TAPPI has issued an Invitation to Present at the 2011 International Pulp Bleaching Conference, which will be held October 5-7, 2011, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore. USA. This conference is dedicated to all chemical and engineering aspects of pulp bleaching. Not held since 2008, it is the most important meeting on this subject and attracts a global audience to meet, learn and exchange ideas.

Authors interested in presenting a paper should upload their extended abstract to TAPPI's Speaker Management System by March 15, 2011. Abstracts should be 1-2 pages in length. Authors will be notified of acceptance by April 15, 2011 and must provide a full text manuscript by June 1, 2011.

For more details about the technical program please contact Craig McKinney at TAPPI; +1-770-209-7294.

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The National Center for Pulp and Paper Technology Training announced that Rainy River Community College (RRCC), International Falls, Minn., joined The National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology Training (NPT2). The Network is a national partnership of community colleges and industry representatives that arms students with the training and experience necessary to meet the increasing demand for advanced technology workers in the pulp and paper industry.

"We are very excited to add RRCC to our network of community colleges offering Pulp and Paper technology training across the country," said T.J. Murphy, executive director of The National Center for Pulp and Paper Technology Training. "RRCC is recognized by business, government, and community leaders for its outstanding workforce development and training programs."

Rainy River Community College was founded in 1967 by a group of dedicated individuals who wanted post-secondary education offered in International Falls at the heart of Minnesota's north woods. Rainy River fosters learning by surrounding its students with an environment rich in natural wonder. The 80-acre campus has an eight-building complex connected with heated walkways.

"Rainy River Community College's partnership with NPT2 and Itasca Community College will make available additional training and experience necessary to meet the increasing demand for advanced technology workers at local paper mill Boise Inc.," said Tammy Cook, director of Instructional Services at RRCC. "In addition, this partnership will enhance the value of the Industrial Technology program, already offered by RRCC.

The National Network for Pulp & Paper Technology Training (NPT2) was created to provide the pulp and paper sector of the US forest products industry with a Technologically Advanced Workforce (TAW) by offering exciting and effective education and training. The National Network is an alliance of community colleges, universities, industry partners and the National Science Foundation. It offers a proven program for recruiting, training, placing and retaining future pulp and paper workers by providing technical curriculum, continuing education, scholarships and internships. The National Network for Pulp & Paper Technology Training's scholarships-internships-jobs model succeeds because its partnerships address the complete cycle of worker training and development, from recruitment of new students to retention of existing workers.

The National Network is a part of the TAW platform supported as an important technology platform by the American Forest and Paper Association's special project group, Agenda 2020, and TAPPI.
For more information about the partnership, contact T.J. Murphy, executive director, NPT2, tmurphy@ascc.edu, (334) 637-3193 or Tammy Cook, Director of Instructional Services, RRCC, tcook@rrcc.mnscu.edu, (218) 285-2265.

Additional information can be found at www.npt2.net or www.npt2.org.

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Happy holidays! Now's the time to order your TAPPI and PIMA logo items for 2011 and show your pride as a TAPPI member or to support your PIMA division. Choose from unstructured brushed twill caps, knit polos and microfiber windshirts with either the TAPPI or the PIMA logo.

You'll want to wear your TAPPI and PIMA logo merchandise to:
• Show your pride in the industry
• Great to wear at TAPPI conferences and events
• Super gift idea to give a student in the industry or a co-worker

Wearing your TAPPI or PIMA logo merchandise makes a positive and lasting impression in the industry.

Visit the website to order TAPPI merchandise or PIMA items.

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Which industry segments trend upward? How is your company doing compared with competitors? Need a one-stop benchmark for industry performance and forecasting?

Then you need the 2010 TAPPI Industry Outlook Report: Performance Improves But Caution Remains

Save 10 percent on the TAPPI Industry Outlook Report, the most comprehensive strategic industry report of its kind! 407 companies, 15 market segments, complete data covering five and a half years, plus two years of forecasting.

Available NOW with up-to-date industry data you can't get anywhere else in a single report!

Filled with industry data, the TAPPI Industry Outlook Report is your key to a successful future in the paper and forest products industry. More than 400 publicly traded industry representatives participated in this comprehensive report that analyzes market segments, reviews growth trends and predicts how your company can be ahead of the curve as the market rebounds.

Commissioned by TAPPI, this 482-page report has been compiled using the latest data by FairValue Advisors LLC, a leading firm in analysis of performance measures including company size, growth projections, asset turnover, profitability, rates of return, investments and risk.

Just off the presses, the 2010 TAPPI Industry Outlook Report is a must-have for forward-thinking companies who want to lead the accelerating rebound in paper and forest products.

To order:

Save 10 percent off the price until January 15.

List Price: $670
Member Price: $445

Order online at www.tappi.org/bookstore or contact TAPPI's Member Connection Center at 1-800-332-8686 (US), 1-800-446-9431 (Canada) or +1 770-446-1400 (Worldwide) or by email at memberconnection@tappi.org.

List price after January 15 is $745 and $495 for members.

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Here's an impressive holiday gift idea to consider for several of your employees or yourself. The popular TAPPI Best Practices on the Corrugator course is a terrific opportunity to build upon skills and knowledge for anyone working within or alongside the corrugated industry.

The course takes place February 15-18, 2011 at TAPPI's new training facility in Norcross, Ga. You could present the Preliminary Course Schedule and confirmation of registration inside an envelope for a much-appreciated year-end gift.

Operators of corrugators, production managers, box plant supervisors, engineers – even those who provide products or services for corrugators -- can all benefit from the content offered during this short course.

Participants will:

- Learn how to increase productivity, improve quality and minimize waste;
- Take home new ideas and operational methods to improve production; and
- Share specific questions with the experts who'll be onsite to answer them.

This course offers 2.4 CEUs during the comprehensive 3.5-day session. Register by January 14 for an early-bird discount. Happy holidays from TAPPI!

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Every company, regardless of how large or small, struggles with the same HR dilemma – attracting qualified candidates. Hiring the wrong candidate can be an expensive venture with long-term repercussions. In the pulp, paper, and allied industries, there is finally a resource to make this process less cumbersome. The TAPPI Career Center provides employers direct access to qualified paper and packaging industry professionals. With its focus on the paper and packaging industry companies and professionals, the TAPPI Career Center, offers its members—and the industry at large—an easy-to-use and highly targeted resource for online employment connections.

High Visibility and Job Posting Management w/ a Niche Job Board

The truth is that the continued demand for online job boards show a better than 20 percent gain over last year. Job seekers are already using online services and want more visibility to top employers. Recently, the Wall Street Journal Online reported that employers are flocking to niche job boards and moving away from commercial job boards for a lack of qualified candidates. Unlike commercial job boards where hundreds of unqualified job seekers apply, the TAPPI Career Center directly connects qualified paper and packaging industry candidates to employers. On average, jobs posted on the TAPPI Career Center are viewed 240 times by industry job seekers. This means for every job posted, an average of 240 qualified job seekers have viewed the job posting!

Posting your job with a talent filled niche job board is one of many features to help employers save time and hiring cost. Using TAPPI's Career Center's Resume Agent feature, employers can:

• specify particular skills and search for the right candidate through the resume search
• have unlimited access to resumes
• activate features such as candidate notification
• save to favorites to help manage potential interviewees

For more information please contact David Bell at dbell@tappi.org.

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