Thank you for a great 2022 event!
On-demand access still available!
The 2022 event featured speakers from Starbucks, Nestle, American Forest & Paper Association, Pixelle, Foodservice Packaging Institute, Sustainable Fiber Technologies, Solenis, LLC, Eastman, Domtar, FiberLean Technologies, Kuraray Co., Ltd., Novolex, and more!
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Specialty Papers US is the premier event in North America dedicated to showcasing innovation in the specialty papers industry. This event provides a unique opportunity for experts to come together and drive conversation around market influencers, hear ideas and insights from different parts of the supply chain, and become knowledgeable about innovations and market insights that will improve their business.
Learn More About This Industry-Leading Event
As the largest and fastest-growing manufacturer of specialty papers in North America, Pixelle Specialty Solutions® offers a comprehensive portfolio of products that make life look better every day. From the first cup of to-go coffee in the morning to the bestsellers we read at night, we improve life through innovation, quality and expertise. Our high-performance solutions help customers achieve superior converting results for products that boost brand appeal, improve user experience and support sustainability goals. Let’s work together to make life a little better.
Steve Ottone is the holder of a BS and MS in Wood Science from the Pennsylvania State University. His career started in the paper industry with work for Container Corporation of America, St. Regis Paper, and Champion International. He then moved to the supplier side, working in latex supply to the paper industry for Reichhold, Inc., Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex, and Mallard Creek Polymers. His current job is with Omya, Inc., a supplier of specialty coatings and rheology modifiers for a broad range of applications. His area of emphasis is polymer and rheology modifier solutions to barrier coatings needs.
Paige Goff is Vice-President of Sustainability and Communications at Domtar, the largest integrated marketer and manufacturer of business and office copy paper in North America. In this role, she is responsible for communicating Domtar’s pulp and paper initiatives, identifying and leveraging the latest sustainability trends and strategies for the business, as well as developing and managing partnerships with environmental non-governmental organizations (NGO) and customers.
Goff has 17 years of experience in the forest products industry and joined Domtar in 2004. In her previous Domtar roles, she was also the Senior Manager, Brand and Advertising Operations as well as a Product Packaging Manager. Prior to joining Domtar, Goff was a marketing analyst and planner at Resolute, a North American paper industry supplier. She has a Master of Business Administration degree.
Lisa Stephens is Division Manager, Pulp & Paper and Nanotechnology at TAPPI. TAPPI is not for profit, volunteer-led association focusing on emerging technologies and driving innovation for the paper and packaging industry. Their growing international membership include bioenergy and biofuels, renewable chemicals, sustainability, and nanotechnology areas.
Stephens has been with TAPPI since 1990. In her previous roles, she was also the PRESS Operations Manager, E-publishing Team Lead and TAPPI Journal Publisher, as well as positions supporting Information Services and Executive Team Management. She attended Clayton State College.
Graham Moore has over thirty years’ experience of the global paper and board industry that has focused on process and product knowledge, recycling, wet end chemistry and product performance research. His recent focus has been directed towards the specialty paper sector where he has assisted a number of paper companies to successfully develop and exploit new specialty products and markets. He has been a regular presenter, chairman and advisory board member for Smithers US Specialty Paper conference held annually in conjunction with TAPPI. In addition to specialty paper, he has undertaken strategic futures based research that has examined the issues and technology trends that affect the papermaking supply chain and co-authored the TAPPI Futurist’s report ‘Postcards of the Future’. He is a member and Fellow of TAPPI, member, non-executive director and Deputy Chairman of PITA (UK), and member of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).
Adam Heffner holds a BS in Mathematics from The Ohio State University. He is a Business Development and Sales Professional at Technick Products. Technick Products is bringing the next generation of barrier coatings to the paper industry and Adam is leading this development on the commercial side. He brings his positive energy, tenacity, and fresh look to help us all move the industry ahead.
