30 years = 360 months, 1560 weeks, 10,957.5 days (including leap years), 262,980 hours, 15,778,800 minutes, and in the case of Mitsubishi, a TAPPI Sustaining Company, it is also how long they have been doing business in the United States.

As a supplier to the Corrugated Industry, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc. Corrugated Machinery Division has successfully operated continuously in the U.S. for the past three decades. I recently had the pleasure of spending a day with Randy Schiller, Vice President Sales & Marketing of MHIA, at their offices in Hunt Valley, Md.

"Let me make it perfectly clear, we have never pulled out of the market and are here to stay. This division has been in the black for the past 10 years in a row. We have enjoyed the past three decades of serving our customers in the U.S. and Canada. Thirty years is a big accomplishment for us that we are extremely proud of." Randy Schiller

As I say many times, you can tell how well a company is run by the smiles on the faces of the employees. What I witnessed when meeting several employees was a friendly smile; everyone knew each other's names. MHI does not have much employee turnover. When people come to work here they stay.

Randy is a self proclaimed "Computer Geek." He actually started serving MHI in 1987 as a software supplier. At that time he did not know what corrugators were. He is a quick study. Randy has seen many changes since he joined the company in 1994. Until 2000, the MHI Corrugating Machinery Company had really been acting as an independent representative of Mitsubishi's equipment. In 2000, they became part of the Mitsubishi family and have been in the "black" ever since.

This in itself has been major accomplishment, but when you consider the exchange rate of some other countries, at times calculated to be a 30 percent price differential, it is a truly amazing feat.

One of the biggest game changers was the development and introduction of the EVOL line of flexo-folder gluers with the EVOL-84 and EVOL-100. These introductions proved timely with some other manufacturers going out of business.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries does about $21 billion a year in sales and is one of about 300 independent companies within the Mitsubishi family. Within Mitsubishi Heavy Industries there are 12 divisions worldwide. MHI sells on total cost of ownership. Some may have a lower price up front; however, they feel that they can compete with anyone when total cost of ownership is taken into consideration.

The 40,000 square feet of office and warehouse space in Hunt Valley, Md., at one time served as a roll grinder and assembly plant. It now performs as a sales, service and parts depot for their equipment throughout the North America. Approximately 30 employees work in this building. These folks perform miracles according to some of their customers.

Randy said that he would put their team up against anyone in the industry. "We generally don't lose people. This type experience makes the difference with our customers. We normally do not hire people right out of school. We want to make sure that our new employees have had some field level experience and that they can handle a suitcase."

As always during my visits I asked for input on what can TAPPI do to add more value for our members? Randy was very open with some ideas, which included bringing back the Production Round Table at Corrugated events. Get the Production and Engineering Committees fired back up again. We must continue to get the box makers to come the TAPPI events. With the New World Order of Consolidation, we need to find out what makes these new owners and acquirers tick. They need to be involved.

I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to one of my favorite people, Dick Olsen from Chicago, who works for Randy. (Dick, just so you know, Randy told me that one of the best decisions that he ever made in his career was to bring you aboard.)

I met many wonderful people during my visit. The ones who gave me cards are: Yasushi Kitahara-General Manager, Paul J. Aliprando-Operations Manager and Kunio Niuchi-Chief Engineer.

For more information about Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America Inc., please visit www.mhicorrugating.com.

For more information about TAPPI, please visit www.tappi.org.

There are two types of people in our industry; TAPPI members and those who should be.

Until next time............. Larry

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Professionals from industry, universities and research institutes are cordially invited to present at the 13th TAPPI European PLACE Conference, (http://events.tappiplace.org) which will be held 30 May to 1 June 2011 at the Festspiel- und Kongresshaus in Bregenz, Austria. The deadline for submission is 15 October.

The conference program will have a special emphasis on the latest trends, technologies relating to extrusion, coating, or lamination of web based materials. Abstracts should focus on the following:

* Developments in web materials, polymers and adhesives - their behavior and processing
* What's new in converting technology – extrusion, lamination and process control
* Final product design – a society commitment considering sustainability
* Characterization – inspection, methods and standards for materials

Authors interested in presenting a paper on these or related topics should submit their abstract to TAPPI electronically. Submissions must be received on or before 15 October 2010. View the Invitation.

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The panel of experts has been announced to discuss proposed Boiler MACT during a special Town Hall Meeting on October 19 at the TAPPI PEERS Conference.

