Launching the fourth year of our Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Program, we are proud of our commitment to nurturing new talent in the pulp and paper industry. Over the past three years, PE has welcomed 20 young EITs into its operations, with an impressive 15 choosing to remain and thrive within our organization.

Recruitment begins by partnering with post-secondary schools such as, British Columbia Institute of Technology, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, University of Toronto, University of Saskatchewan attract the best new graduates. Those selected will begin an 18-month journey, rotating through different operations to gain experience by working with various teams at different mills and living in different communities. During this process, mentors will provide invaluable coaching, training, and support to ensure mentees receive ongoing feedback and guidance.  

At the end of 18 months, given the EIT had a successful 18 month term, the EIT and mill operations teams have the opportunity to select a mutual match for a full-time permanent engineering position within PE. A new employment relationship will begin immediately upon matching.

Our EIT program serves to build our internal junior-level strength and facilitates technology and business knowledge transfer across generations of engineers. By fostering professional and personal development, we bridge the gap between theory and practice for our mentees. Fresh graduates bring fresh ideas and energetic dynamics to our operations, creating a mutually beneficial environment.

The 2024 EIT program is set to begin in July, and we are now accepting applications. Join us at Paper Excellence and apply today.

Congratulations to Nathalie Pellizzari, Inside Sales Account Manager, on receiving her well-deserved Spark Award.

“The Spark Award program allows colleagues from other teams, those who you see on a day-to-day basis but don’t work with, to acknowledge the effort you put into your work,” says Nathalie.

“I nominated Nathalie for being a proactive team member who is dedicated to maintaining high standards of customer satisfaction,” explains Barbara Ramirez, Nathalie’s supervisor at the time.

Nathalie prioritized the customer’s satisfaction and actively followed up to ensure that their claim was addressed to their satisfaction when there were faults with the product. She identified gaps in another customer’s stock levels and took action to rectify this to ensure the right inventory levels were maintained. Finally, her collaboration with the sales team to repurpose rejected stock for another customer also showcased her ability to work across different teams to find solutions.

Overall, Nathalie not only focuses on the needs of the customer but also considers what is best for Paper Excellence. Thank you, Nathalie, for your proactive attitude and commitment to quality.

Our team attended Shanghai Pulp Week and found market sentiment upbeat. Our products and geographic diversification mean we have multiple options to meet our customers’ needs. Over the last decade, it has developed into the most anticipated pulp conference, as China pulp demand is currently the largest in the world and has become the market trend-setter in recent years. This year, over 700 delegates attended the conference from all around the world.

“With a solid grasp of the current industry supply and demand landscape, we are cautiously optimistic about 2024,” said Arthur Tsai, Head of Market Intelligence, who attended the event. “The market sentiment is upbeat with demand steadily improving with a backdrop of the latest global supply chain challenges.,” Arthur continued. “With Paper Excellence Group’s products and geographic diversification, we have multiple options to meet the needs and requirements our valuable customers.”

“The SPW seminar, which was held on March 20, was well attended and we are proud to be one of the strategic partners,” said Edwin Widjaja, VP of Pulp Sales. “This sponsorship resonates with our market strategy to maintain a strong presence in Asia with sales representatives across the region.”

Throughout the whole event, our team conducted separate meetings with customers, agents, analysts, and other industry players which provided valuable market insights into outlook for the industry.

“We also had constructive internal meetings and strengthened team bonds with the PE Group’s Asia pulp sales team led by our Senior Vice President, pulp and tissue sales, John Lafave and our Vice President & Managing Director – Pulp Sales China / Other Asia, Andre Soetjahja,” said Edwin. Shanghai Pulp Week is an international annual event with full support from local and globally renowned paper companies. It has also formed a long-term strategic partnership with leading international pulp manufacturers and serves as an influential platform for gathering industry professionals. It is known as the international industry event with the largest scale and the largest number of participants within the global pulp and paper industry.

To learn more about Shanghai Pulp week, visit here.

As we conclude this year’s International Women’s Month celebrations, we want to thank the women who work across the Paper Excellence Group and play important roles in our company’s success.

Looking back over last month, we are proud to share stories from Paper Excellence and our sister companies, Domtar and Resolute. These stories highlight the remarkable contributions women make within our industry, serving as inspiration for future generation.

