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As I am writing this I am looking over something that I am very proud to have in my possession.
It reads: The Ohio Local Section of TAPPI presents to Larry Montague this certificate of recognition for your contribution to the 2010 spring meeting of Ohio TAPPI. April 9, 2010 Miami University, Oxford, OH.(Printed on paper made by the students of the Paper and Chemical Engineering Department of Miami University using their pilot paper machine.)
What a great place to spend a couple of days in April. My first trip to Oxford, Ohio allowed me to visit one of the most impressive campuses that I have seen in some time. I am told that George Washington played a large role in MUOH being where it is today. His foresight to state that a great nation must have institutions of higher learning strategically located throughout the country, and not just on the coasts, was instrumental in the genesis of a land grant that preserved the land that MUOH now occupies.
My first afternoon and evening was spent getting to know the faculty and students who are tied in with the paper and chemical engineering departments of MUOH.
Two of those students are Elise Ryan TAPPI Student Chapter President, and Ryan Long, also a TAPPI student chapter member. By the way Elise has already lined up a job with IP and Ryan has one with Verso waiting for him after graduation.
As a side note many of those who graduate in this program have jobs waiting for them prior to graduation. Some of their reflections on "why TAPPI, why PAPER" are as follows: "Both my sister and her fiancé told me that I needed to consider Paper Science as a career path. Those suggestions, along with TAPPI and our foundation scholarships, made it happen for me. I stayed involved with the TAPPI Student Chapter because of the knowledge and networking opportunities. The student summit is a great way to meet our peers, learn about the industry, find co-ops and internships opportunities, as well as to interview for a job. I had an informal job offer after a summer internship 9-10 months before graduation."
"This allowed me to be a worry-free person going into my senior year. This was extremely important to me especially during this economy. It is a lot harder for those who are not TAPPI members, or associated with paper, to find internships. Some of my friends who majored in other areas are still looking for jobs a month before graduation. At MUOH we are very blessed to have such an active Paper Science & Engineering Foundation. They stepped in and told us about scholarships. We are also very fortunate to have such a caring faculty. Dr. Keller and Dr. Coffin have been a major force in helping us. After freshman or sophomore year, people are intimidated to do an internship with a paper company, but our faculty and foundation will help you out. You learn more in the first month in the mill than you do in a research role simply due to the scale of the mill versus the lab."
"There are so many negative impressions of the paper industry to the uninformed. It is not a dying industry. Sure newsprint and magazines are challenged by the electronic media sources but look at tissue & towel or boxes and other packaging made from paper. People need to be educated that the water that comes out of mills is usually cleaner than when it entered a mill. We also need to tell them that we are not destroying the environment by harvesting trees. We are actually planting 3-4 trees in managed forest for each one that is harvested. Younger trees actually take on more carbon dioxide than older trees, so in fact our industry is actually good for the environment." Elise & Ryan, you just told them.
My next opportunity allowed me to spend some time with Professors Steve Keller, Doug Coffin, and Shashi B. Lalvani (Dept. Chair), Todd W. Downey Executive Director, PS&E Foundation and Candace Crist, Business Coordinator PS&E Foundation.
What a wonderful group of people! They all have a very strong passion for their university, their foundation and for this industry. In 2006-2010 the student population in the department was as follows: 75, 116, 135, 164, and 200, in that order. Not a bad track record. And the payoff, an average starting salary of $64,000 for the 11 of the 12 graduates who walked out with jobs last December 2008 and May 2009. Some more recent stats: December, 2009, -three graduates, two walked out with jobs, one is seeking employment.
May 2010, five graduates, three with jobs, one will attend graduate school and one is seeking employment. Please let me know if you would like to see any of these students' résumés.
Dr. Keller informed me that their students are very well rounded with the curriculum that MUOH offers, with emphasis on Chemical, Paper Science, Environmental and Bio Chemical Engineering. Their students learn more than just pulping; they also learn topics from harvesting and the fiber line, through papermaking, and on down the line including coatings and converting.
And last but not least, I was asked to give the Key Note address at the rebirth of the Ohio TAPPI Location Section's spring meeting. Talk about a great meeting. There were approximately 135 attendees which included 30 vendor companies who participated with tabletops. They had five technical sessions which included: Upgrades and Modernization of Stock Prep Systems, Doctor Blade Setting, Paper Machine Water Management for the Fourdrinier, Automation for Color Control, Air Systems: Air Dryers, Heat Recovery, How CD Moisture Actuators Can Save Energy, and a vendor showcase. My hat goes off to the Ohio TAPPI officers and members for pulling off such a great event and to Doug Coffin and Steve Keller for such a great job in communicating with the group prior to the meeting.
