Recently a politician made a statement during a campaign speech: "Corporations are not people, people are people." I wish to respectively submit that this person is incorrect in his assessment of the business world. People make up corporations. The success of corporations depends on the quality of people they employ.

A few weeks ago I was on my way to New Orleans looking forward to PaperCon2012. I was wondering if all the hard work of TAPPI's volunteers and staff would again pay off for our industry. I had great expectations. I am proud to say that yes, PaperCon2012 was a success. We had nearly 1,500 people registered for this years' conference. This number represented a 7% increase over 2011. Our post conference surveys showed very high approval ratings with a combined score of 84%. With all the anticipation and success, my mind kept going back to a letter I received on Friday April 20, 2012 from Mike Jackson. I have included this letter below.

During my 5-1/2 years with TAPPI, I have had the opportunity to spend some one on one time with many of our industry's greatest leaders and their employees. Mike Jackson and the rest of the VERSO team rank right at the top of the list of outstanding individuals. They represent a lot of what is right with our industry.

On May 14, 2012 Mike Jackson will retire as President & CEO of Verso Paper Company. He is truly one of a kind leader and gentleman. I have come to know, appreciate and respect Mike over the past several years. His style and humbleness have permeated the entire Verso organization.

He has the unique style, missing from so many, that commands the attention and loyalty of those he comes in contact with. He practices what I call the Platinum Rule: "treat others like they want to be treated."

Mike encourages his suppliers to not only tell us what we are doing right in our mills but also let us know one thing what we can do better.

David Patterson will take over the reins from Mike. He will have some big shoes to fill and I wish him well. He has a great team behind him.

With Mike's permission, I have included his letter to the employees of Verso Paper Corporation.

Mike, I and thousands of others wish you and your family the best that life has to offer.

You will be missed.

Sincerely,

Larry

 

---

Verso Paper Corp.
Headquarters
6775 Lenox Center Ct.
Suite 400
Memphis, TN 38115
Mike Jackson
President and CEO
T 901-369-4231
F 901-369-4228
www.versopaper.com

April 20, 2012

Dear Verso Employees,

My FIRST comment in this monthly letter will not surprise you as it is about safety. The SECOND comment may be a bit more of a surprise, but hopefully not.

Our safety record through today is fantastic! That means before there was a Verso and after the sale of the coated paper business to Apollo. Pick a time, any time. This result is the best ever for the first third of any year. Our total incident rate is .74 and our lost workday rate is 0. That is terrific and you should feel so proud of that performance. I know I am! Those numbers happen because more and more people are engaged and care about what happens to their peers. This is your performance.

Now for the second comment. Sometime ago I spoke with our Board of Directors that my intention was to retire within a certain amount of time and that succession planning, which of course is always part of the Board's duty, would be an important element of continuing the progress that Verso has made over the past number of challenging years. At my age, this notice to the Board may not be a surprise to you!

Verso and you and your respective teams have done an incredible job against great odds, including surviving the worst depression in 80 years. I have been so proud of all of you, including my Lead Team, who have faced so many obstacles but never flinched. We have lived the Verso Foundation Document that we developed, taken the company public, improved and refined our core product strategy, introduced a significant amount of new products, developed a name called Verso that has high recognition and respect in the halls of federal, state and local government, and developed and executed an energy strategy that few in the coated paper business could have executed and that will have a lasting positive impact on our company. To me it was always about your ability to execute. While many in the coated paper business have raised the white flag, we have moved forward.

Recently, many segments of our financial balance sheet have been addressed, which include a new revolver and an improving debt maturity schedule, and that is all good. Verso is now poised to go to another level. This will take time and effort and will be beyond my personal commitment. Trust me that my replacement will have both the ability and experience to take us to the next level.

I have loved this challenge and have so much appreciated all the wonderful work you have done and all the friendships I have gained over these past years. This is the correct time for my wife of 42 years and me to go to that next chapter in our lives. It also takes our company to a new chapter.

My last official duty will be on May 14th at our quarterly earnings call. Thank you for all you have done and, as importantly, my thanks to your families and partners that have put up with all the hours you have worked. Until we meet again.

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The 2012 TAPPI PEERS Conference, October 14 - 17 in Savannah, Ga., USA, is designed to answer the most pressing business and technical questions faced by pulp and paper companies as they manage raw materials, assets, regulatory requirements, and production assets.

