Sappi Fine Paper North America Announces Change in Leadership at Cloquet Mill

CLOQUET, Minn., Nov. 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi Fine Paper North America announced that after over 30 years of paper industry experience, Rick Dwyer will be retiring from his position as Managing Director and Mike Schultz will be assuming his role as Managing Director, Cloquet Mill in Cloquet, Minn.

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"It is with decidedly mixed feelings that I announce that Rick Dwyer has decided to retire," said John Donahue, Vice President of Manufacturing, Sappi Fine Paper North America. "Under Rick's leadership, the Cloquet Mill achieved record production and we will miss his passion, wealth of knowledge, and superior leadership."

Rick Dwyer joined Sappi in 2007 as Managing Director of Sappi's former Muskegon Mill until he later served as Managing Director, Cloquet Mill. Dwyer has consistently demonstrated his manufacturing leadership at Sappi with the remarkable recovery of the 2012 flood and in leading the mill during the Cloquet conversion project. Before joining the company, he has held positions at International Paper and Fox River Paper.

Mike Schultz, Managing Director, Cloquet Conversion Project will be assuming the role of Managing Director, Cloquet Mill, effective immediately. His impressive tenure at the Cloquet Mill commenced over 23 years ago. His background includes a key role in the original capital project to build the Cloquet pulp mill in the 1990s, Pulp Production Manager, and Managing Director.  Most recently, he successfully completed the Cloquet Conversion Project as its Managing Director.

"I know that Mike Schultz's expertise, thorough knowledge of the Cloquet Mill and relentless pursuit of excellence will help bring the mill to new levels of success as it continues to produce world-class coated paper and specialty pulp," said John Donahue, Vice President of Manufacturing, Sappi Fine Paper North America.

About Sappi Fine Paper North America
Sappi Fine Paper North America, known for innovation and quality, is a preeminent North American producer of coated fine and release papers, as well as dissolving wood pulp (DWP) and market kraft pulp headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Its coated fine papers, with highly recognized brand names such as McCoy, Opus, Somerset and Flo, are used in premium magazines, catalogs, books and high-end print advertising. The company is also the world's leading supplier of release papers for the automotive, fashion and engineered films industries, including the globally recognized Ultracast brand. Sappi's release papers provide the surface aesthetics for synthetic fabrics used in footwear, clothing, upholstery and accessories, as well as the textures for decorative laminates found in kitchens, baths, flooring and other decorative surfaces. Sappi globally is the world's largest manufacturer of dissolving wood pulp, a versatile raw material for a wide range of products including textile fibers and household products. Sappi Fine Paper North America, through the recent conversion of the Cloquet pulp mill, manufactures dissolving pulp under Sappi's Specialised Cellulose division primarily for the textile markets.  

Sappi Fine Paper North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 14,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in over 100 countries around the world. Learn more about Sappi at: www.sappi.com/na.

For further information:

Joanna Rieke
Manager, Corporate Communications
Sappi Fine Paper North America
Office:  617-423-5409
[email protected]

SOURCE Sappi Fine Paper North America