Paperboard Packaging 2010 will bring the paperboard packaging community to Budapest, Hungary 23 - 24 June 2010.
Chaired by leading paper and packaging industry experts from Pira International and TAPPI, Paperboard Packaging 2010 will bring together leading minds in paperboard and associated industries - creating the leading forum where the current challenges and opportunities facing converters, mills and end users will be discussed and real solutions proposed. Learn more about the Conference.
A limited number of rooms have been reserved for conference delegates wishing to stay at the Ramada Budapest Hotel at a special rate. To take advantage of the special rates, go to www.paperboardpack.com and click on the Visitor Information tab. Delegates must reserve their room no later than 22 May 2010.
Abstracts for 2010 NETInc. (Innovative Nonwovens Conference) are due May 31, 2010.
Organized by the Nonwovens Engineers and Technologists (NET) Division of TAPPI in collaboration with the Nonwovens Institute at North Carolina State University, NETInc. is scheduled for November 10-12, 2010 in Raleigh, NC USA. NETInc. is the perfect forum for a new constituency of industry and academic researchers, the professionals from the nonwovens and affiliated industries and the academic community to enable connections and synergies that support capability development and innovation for industry growth.
Organizers are looking for papers covering the following topics: Health & Well-Being, Safety & Security, Sustainability & the Environment, Energy & Infrastructure, and Emerging Technologies/Market Trends. View the Call for Papers.
It's a must-have resource: the TAPPI Industry Outlook Report is the most comprehensive strategic industry report of its kind! Order now and get the follow-up report free in the fall.
Available NOW with up-to-date industry data you can't get anywhere else in a single report!
Global economic information in easy-to-understand terms
Real-time data for projecting sales and company stability
Historic information for forecasting growth
Two-year projections of global economic conditions
Newly released, the TAPPI Industry Outlook Report is a critical tool for forward-thinking companies who want to lead the accelerating rebound in paper and forest products.
Darmstadt/Frankfurt – About 243 exhibitors from 17 countries will present their products and services at ZELLCHEMING General Meeting and Expo taking place from June 29 to July 1, 2010 in the Rhein-Main-Halls in Wiesbaden. A comprehensive lectures and supporting program underline the status as Europe's most important annual event of the pulp and paper industry.
The lectures of the 105th ZELLCHEMING General Meeting comprise the following topics:
Competitive edge by energy savings
Environment, energy efficiency and efficient use of resources in paper making and paper converting
Special Papers
Cellulose-Symposium
Energy Efficient Paper Making
Nano-Fibers and Nano-Cellulose
Biorefinery of Paper Making Residues
as well as a series of exhibitors' presentations for technique and management.
Registration is now open for the 2010 TAPPI Extrusion Coating Course, August 24-26, 2010 in Kennesaw, Georgia USA. This three-day course will help you gain a better understanding of materials and the extrusion processes to enable you to improve your existing extrusion coating operation. Emphasis will be placed on enhancing your troubleshooting skills.
This course is ideal for Extrusion engineers, supervisors and operators; technical directors and superintendents; Technical assistants and R&D personnel.
Lean Principles are made up of a number of tools. But "Lean" is also an art. High-performing companies that do well as the result of using Lean Principles have them ingrained it into the corporate culture. These companies succeed by focusing on lean culture and lean leadership.
Attend this one-day workshop and gain a working knowledge of the values and principles of Lean Methods and how to apply them with results.
Seats are limited to 30 participants, so register now to assure your spot!
What will you learn?
Experience – in small groups – how lean methods are superior to traditional methods and can bring quantifiable results.
Learn how an integrated system of continuous improvement can be applied to your manufacturing facility – and return back to work with new ideas and methods you can apply immediately.
Learn how to improve quality, value and speed – and understand how companies that have applied Lean Principles throughout their enterprise (holistically) have higher customer satisfaction, great customer loyalty and increased profits.
The deadline to nominate a candidate for TAPPI's 2011 Board of Directors is May 31, 2010. The candidate must be a TAPPI member. For more information or to submit a nomination contact Mary Beth Cornell +1 770 209-7210 or email mcornell@tappi.org
The global operating environment of the paper industry continues to change rapidly. In this dynamic setting, innovative products and operating models are crucial in order to remain competitive.