In addition to keynote speaker Don Roberts, vice chairman of CIBC World Markets, the TAPPI PEERS Conference will feature peer-reviewed technical presentations, expert speakers, exclusive networking opportunities, and new technologies that can help mills optimize operations.

The TAPPI PEERS Conference will be co-located with the International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference, creating a value-added opportunity for participants to expand their learning, networking, and resources by attending both events.

Additional PEERS program and conference details will be announced soon.

Up-to-date information is available online.

Exhibit and Sponsorship opportunities also are available. Contact Shane Holt by email at TAPPIPEERS@naylor.com or by phone at 800.369.6220, ext. 3345.

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TAPPI's International Bioenergy and Bioproducts Conference (IBBC), October 17 - 19, 2012, in Savannah, Ga,, USA, will focus on technical advancements and commercialization of bioconversion technologies that leverage the forest products manufacturing infrastructure.

Keynote speakers for 2012 IBBC are:

• Paul Spindler, VP of Technology at Catchlight
• John B. Crowe, chairman and CEO, Buckeye Technologies Inc.

In addition, IBBC will include technical presentations, expert panels, case studies, and reports from projects that address: 

• Feedstock and harvesting improvements to increase yield and quality of biomass
• Bioelectricity using combined heat and power (CHP)
• Bioconversion technologies for wood and biomass
• Production of chemicals and transportation fuels from wood and biomass
• Policies and incentives for bioconversion projects.

IBBC will be co-located with the TAPPI PEERS Conference, creating a value-added opportunity for participants to expand their learning, networking, and resources by attending both events. Additional IBBC program and conference details will be announced soon.

Up-to-date information is available online. Exhibit and Sponsorship opportunities also are available. Contact Shane Holt by email at TAPPIPEERS@naylor.com or by phone at 800.369.6220, ext. 3345.

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Get an overview of the entire pulping and papermaking process and run a pilot plant paper machine! It's all a first-hand experience at the TAPPI Hands-on Workshop for Pulp and Paper Basics. This course is coming up soon, June 4 - 8, 2012, at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., USA.

Register to reserve your seat.

The number of students in the course will be limited in size to ensure the best interaction among attendees and instructors during the workshop.

If you're wondering whether this course is right for you, it probably is! It's an essential course that teaches the basic concepts in pulp and paper manufacturing and is designed for anyone wanting to improve their role in operations.

Learn more. 

Participants will receive a course notebook and CD with approximately 400 pg of reference materials.

Earn CEUs: You'll earn 3.7 continuing education credits at the completion of this June 4 - 8 course. It's a lovely time to be in North Carolina.

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Mark your calendars!  The date has been set for the 16th Annual Northeast PIMA/TAPPI Scholarship Tournament. The event will be held on Friday, June 8, 2012, at the Fox Ridge Golf Club in Auburn, Maine, USA.

Please see the event flyer for additional information.  

Registration is now open for this event.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Micki.Meggison@sappi.com.

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TAPPI President and CEO Larry N. Montague has announced the launch of Tissue360º, a new TAPPI magazine available in both print and online formats that will cover the latest business and technology developments in the global tissue and towel industry. Initially, in 2012, Tissue360º will be published semiannually and cover the global tissue business including tissue manufacturing equipment and sytems, chemicals and applications, pulp/fiber, mill and plant operations, packaging and wrapping, and converting operations.

"Tissue manufacturing is one of the most technically innovative, dynamic, and rapidly growing segments of the global pulp and paper business, and Tissue360º will provide cutting edge editorial content on this key sector," Montague notes. "The tissue industry encompasses a wide range of common products that consumers and businesses around the world use every day. Tissue360º will keep readers up to date on new and emerging process technology developments, equipment and systems applications, and advances in the use of chemicals, all from the operating floor perspective."

Top professionals in North America will receive print and electronic versions with digital distribution to more than 5,000 international readers.

Tissue includes a broad array of paper products used in both consumer (at-home) and commercial/industrial (away-from-home) markets. Common products include bath or toilet tissue, towels, napkins, and facial tissue. Tissue products are manufactured around the world with the developed economies of North America and Europe traditionally accounting for a majority of output and consumption. However, in recent years tissue manufacturing and demand have been growing rapidly in developing economies, including major growth in China, which is now the world's second largest consumer.

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The Nonwovens Engineers and Technologists Division (NET) of TAPPI will co-locate its annual Innovative Nonwovens Conference (NETInc) next year with PaperCon 2013, April 28 - May 1 in Atlanta, Ga., USA.. The NETInc technical conference is a unique event developed by engineers and technologists to cover the latest market and technical developments and innovations in the global nonwovens industry. 