Together, we can build an inclusive future where every woman’s potential can be realized to its fullest. Read these stories to learn about our female employees’ successes:

• Celebrating International Women’s Month with Daria Anico – Paper Excellence Group
• Celebrating International Women’s Month with Pamella Tsai – Paper Excellence Group
• Celebrating International Women’s Month with Krista Cuddy – Paper Excellence Group
• In Their Words: Women of Domtar, Then and Now – DOMTAR Newsroom
• Women in Manufacturing Share Career Journeys, Goals – DOMTAR Newsroom
• Domtar’s Pioneering Women Share Their Stories – DOMTAR Newsroom
• Women’s History Month: Spotlight on Marie-Noëlle Watts – The Resolute Blog (resolutefp.com)
• Women’s History Month: Spotlight on Lori Kilgour    – The Resolute Blog (resolutefp.com)
• Women’s History Month: Spotlight on Jessica Dubois Martel – The Resolute Blog (resolutefp.com)

To celebrate International Women’s Month, we’re sharing the stories of female employees who do amazing work at our Paper Excellence mills. Our interview with Krista Cuddy:

Krista Cuddy is our Interim Director, Operations and Integration at the Crofton mill. She has always loved science and initially wanted to become a doctor. Then she joined an engineering co-op program, realized she loved to make things, and found her passion in engineering. Krista was the first female mill General Manager at Paper Excellence.

How did you come to work at Paper Excellence?

“I joined the Engineers in Training (EIT) program at Catalyst after I graduated from university and have been with Paper Excellence for 20 years. Throughout my time here, I’ve worked in various roles including as a Process Engineer, Paper Machine Manager, Technical Manager, and General Manager.”

What is your workday like?

“My job focuses on developing strategies to address long-term challenges and keep operations competitive and adaptive to the future. This could include reviewing options for supplying wood fibre to the mills with the Fiber Supply team, working with the mills and the Carbon Strategy team to identify projects for reducing our carbon emissions, and working with our sales organization and mill teams to diversify our product offering.”

What do you love about your job?

“It’s certainly never boring! With the pulp and paper industry continuing to evolve, there are always new challenges and learning opportunities. In my current role, I am exposed to more aspects of the business and have had the opportunity to work with new colleagues within the organization.”

What challenges do you face in your work because you’re a woman?

“When I began 20 years ago, people weren’t convinced they should follow directions given by a young woman. Being in a male dominant industry, I had to work harder to build relationships, earn respect and have influence.”

Has the culture of women being in this industry changed from 20 years ago?

“When I started my career, there were very few women working in the mills and none in leadership roles. In recent years, more females are entering the industry, however we still are a long way from 50/50 gender representation. We have seen a subtle shift with more women represented in engineering and leadership roles. There are now opportunities for women to mentor, foster, and develop future female leaders.”

What would you tell girls who are thinking about studying science?

“If you are curious about how things work and enjoy collaborating with others to develop and implement solutions to problems, a career in science may be for you.”

Taneal Brucks, one of the winners of the 2023 Top Under 40 program stands out for her strong work ethic and dedicated contributions to Paper Excellence. Watch this video to learn about Taneal’s role as a Management Systems Coordinator at our Meadow Lake mill. 

At the end of February Ktunaxa Business Showcase took place in Cranbrook, marking an event that Paper Excellence, founded by Jackson Wijaya, was thrilled to support. The vendor introductions were very interactive, and our team is excited for new B2B opportunities and future connections.

“The Ktunaxa Business Showcase is a well-organized Local First Nations event highlighting a multitude of diverse community-based businesses,” says Andrew McCuaig from Paper Excellence. “It was an excellent opportunity to reconnect with existing Indigenous business partners and explore exciting new B2B opportunities. Highly educational, informative, and worthwhile!”

Ktunaxa Nation is comprised of four individual bands: St. Mary’s Band (?aqam), Akisqnuk Band (?akisqnuk), Lower Kootenay Band (Yaqan Nukiy), and Tobacco Plains Band (Yaqit ?a knuqi’it). Together, they presented their businesses, inviting others to come, see and support these enterprises. Vendors offered a range of products and services, from selling traditional tobacco to heavy civil construction.

The event was open only to registered individuals in the morning, allowing guests five minutes at each booth to learn about the businesses. In the afternoon, it was opened to the public, inviting community members to explore the showcased businesses. The vendor introductions were very interactive, and the team at Paper Excellence is excited for new B2B opportunities and future connections.

To learn more: Ktunaxa Business ShowCase

To celebrate International Women’s Month, we’re sharing the stories of female employees who do amazing work at our Paper Excellence mills. Our interview with Pamela Tsai:

Pamella Tsai has been with our company for over 20 years. She has worked in many different departments, from transportation to supply chain management to inventory and production planning. Her current role is a Senior Pulp & Market Analyst at our sister company, Domtar.