Implementing the new rise – the theme of the PulPaper 2010 Conference – will cover topics that deal with improving results in the changing environment.
The conference organized in association with the PulPaper 2010 Exhibition is an event organized by Adforum in cooperation with the Paper Engineers' Association, AEL and The Finnish Fair Corporation.
Join the TAPPI Consulting Council, or TCC, a premium service that connects qualified and competent TAPPI members who are subject matter experts with potential clients.
For consultants, TCC becomes a 24-hour business development rep. It also drives traffic to the consultant's site. No site? No problem. It provides segment specific marketing of the consultant's company and service capability on the TAPPI website. More importantly, it allows the consultant to take advantage of low cost advertising that reaches decision makers needing expertise just like theirs. In short, it's an excellent, cost-effective extension of the consultant's current marketing efforts.
Best of all, it allows consultants to negotiate fees and scope with the potential client who ultimately pays them directly. No middleman.
It delivers value that would cost them over $64,000 a year for just a fraction of that cost. Want more details? Contact Kristi Ledbetter at kledbetter@tappi.org.
With machines whirring and the demands of day-to-day operations keeping your technicians busy, where's the time for basic training that encompasses the big picture of pulp and paper manufacturing? No worries! Here's the answer.
The Hands-On Workshop for Pulp and Paper Basics -- June 6-11– delivers exactly what machine operators and technicians need to improve their skills and overall understanding of the industry's technology, operations and markets. This workshop sponsored by TAPPI and North Carolina State University balances lectures and laboratories at NC State's beautiful, educational setting in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Learn More. This introductory-level workshop is ideal for technical and non-technical employees with a desire for lab-focused instruction that will help them understand and appreciate the basics of pulping, bleaching, recovery, recycling, papermaking and converting operations.
Stock up on CEUs and join others in Raleigh, NC next month (June 7-11).
TAPPI is inviting Corrugated Packaging Industry Suppliers to submit for consideration their ideas, technologies or services that should be featured at the Corrugated Week 2010 What's New Technology Showcase, called Innovations." The session this year allows for more presentations and categorizes them by interests. TAPPI divided the three-hour sessions into three equal parts:
• Innovations for the Corrugator
• Innovations for the Converter
• Innovations for Non-Machinery
This is your chance to speak directly to people who can understand, appreciate and apply your technology to help them increase profits.
Corrugated Week 2010 is scheduled October 4-8,at the Hyatt and Hilton hotels in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It's the must-attend event for everyone in the corrugated industry from packaging to printing because there's only one show like it this year. TAPPI, the leading association for the worldwide pulp, paper, packaging and converting industries, and AICC, the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters are joining forces to deliver this powerful conference in ONE venue.
Submit your ideas by filling out the Innovations Session application found at www.corrugatedweek.org. You must be an exhibitor at 2010 Corrugated Week to participate in the What's New Technology Showcase. Application Deadline is July 16, 2010. For more information, contact Ron Buckhold, ron_buckhold@cargill.com, or Raine Hyde at TAPPI, 770-209-7256 rhyde@tappi.org.
TAPPI, in partnership again with Pira International, is pleased to announce the second annual Specialty Papers Conference. It is scheduled for November 10-11, 2010 at the Hotel Allegro Chicago, in Chicago, Illinois.
This year's program will focus on the current state of the market and the latest technology and application developments in the specialty papers arena.
Specialty Papers 2010 will tentatively feature 18 expert presentations. They will cover market trends, technical development and application related advances through presentations. Equally important, there will be question-and-answer sessions and panel discussions. Topics new to this year's agenda include:
• an update on the Chinese specialty papers market;
• choosing specific market pulps for various grades;
• in-depth views of the packaging paper markets and developments; and,
• life cycle assessment and regulations and certifications.
Throughout the conference, there will be a number of hosted luncheons as well as breaks and receptions. All of the previous activities will occur in and around the exhibit area located outside the main conference room. Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities will be available.
More information about Specialty Papers 2010 is available online at www.specialtypaperconference.com. Speaker recruitment is now underway. To submit a topic for consideration, or to request more details, please contact conference producer Barbara Rojas at +1 207 781 9608.
"We fell morally ill because we became used to saying something different from what we thought."
Vaclev Havel - former President of the Czech Republic in a broadcast to the Czech people 1 January 1990 (Submitted byIan Dench, I D Dench &
Associates Pty Ltd, Madalya, Victoria, Australia)
Two of those students are 