"Boiler MACT is becoming one of the #1 issues at EPA... and the forest products industry is at the center of this debate. - Tim Hunt, Senior Director, Air Programs, AF&PA

At this Town Hall, the Industrial Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (MACT) current and proposed standards will be explained as well as what's at stake for the pulp and paper industry as policy-makers discuss new emissions rules for industrial boilers and process heaters.

Participants include: Dan Curry (Moderator) from RMT Inc.; Tim Hunt, Senior Director, Air Programs with AF&PA; Ashok Jain, Regional Manager at NCASI; Hardik Shah, Senior Application Engineer with Southern Environmental Inc.; and Daryl Whitt, Project Manager with RMT Inc.

Learn more about this Boiler MACT Town Hall Meeting. The PEERS Conference takes place October 17-20 in Norfolk, Va. and this Town Hall is open to all registered attendees.

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Hear for yourself why NETInc is the not-to-miss event for the Nonwovens Industry! Listen to an interview with Bill Babbitt, Product Leader with Owens Corning. Bill will be presenting "The Design and Application of Residential Fiberglass Insulation Products" during Session 6: Building Sciences.

NETInc is the only conference designed for—and by—nonwovens professionals. The Technical Program features a State of the Industry Address, a keynote presentation by the Global Strategy Leader for Kimberly-Clark, a tour of the Nonwovens Institute's Pilot Facilities, and a Nonwovens Process Tutorial.

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The fall 2010 meeting of the TAPPI Yankee Dryer Safety and Reliability Committee will be held in Appleton, Wisconsin on November 4. This group is actively developing standard practices and visual standards for problems which cause drying system delay and compromise safety across the tissue industry. They also review and discuss and track all know incidents of yankee dryer failure from around the work. Committee members include tissue manufacturers, yankee dryer manufacturers, suppliers and consultants who support yankee operations. The meeting is open to all TAPPI members; visitors may attend one meeting.

More information is available from TAPPI's Website.

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Past TAPPI Board member Helen R. Schuierer passed away on July 12, 2010.

Helen Schuierer joined TAPPI in 1973. After 10 years of membership she was the first woman to receive the Testing Division Award, due to her contributions in the development of an automated test lab system. She said that by actively participating on various committees in the Testing Divisions and the Metropolitan Local Section, she kept abreast of what was happening in the industry and that benefited her company and her career.

In 1985 she was the first woman to be elected to the TAPPI Board of Directors. Her counsel on the Board's Coordinating Committee and TAPPI PRESS Committee, and most notably her chairmanship of the Board's Test Methods Management Committee, provided further improvements in the Association's member services.

Prior to her election to the Board, she held all the key positions in the Metropolitan Local Section, becoming the first woman ever to chair a TAPPI Local Section. She also served as vice chairman of the TAPPI Process and Product Quality Division and as chairman of the Division's committees.

After her retirement from Champion International in West Nyack, N.Y., she was president of H.R. Schuierer Inc. She was considered a leading authority in paper testing methodology. Her innovative efforts to develop automated off-line testing systems are credited with helping mills raise the productivity and accuracy in their testing and research laboratories.

She also published papers in TAPPI Journal and contributed to the publication of "A Handbook of Physical and Mechanical Testing of Paper and Paperboard."

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The 2010 TAPPI Nominating Committee announces the 2011 TAPPI Board Slate. Nominees and their respective positions are:

Chair – Norman Marsolan - Director IPST and Chemical Engineering Professor of the Practice, Georgia Tech IPST@GA Tech
Vice Chair – Thomas J. Garland - President and CEO, PaperWorks Industries Inc.
Directors –
• Sandra L. Le Barron, Director of Environmental, Health and Safety, Finch Papers
• Markku A. Karlsson, Senior Vice President of Technology, UPM-Kymmene Corporation
• Bob Snyder, President and CEO, Orchids Paper Products

Returning Directors
Davide R. Friedman, General Mills Inc., 2009-2011
Robert J. Gallo, Voith, 2010-2012
Jeff Hamilton, Sappi Fine Paper North America, 2010-2012
Chris Luettgen, Kimberly-Clark, 2010-2012
Thomas E. Rodencal, Rodencal Paper Consulting Inc., 2009-2011
Gary M. Scott, State University of New York, 2009-2011
Larry N. Montague, President and CEO, TAPPI

