Sappi North America Selected as Finalist for the 2014 PPI Awards

BOSTON, Sept. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi North America, a leading producer and supplier of coated fine paper, pulp and release paper, has been selected as a finalist in four categories of the paper industry's prestigious 2014 Pulp & Paper International (PPI) Awards. These awards are the only global honors dedicated to recognizing the achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the pulp and paper sector. Sappi's nominations are a testament to its leadership, environmental and strategic accomplishments. Winners will be announced at the PPI Awards ceremony, during RISI's North American Forest Products Conference on October 8th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

"These nominations represent an important endorsement of the company's strong strategic direction, from safety and sustainability to demand generation and manufacturing," said Jennifer Miller, executive vice-president of the coated business and chief sustainability officer, Sappi North America. "It's an honor to be recognized by our peers in the pulp and paper industry. Our dedicated employees across the organization share the credit for helping chart the course toward success in a challenging marketplace."

Sappi was chosen as a finalist in four categories, highlighting its commitment to provide a safe workplace, operational excellence at the site level, and unparalleled customer value:

• Environmental Strategy of the Year: Sappi North America was selected as a finalist for its aggressive five year goals, setting new standards with a sustainable company-wide strategy, investing in its facilities for continuous improvement in environmental performance.
• Managing Risk & Safety: Sappi North America was chosen as a finalist for being truly innovative in its approach to loss prevention and safety, approaching its goal of zero injuries.
• Innovative Printing & Writing Campaign of the Year: Sappi's online educational platform, Sappi etc., was recognized for successfully sending a clear message about the versatile use of paper. Sappi etc. provides access to more than a century's worth of rare historical documents, detailed case studies and expert technical advice as a part of the company's education, training and consulting program.
• Mill Manager of the Year: Mike Haws, Managing Director of Sappi's Somerset Mill in Maine, was highlighted as a top performer in the pulp and paper industry. Mike successfully balances running a mill in a productive, efficient and effective way, while taking into account stringent environmental and safety factors.

"The PPI Awards have very clearly come of age and the competition is now seen by pulp and paper producers globally as a premiere event to be associated with," said Mark Rushton, editor of Pulp & Paper International. "Yet again this year, the standard of entries overall has been very impressive and judging has been difficult because of the high quality seen this year. Thanks to all the judges for their hard work on the numerous entries."

Sappi Europe was also nominated as a finalist for Business Strategy of the Year category, due to its implementation of a successful growth strategy addressing the changing needs of its customers.

About Sappi North America

Sappi 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. Its food packaging brand, Lusterprint is a greaseproof product with an excellent print surface. 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 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 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.

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SOURCE Sappi North America