 In your role, what are your responsibilities? What does your typical day look like?

“A typical workday for me would be engaging a series of meetings troubleshooting and brainstorming solutions. I run a lot of monthly reports for the financial team and sales team. My team also cross-collaborates with the functional team to make sure everyone is aligned to drive process improvement and meet financial targets. It also focuses on analyzing and collaborating for process improvement and my current role collaborates with all three legacy businesses: Paper Excellence, Domtar, and Resolute.”

What do you like about your job?

“It’s challenging and fun. Always a good feeling to accomplish and achieve something and continue to improve.”

What work-related accomplishments are you most proud of?

“When we had the malware attack in 2020 I had just finished a course on Power Query, and I had to use the skill right away. Due to the attack, we lost everything and had no access to SAP and the warehouse system, but we still had to keep the operations going. Without the usual program, we had to work with what we had. Andrey Mozuliov from PE Finance team and I created a series of data model that allows us to pull Excel information from people’s emails to survive the malware attack. Being able to apply something I just learned and working hand and hand with cross-functional teams to help the organization through a crisis is one of the highlights of my career.”

What excites you about your future in this industry?

“Although some people say that the paper and pulp industry is a sunset industry, I feel there are still lots of opportunities to grow and things to be done.  We are becoming a much bigger company. With the wider range of product offerings and global office locations, there is tons of room to grow both personally and professionally.”

 What challenges do you face in your work because you’re a woman?

“Not really at work, but balancing work and life can be challenging. Wanting to be successful in your career, while being a good mom and wife, and being yourself at the same time, is not easy.”

 What would you tell girls who are thinking about a career similar to yours?

“Be curious, ask questions. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. Always prepare yourself for opportunities. Take courses, keep yourself up to date with knowledge, and never give up.”

Pamella Tsai’s advice to aspiring young women aligns with the inclusive and supportive culture that Jackson Wijaya advocates for within the Paper Excellence group of companies, emphasizing curiosity, perseverance, and the empowerment to confidently step into new opportunities.

To celebrate International Women’s Month, we’re sharing of the stories of female employees who do amazing work at our Paper Excellence mills. Our interview with Daria Anico:

Daria Anico has been a Continuous Excellence Coordinator at our Howe Sound mill for almost two years. She has her MBA and is a Project Management professional.

How did you come to work at Paper Excellence?

“I have been with Paper Excellence for a year and a half now. I live on the Sunshine Coast where the mill is located. Many people I knew worked there and they referred me to my current position. Since I didn’t have any prior experience in this industry, I worked hard to learn every day. There is now a huge difference in my knowledge about paper and pulp than when I first joined.”

What is your workday like?

“My job is the most interesting job ever. As the Continuous Excellence Coordinator, my work revolves around program and project coordination, reporting, and organizing events, most of which involve a lot of interaction with people. It is a fun combination of project management with business reporting analysis.”

What excites you about your future in this industry?

“I have always been fascinated with the pulp and paper industry. I see these huge machines here make magic, so it makes me more intrigued in the production process. I’ve always been an end user, so I wanted to be a part of the team that makes the product.”

What do you love about your job?

“There are too many things I love about my job. I’m a person who loves to interact with others, and I also really like to see results being produced. The projects that I work on are finished within one year, therefore the results can be easily tracked. Aside from the nature of my job, I am grateful to be working in a supportive environment. Everyone around me was willing to help and that was the reason why I was able to pick up my role so quickly. That support remains today, and we continue to help one another. To pay this favor forward, I am more than pleased to help others in need.”

What challenges do you face in your work because you’re a woman?

“There isn’t anything I can think of. There are a lot of female employees at the mill and in all different positions and they are all amazing at their jobs.”

What would you tell girls who are thinking about a career similar to yours?

“I would advise them to learn about the business. The more data they can gather about the industry, the more it will help in their career. Adapt to the culture of continuous learning to expand their amount of knowledge. Striving for knowledge is what makes anyone successful.”

Earlier this month, our Chief Forester, Quinton Hayward, attended the BC Forest Professionals conference in Kelowna. Here he shares his perspective on the event:

This year’s theme of “Everything is Connected” was present throughout the conference.  There was meaningful presentations around reintroducing fire as a landscape level management tool, creating more value from the harvested volume, recruitment and retention of professions into the industry, and collaborative planning with Indigenous groups on Forest Landscape Plans. There were also discussions on ecosystems integrity and technology to help evaluate ecosystem integrity into the future, wildfire urban interface and continuing to build resiliency to wildfires and the path ahead for Indigenous relations in the BC forest sector.