Other Nominations
Per TAPPI's Bylaws, the Association's membership has until November 1, 2010, to submit other nominations to the President and CEO of TAPPI, Larry N. Montague at lmontague@tappi.org. Such nominations must be signed by at least one percent of the voting members, and each voting member may sign for only one such nomination. Each such nomination must be accepted in writing by the nominee.
The name of each such nominee so submitted, signed and accepted shall be placed on the election ballot. The election ballot shall give voters the options of voting for or against the entire slate or for or against the individual candidate(s) for each position. Elections will begin December 1, 2010, and conclude January 15, 2011. Contact Mary Beth Cornell, + 1 770-209-7210 or mcornell@tappi.org with questions.

Retiring Officers and Directors:
Jeffrey J. Siegel, Mica Corporation(Chair)
Vincent Newberry, Mondi Akrosil, LLC
Nicki S. Slusser, International Paper

2010 Nominating Committee
Chair: Mark R. McCollister, Paperchine Inc.
Members:  
Kathy Buckman Gibson, Buckman
Scott Frasca, RohmNova
Charlie Hodges, Port Townsend Paper
Asko Hyttinen, Strategy First
Norman F. Marsolan(non-voting), IPST @ GA Tech
Larry N. Montague, TAPPI
Jeff Pallini, Fosber
Gerry Ring, University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point
Barb Russell, Sonoco

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There's a special academic rate for researchers planning to attend BioPro Expo & Marketplace 2011. The "1+2" program allows one academic researcher to attend and receive free registration for up to two research assistants and/or students. BioPro Expo & Marketplace is a unique cross-industry event that explores existing and emerging ways for transitioning a variety of biomass feedstocks into energy and biofuel. At BioPro Expo, suppliers of agricultural, municipal and wood wastes, as well as producers of dedicated energy crops and food processing facilities, will find practical answers for capitalizing on biomass resources.

BioPro Expo is the largest conference and exhibition in the Southeastern US covering the full biomass processing spectrum for multiple industries, from supply through demand and utilization.

BioPro Expo & Marketplace will address biomass challenges that include:

• Migration Technologies
• Existing Biomass Conversion Strategies
• A 'Marketplace' & Trade Show focused on demonstrating cutting-edge technology, products and services available today.

Download the Academic 1+2 registration form.

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This October, get to know TAPPI member W.B.A. "Sandy" Sharp as he stars in the Member Spotlight. Sandy is currently Principal of SharpConsultant and has spent his career conducting pioneering corrosion control research in the paper and pulp industry. He is pictured here with his grandson.

In 1984 he received TAPPI's Engineering Division Award, just seven years after joining the Association, and in 1989 he was designated a TAPPI Fellow in his first year of eligibility. In 1994 he helped launch TAPPI's Process Control, Electrical and Information Division and was elected to the TAPPI Board in 1996, later serving as Chairman of the Technical Operations Committee.

Spotlight participants are recommended by fellow members and staff. If you would like to nominate a member (or even yourself!) just send their name (or names) to MemberSpotlight@tappi.org. We will forward a Spotlight Questionnaire to fill out and return. We look forward to seeing you in the Spotlight!

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At least 30 percent of variation in profitability can be explained by human performance. To help to improve profitability the Technologically Advanced Workforce (TAW) initiative was formed. It is one of the key focus areas of Agenda 2020 and governance of this program is provided by TAPPI. A key part of the TAW is the National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training (NPT)2. NPT2 is a national network of community colleges that produce technicians specifically skilled for the pulp, paper, and allied industries. The objective of this initiative is to provide training and education to ensure that the technologies chosen to create the forest products industry of the future are operated, maintained, and managed by a technically superior workforce that is globally competitive.

For more about NPT2 see the November/December issue of Paper 360.

On September 23 the TAW Executive Advisory Board had its first meeting. In attendance were (pictured from left to right) Curtis Sears, MWV; Keith Romig, United Steelworkers; Cindy Reinhart, Metso; Andrea Harper, Georgia Department of Labor; and T. J. Murphy, NPT2; present but not pictured were Larry N. Montague, Mary Beth Cornell, and David Bell from TAPPI. Members who have agreed to serve but were not present include Ellsworth Townsend, Packaging Corp. of America; John Donahue, SAPPI Fine Paper N.A. and Lyle Fellows, Verso Paper. Find out more information about the TAW.

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"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

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