clunky, so I took the opportunity to understand how it really works to apply modifications and improve them.

3. Why do you think Standards are important? How have you used them in your field?

Standards are undoubtedly important. Most of our products are bought and sold based on Standards. For example, I was reviewing project guarantees that involve agreeing on a Standard. In fact, in the project guarantees there’s TAPPI Standards embedded. The aspect about methods that is forgotten are Technical Information Papers (TIPs). TAPPI TIPs are truly helpful. It’s amazing how many times I’ve been asked a question and I simply open a TAPPI TIP to recommend it for a specific topic. TIPs offer tons of information that can help you solve problems. For example, we were reviewing a paper machine in Maine, and we were looking for a vacuum system. The first document we referenced was a TAPPI TIP, which included all the information we needed. It’s a great way to get things started.

4. How was your experience previously serving as Chair and Vice Chair of the Pulp and Chemical Properties Committee? Also, previous Chair and Vice Chair of the Process and Product Quality (P&PQ) Division Council.

When it comes to committees, the networking piece is always excellent. The challenge is obtaining participants to review Standards. Even though, in the mills (companies aren’t staffed the way they once were), technical folks understand that a lot of the features in the mills are based on TAPPI test methods, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it in the lab. So, if a young engineer coming out of school doesn’t know a TAPPI test method, he/she wouldn’t understand that the work at their site is based on TAPPI Standards. Most mill procedures are basically TAPPI procedures that have been re-written into a step-by-step explanation. The theory and technical information are removed and condensed to simply: how do you get the test done.

5. I see that you were part of the TAPPI Young Professional (YP) Division from 2016 to 2019. Was it to help guide the YPs?

Yes, it was. I spent nine years as a professor at University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point from 2004 to 2012. When I entered the industry, it was a good way for me to stay connected to those young professionals that I had been teaching as a professor.

6. What do you think would be a good way for the industry to recruit new talent?

From the industry perspective, there’s always this stigma of manufacturing. First, you must overcome that. The headlines of mills closing is always a problem. Most people don’t understand that the overall industry is very successful and in demand. Tissue, liner, and specialty paper are very stable, and in many cases growing. What people hear is that printing and writing mills are going away. What they don’t necessarily hear about are mills like the one in Rumford, Maine. The Rumford mill last year was 100% printing and writing; this year it may not even be 50% printing and writing anymore, but it’s still running. There’s a misconception about the future of the industry and that paper is going away, but most people don’t understand that printing and writing paper is a relatively small portion of the industry. Though it may continue to shrink, the rest of the pulp and paper industry is significantly stable.

Most people I work with love outdoor activities and most paper mills are in smaller communities. If there was a way to increase the work force, I would focus my efforts on recruiting in small communities where the general public is prone to hunting and fishing, rather than big cities. Most of the jobs aren’t in cities.  

“The faster you build your network, the more capable you are. If I don’t know the answer that’s ok, but I probably know someone who does.” – Don Guay, Ph.D.

7. What advice would you give to a young professional coming into the industry?I would advise a young professional coming into the industry to network beyond his/her site. The faster you build your network, the more capable you are. For example, as Director of Operations Excellence at NP Papers I was supposed to know all the answers, but of course I don’t. No one does, but what I do have is a strong network of folks that I acquired throughout my career. Many of them I met through TAPPI. If I don’t know the answer that’s ok, but I probably know someone who does.

8. What advice would you give someone that has never used a TAPPI Standard?

They’re cheap! I have easy access with my TAPPI membership. I would tell them that there is a great wealth of information available.

9. Tell us a bit about yourself? (Hobbies, education, and passion)

I attended University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and graduated with a Paper Science bachelor’s degree in 1996. Then, attended the University of Maine and obtained my Ph.D. in Chemistry in 1999. I eventually worked a variety of roles in the industry, including teaching as a professor in Paper Science & Engineering at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. I had the opportunity to also teach classes in Finland and Germany as part of an exchange program. Teaching in Munich was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I was able to accomplish a few times. I was teaching fluid mechanics and heat transfer to graduate students at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich. They teach all their classes in English, so acquiring someone that’s a native English speaker was a good opportunity.

My family and I love camping in the summer. I love to water ski; I have also recently gotten into surfing. We have a boat that allows you to surf behind, it’s so much fun! In the winter I go downhill skiing in Michigan to help the winters go by. I love to travel! My wife, my five kids and I just came back from Gulf Shores, Alabama. The paper industry has been good to me, it has allowed my family and I to participate in activities we enjoy.

10. If you could describe the value of TAPPI membership in one word, what would it be?

It’s definitely networking! That is the value of TAPPI when you attend conferences and you’re on committees. It’s about the people you meet. I can’t tell you how many times I reached out to someone I met at a conference and ended up collaborating with them.

Interview conducted/ written by Souadou Camara
Assisted by Mary Anne Cauthen

Special thanks to Editor in Chief: Janet LoBue

Thank you, Donald Guay for your contribution to TAPPI!

If you would like to share your experience with Standards, TIPs or U.S. TAG to ISO TC 6, please write to standards@tappi.org and the TAPPI Standards team will be happy to interview you.

TAPPI Standards guidelines require that all TAPPI members receive notification of any proposed new Standard or TIPs. This message is being sent to you because you are a TAPPI member; have purchased TIPs or Standards products from TAPPI; or because you have previously expressed interest in this topic.

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