"Co-location of the NETInc Conference at PaperCon 2013, the pulp and paper industry's largest event and most comprehensive technical conference, will provide attendees an expanded range of options to network and learn the latest cutting edge technical content," notes TAPPI President and CEO Larry N. Montague. "The nonwovens industry is a dynamic, rapidly growing segment of our industry that encompasses a wide range of raw materials, applications, and market segments, and it employs some of the most innovative technology in the industry. We're excited about the synergy provided by having these two industry leading events located in one venue."

NETInc offers peer reviewed papers, expert speakers, and exclusive networking opportunities. A comprehensive technical program covers a wide range of products, innovative technologies, and topics including market trends, raw materials, fibers, and processing used in an array of applications including absorbent products, medical applications, building science, and many others.

TAPPI's NET Division covers the global nonwovens business and includes members and nonwovens experts from diverse markets and disciplines. It covers materials, equipment, and processes for the manufacture and use of nonwovens. The division's technical committees sponsor courses, conference sessions, roundtables, and TAPPI PRESS products, as well as networking and problem-solving opportunities.

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Even as far back as 1967, in an article by then VP of R&D for Union Camp William Aiken, he said that "the money donated by our companies to educational institutions, the efforts of our recruiters at schools, and the programs of our industrial relations and public relations departments have been inadequate to supply the technical manpower which our industry needs." Today, the paper industry continues to have a shortage of technically trained employees.

The reasons for this shortage are the overall shortage of scientists and engineers and the tremendous amount of baby-boomer retirements. TIME magazine recently reported that the pulp and paper industry will hire 24,000 people in the next four years in North America alone. Throughout the country, an estimated 600,000 manufacturing jobs are going unfilled because employers can't find people with the right skills.

If you are in the pulp, paper, or packaging industry, it is a safe bet that your education was funded in part or in whole by individuals, companies, and/or school foundations. It has always been the case that to attract young engineers and scientists to a specialized program like ours, there needed to be some type of scholarships. Committing to not only a major but an industry when you are a freshman in College can be a pretty scary undertaking.

So today, what we are asking is for you to "pay it forward." Others were there for you; please give whatever you can to the future of our industry. The need is great. We would love for you to give a gift to the TAPPI Foundation, but if not to the TAPPI Foundation, please give to one of the foundations at the paper or packaging schools.

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The Extrusion Coating Manual, Fourth Edition is now available through TAPPI Press.

Edited by: Thomas Bezigian

This comprehensive volume details all aspects of extrusion coating. The book will be a valuable training tool for new employees and a useful reference for everyone involved in extrusion coating. It includes information on classic materials and troubleshooting techniques as well as the latest materials and machine designs available anywhere in the world today.

Completely revised and updated, the fourth edition contains the work of more than 30 well-known industry experts.

View the Table of Contents

Product code: 0102B065

Member Price: $93.00

Non-Member Price: $140.00

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Tension Control

Kee-Huyn Shinn, Ph.D.

This volume provides a thorough study of the longitudinal dynamics and tension control of web handling systems. Critical web handling problems that can be related to improper tension control include wrinkle, slack, breakage, lateral movement, and poor roll quality. This valuable text is the only reference currently available devoted entirely to tension control.

Tension Control

View the Table of Contents

 Product code: 0101R275

Member Price: $50.00

Non-Member Price: $75.00

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Martin A. Hubbe and Kasy King

This handbook provides cost-saving strategies associated with the use of chemical additives during the manufacture of paper. Topics include:

• Loss of materials (i.e. "yield" of the papermaking process)
• Production rate issues
• Downtime
• Inefficient use of functional additives
• Process-enhancing additives and their control
• Strategies to reduce the amount of fibers required to make a paper product
• Strategies to reduce the amount of energy to make paper.

A glossary of terms and a brief introduction to selected principles of capital budgeting are provided as appendices.

This book is ideal for paper machine process engineers/scientists, paper machine superintendents, paper mill management, chemical supplier technical staff, product development engineers, paper mill consultants, and technical staff from allied industries, e.g. process control equipment, papermaking machinery, and environmental services.

Cost Saving Strategies in Papermaking Chemistry

View the Forward and Table of Contents

Product code: 0101R325

Member Price: $150.00

Non-Member Price: $215.00

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