COURTESY OF SAPPI
Paper permeates nearly every aspect of our lives—it’s in our clothes, our cars, our pantries and, of course, our mailboxes. The paper industry is a critical resource at the forefront of innovation and sustainability to meet consumer demands, especially when it comes to creating new paper and packaging products to replace or minimize single-use plastic.
Sappi made strategic investments in excess of $200 million several years ago to expand into the packaging business at our Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, since we had already anticipated a strong market desire to move toward renewable, paper-based packaging.
Now we are investing another $418 million to expand operations at the Somerset Mill to increase its capacity to produce paperboard products for packaging. Demand for packaging and specialty papers in North America is particularly robust, especially since our paperboard is a more environmentally sustainable alternative to plastic packaging. Our paperboard is used in premium packaging for a variety of goods and foodservice items, such as plates, dishes and cups, as a sustainable alternative to Styrofoam.
With such forward-thinking investments, Sappi epitomizes the legacy of innovative papermaking in Maine, where it all started with our invention of coated paper 150 years ago. Sappi’s history of investing in sustainability, new technology and state-of-the-art machinery led us naturally to the packaging business.
Sappi scores highly with third-party organizations that rate sustainability in the pulp and paper industry, and we are committed to procuring materials from suppliers who operate within sustainability standards. We emphasize how our active forest-management process leaves forests better than when we found them, noting that Maine has more forest land now than it did 100 years ago.
Due to our innovative leadership, Sappi keeps its eye on the future. Sappi is a leading global company in the pulp and paper industry with offices and mills in Boston, Maine, Minnesota, South Africa, Europe and more. The company is driven by our Thrive2025 vision, which seeks to bring unity to all Sappi locations and pursue growth opportunities in the wood-fiber industry.
The work here is challenging and interesting, and the pay is competitive. But most importantly, Sappi is full of seasoned engineers ready to mentor younger staff.
Sappi works closely with the University of Maine’s Pulp and Paper Foundation to support students who express an interest in the pulp and paper industry, ensuring the next generation of paper engineers is the best and brightest. We work with local institutions to offer competitive co-op programs and career development opportunities. Our 130 local engineers come from a variety of institutions, including University of Maine, Maine Maritime, Northeastern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and more.
For hundreds of years, the paper industry has been a staple of Maine’s economy, and Sappi North America’s mills and offices in Skowhegan, Westbrook and South Portland have remained a bright spot throughout that time. Our company has set the gold standard for environmental practices, and we continuously update processes to drive innovation and sustainability.For more information or to talk with someone about joining our team, visit www.sappi.com.
