SUPPLIER news
Sustainable on Every Level
GLENS FALLS, NY—Being environmentally responsible is nothing new to Finch Paper. The integrated mill has relied on the natural resources of the Hudson River and forests in upstate New York for 145 years. Much of the wood that Finch uses for its uncoated papers comes from the forests that it manages for the Nature Conservancy—producing 75 percent of its own pulp.
In August, several industry media and analysts received a first-hand look at the company's paper-making facility, which includes a woodyard, pulp mill and four paper machines. The Finch executive team discussed a few additions that will be implemented, including a new pulp mill this year and, in 2011, a new woodyard.
The second part of the tour included a visit to the forest, which provided the setting for a typical Shelterwood system in action. It's an even-aged technique where the largest and healthiest trees in a forest stand are the last to be harvested, providing seeds and shelter for the next generation of forest. Finch forester Leonard Cronin gave a comprehensive overview of the process that occurs prior to the start of a timber harvest. Finch foresters will typically walk for miles, marking the trees to be removed by loggers.
Roger Dziengeleski, Finch Paper's vice president and senior forester, also discussed the importance of clearcutting in forests. "Clearcuts have developed a bad name because they are not aesthetically appealing but, when used on a limited basis in a patch arrangement, they can be both very effective and consistent with what Mother Nature does in the Adirondack mountains," he explains. "Clearcuts are very important to ensuring long-term forest health in specific circumstances since we lose around 6,000 acres of forests a year to development. So, it's not just about saving trees, it's about saving forests."
At INX Digital International, Ken Kisner, former president of INX Digital Americas, has been tapped as the company's new president, COO and chief technology officer.
Essex Products Group (EPG) has entered into an agreement with Welas of Vaasa, Finland, to be the exclusive North and South American distributor of Welas' segmented ink blade products.
Case Paper has installed a MarquipWardUnited SheetWizard sheeter at its Chicago facility. It replaces two of the company's older sheeters.
Hsein, Taiwan-based Univacco Technology has opened its first U.S. branch (Univacco Foils) in Cerritos, CA. The branch will serve as the service center for clients in North America.
At Presstek Inc., Joe Demharter, former president of the Pitman Co., has been hired to head the company's sales in both the United States and Canada. He reports to Jeff Jacobson, chairman, president and CEO. Presstek also announced that Mark Levin, president of Presstek's Americas Region, has left the company to pursue other opportunities.
Mark Pollack has been named vice president of marketing communications and program development at Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. He reports to Kevin Kern, senior vice president of marketing at the company.
The Graphic Communications Scholarship, Award and Career Advancement Foundation has named Thad Kubis, president of NAK Integrated Marketing, as chairperson of its marketing committee.
AlphaGraphics stores nationwide will use OKI Data Americas' OKI pro900DP digital color presses to expand their offerings with full-color envelopes. The installation of the new presses will allow AlphaGraphics to produce short-run, on-demand color print jobs with variable data capabilities on a variety of media in-house. PI