Scott McNutt has over 40 years of experience in the paper industry, with a focus on process and product knowledge in the disciplines of papermaking, quality, engineering, operations management, Lean/Six Sigma, product development and innovation. He is well-versed in the downstream converting processes and end use requirements for cut sheet, QSR, flexible packaging, and technical specialty grades.
He started his career in specialty paper at Dunn Paper, serving in roles process engineering, quality management, and product dev. He transitioned to Fine Paper with Willamette and was part of the effort to infuse state-of-the-art papermaking technology into the fine paper industry in the US. He then managed the production operations for Wausau Papers, returning to his specialty paper roots. To bring his career full circle, he returned to Dunn Paper in Port Huron to drive operations success and innovation.
He has toured a vast number of pulp and paper mills in the US and abroad, exploring new technology. Scott has been a member of TAPPI since 1985, attending numerous events at the local Chapters as well as annual Conferences. In addition, he has been active in the Smithers Specialty Papers Conferences in Europe and North America. He is currently active in the TAPPI Mentor program and recently joined the Tappi Nanotechnology subcommittee.
His primary focus now with Nextep Partners LLC Consulting is on paper innovations for sustainable packaging applications.
Dean Benjamin received a B.S. degree in Paper Science and Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota. While at Minnesota, he studied computational and experimental fluid mechanics of the roll coating process under Professor L.E. Scriven.
Upon graduation, Dean joined Avery Dennison as a Research Engineer at the Avery Research Center in Pasadena, CA where he led projects to develop coating processes for the production of pressure sensitive labels and tapes.
Dean then joined Consolidated Papers, Inc. as a Senior Research Engineer at their R&D facility in Wisconsin Rapids, WI. His research focused on developing new coating and finishing equipment and he eventually became the manager of the Coater Research & Engineering Department. He also worked in the areas of coating color preparation, paper finishing technology, high-speed coaters, fountain applications, corrosion engineering, kraft chemical recovery systems and product development. Dean then became the manager of the Product Development - Publication Papers where he worked on a variety of product developments including high bulk paper, alternative finish paper and high brightness, carbonate based paper coatings, and later was appointed as Director of Research for NewPage.
Mr. Keithline assists companies in establishing the suitable regulatory status of their products under the requirements of various federal agencies including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Mr. Keithline also assists clients with compliance issues under state and local requirements relating to the manufacture, labeling and disposal of products and packaging, including toxics in packaging, legislation and various state right-to-know acts. In addition, Mr. Keithline advises clients regarding the requirements for these products throughout the world, especially in Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Central and South America, and the Pacific Rim.
Prior to law school, Mr. Keithline served as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy aboard the USS West Virginia (SSBN 736), a nuclear submarine.Mr. Keithline earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University where he served as the editor-in-chief of the Washington and Lee Law Review.
Steve Ottone is the holder of a BS and MS in Wood Science from the Pennsylvania State University. His career started in the paper industry with work for Container Corporation of America, St. Regis Paper, and Champion International. He then moved to the supplier side, working in latex supply to the paper industry for Reichhold, Inc., Dow Reichhold Specialty Latex, and Mallard Creek Polymers. His current job is with Omya, Inc., a supplier of specialty coatings and rheology modifiers for a broad range of applications. His area of emphasis is polymer and rheology modifier solutions to barrier coatings needs.
Paper procurement and distribution consultant. Environmental impact expertise, product development focus. Strong knowledge of book publishing and book manufacturing. Loyal. Caring. Collaborative. Enthusiastic. Hardworking. Meticulous. Imaginative. Meyers Briggs "Defender" - a universal helper.
Gobris will lead Michelman’s efforts to continue to expand and broaden solutions in the sustainable packaging market space in both fiber based and film-based solutions. She brings with her nearly 30 years of paper and flexible packaging experience, most recently as a Senior Marketing Manager at Amcor, leading segments across multiple flexible packaging market applications. Before that, she held various technical and marketing roles at Coating Excellence and International Paper.
20+ years of banking and corporate finance, ECM/DCM, M&A. investment research & valuation;
former Director of Euronext, Paris, and of Commerzbank, Frankfurt
