Author Archives: Heidi Boe

RBI: Transforming to Meet the Industry’s Research Needs

This resilient research organization, founded in 1929 between two World Wars and amid a stock market crash, has been serving the pulp and paper industry for nearly 90 years. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY GLENN OSTLE As executive director of the Renewable Bioproducts Institute (RBI) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Dr. Norman F. Marsolan, Ph.D., is proud of what his ...

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Agenda 2020 Launches ‘Roadmaps’ to Efficiency, Sustainability, and New Product Goals

KATHLEEN M. BENNETT “Excellent—we have detailed, action-focused roadmaps. Time to take a road trip!” That was Kapstone’s Fritz Paulsen, chair of Agenda 2020, celebrating the release last spring of five technology pathways to increased sustainability and efficiency in pulp and paper manufacture and to new opportunities in cellulosic nanomaterials. At the time, Paulsen and Agenda 2020 Executive Director David Turpin ...

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R&D in the Pulp and Paper Industry: To Innovate, Cooperate

The scientific method hasn’t much changed in hundreds of years—yet in the pulp and paper industry, the method of actually getting science done has changed significantly in the past decade or two alone. Beth Cormier has spent 30 years in the paper industry, most in a research and development capacity; she is now vice president-R&D, innovation for Sappi North America. ...

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Over the Wire

…in case you missed it in TAPPI’s weekly electronic newsletter The GLAMorous Life During a recent visit to TAPPI headquarters, Editor Emeritus Glenn Ostle received an unexpected gift: a framed enlargement of a very special issue of Paper360°. The commemorative cover was created by TAPPI publications staff to honor Glenn’s 10-year stint as editorial director, as well as to convey ...

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Eureka Moment

Jan Bottiglieri | [email protected] It’s a common trope in movies: the image of a solitary scientist bent over a microscope or workbench, or swirling some mysterious liquid in a graduated flask, working alone into the wee hours of night while the rest of us sleep unencumbered by the mantle of genius. And Greek engineer-philosopher Archimedes was probably alone when he ...

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New ASPI Member: Strategy First Ltd. Oy

Strategy First is a strategic advisory and consulting firm providing services to investors, owners, and suppliers in paper and forest products industries worldwide. Strategy First serves a variety of clients in paper, packaging, pulp, and supplier industries, including raw materials, chemicals, machinery, renewable energy, engineering, and process automation. Company founder and CEO Asko Hyttinen formed Strategy First in 2010. Before ...

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WestRock Hosts 2016 Fall Customer Alignment Meeting

Every fall, the ASPI Customer Alignment meeting is hosted by a leading pulp, paper, or packaging company, which gives attendees the rare chance to network with their customers’ senior executives. At press time, WestRock was set to host the ninth ASPI 2016 Fall Customer Alignment meeting November 16-18, 2016, in Peachtree Corners, GA. Attendees will have the chance to learn ...

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Tissue 2017 Marks Exciting New Endeavor

SAMANTHA GEIER As each year comes to a close, we take time to reflect on our accomplishments and anticipate the new achievements to which we aspire. In addition to hosting several successful events in 2016, TAPPI has decided to embark on a new one next year: Tissue 2017. Since 2012, PaperCon has hosted the Tissue 360° Forum, a tissue industry-focused ...

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Interesting Developments in the Dissolving Pulp Market

ROD YOUNG In the past three years, significant changes have impacted the dissolving pulp market, and more can be expected in the next five years. RISI has just published Outlook for the Global Dissolving Pulp Market 2016, our third detailed study of this relatively small, but fascinating sector of the world pulp market. The study discusses major developments since the ...

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Beware the Enterprise Valuation Measure

TEDD POWERS Determining the value of a business requires an in-depth analysis of the current and future financial state of the company, along with a solid understanding of its markets and the specific environment in which it operates. As a certified valuation analyst, I was trained to measure the value of a firm based on three key areas: • Cash ...

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