Sappi North America Wins 2014 PPI Awards for Excellence in Mill Management

BOSTON, Oct. 10, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sappi North America, a leading producer and supplier of coated fine paper, pulp and release paper, has been selected as a winner in two categories of the paper industry's prestigious 2014 Pulp & Paper International (PPI) Awards – Managing Risk and Safety and Mill Manager of the Year. These awards are the only global honors recognizing the achievements of companies, mills and individuals in the pulp and paper sector. Sappi's selection as a winner highlights its unique dedication to building a safe, sustainable work environment with a strong culture of committed, highly skilled employees. Winners were announced at the PPI Awards ceremony, during RISI's North American Forest Products Conference on October 8th at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.

Sappi North America was chosen as a winner in the Managing Risk and Safety category for being truly innovative in its approach to loss prevention and safety, advancing closer to the company's goal of zero injuries.

"Being recognized by our peers as the best paper company for a risk-free environment with dedicated employees is a fantastic honor," said Ken Fox, Corporate Manager of Safety and Health, Sappi North America. "Winning the Managing Risk and Safety award is a testament to what Sappi employees have collectively achieved through persistent team work as we strive to maintain our long history of leadership in safety performance."

As the recipient of the Mill Manager of the Year award, Mike Haws, Managing Director of Sappi's Somerset Mill in Maine, was recognized for the Somerset Mill's outstanding performance and ability to show continuous innovation in the pulp and paper industry.

"The combined efforts of the entire Sappi Somerset Mill team made it possible to successfully implement a growth strategy for the increasingly challenging pulp and paper industry," said Mike Haws. "This award recognizes the achievements of Sappi's bold, ambitious plan for driving innovation in our Somerset Mill, while also taking into account our commitment to stringent environmental and safety factors." 

Sappi North America was also nominated as a finalist in Environmental Strategy of the Year for its sustainable company-wide strategy and Innovative Printing & Writing Campaign of the Year for the success of its online educational platform, Sappi etc. Sappi Europe was nominated as a finalist for Business Strategy of the Year category based on 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