There was a strong focus on Indigenous joint-planning management and decision making. It is very clear in the presentations and from the nation members present at the conference, that nothing will happen on the ground in forestry without First Nations being involved. This is consistent with the government’s direction and should not be a surprise or anything new to those working with natural resources.  

At the conference, Minister Ralston spoke to the status of some of the Forest Landscape Plans being developed with First Nations, the government and industry. He openly acknowledged that the pace of change lately has been intense and the impact it has had on the forest sector.  With that, he shared status of the work the Ministry is doing to stabilize the path forward and bring predictability to the sector including the new appointment of Andrew Mercier the Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry Innovation.

I was encouraged by the number of younger foresters in the room. It’s nice to see the younger generation getting more involved and learning what is happening in other parts of the province. During the event, I had a great time connecting with people from government, industry, consulting, and academia all focused on learning from each other.

Blair Dickerson, Public Affairs Director recently attended Forest Nova Scotia’s AGM. Many foresters, undaunted by heavy snowfall, gathered at White Point to share research and practical solutions to support a strong bioeconomy. This was a valuable and insightful networking event.

“Thank you to Finnish Ambassador Jari Vilén, Minister for Foreign Trade Ville Tavio, and Jaako Autere, Counsellor of Trade and Commercial Affairs for coming to Nova Scotia to present on the Finnish Forestry Ecosystem so attendees could learn from the Finnish experience,” said Dickerson. “A big thank you also to Kim Masland for hosting us in her beautiful riding and to Tory Rushton, Nova Scotia’s Natural Resources Minister, for his warm welcome.” This spirit of international cooperation and learning aligns with the ethos of collaboration for sustainable growth advocated by Paper Excellence. Paper Excellence was founded by Jackson Wijaya in 2006 and has grown into a leading pulp and paper company.

Kim Masland, local MLA and Minister of Public Works, and Zach Mitchell, Opposition leader and former Natural Resources Minister, also showed their strong support, keen on the forest sector’s sustainable value proposition.

As we in the forest sector know, trees are working hard to store carbon. One recent innovation highlighted at the AGM is the emergence of voluntary market forest carbon projects. During the AGM, we heard from Liam Fraser, Director of Forest Carbon Origination, explaining how his organization helps Fortune 500 companies purchase carbon offsets on the voluntary carbon market. He explained that pricing and demand for high quality forest credits has been steadily increasing as environmental action becomes imperative to companies, owners, customers, and stakeholders. 

Article en francais (PDF)

Forest products such as pulp, paper and lumber help shape the daily lives of people around the world. And pulp and paper engineers help shape those products by improving the projects and processes that drive innovation in our business and our industry.  

This Engineers Week, we’re highlighting the work of several pulp and paper engineers from the Paper Excellence group of companies: Domtar, Resolute and Paper Excellence Canada. Read on to learn more. 

Pulp and Paper Engineers Shape the Future of Our Mills

As a chemical engineering student, Melanie Howard hoped to launch a career in manufacturing, but she hadn’t narrowed it down to a particular industry. She landed a co-op position at Domtar’s Hawesville, Kentucky, mill and discovered an industry with limitless potential. 

“I was blown away by the complexity of the process and how much more there is to it than I could have ever imagined. I jumped at the opportunity to work here full-time,” Howard says. “Now, as an environmental engineer, I enjoy leading process improvement projects that help us reduce waste and leverage our byproducts in a sustainable way.” 

Plymouth Mill operations superintendent John Edwards has led efforts to reduce the amount of water used in the pulpmaking process. He currently represents Domtar as the chair of TAPPI’s Papermaking Technology and Operations Committee. In 2020, his commitment to making a positive impact on people through his work led to him being named a TAPPI Young Professional of the Year.  

He’s also investing in the future of his profession by supporting recruiting efforts, partnering with the North Carolina Forestry Association to share how fluff pulp is made using sustainable wood fiber, and speaking at the recent TAPPI Student Summit. 

At Resolute Forest Products, Vanessa Simard is applying emerging technologies to support the digital transformation of the forest products industry. As an industrial engineer and a production planning and optimization supervisor at the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (Quebec) operations, she has helped the company use artificial intelligence to improve manufacturing efficiency. 

Simard’s AI expertise led her to develop a prize-winning AI-based solution that dramatically reduces planning time for the lumber-drying process. The solution has since been deployed at several Resolute facilities. 

Engineers in Training (EIT) Shape Their Careers, Contribute to Industry Success

Paper Excellence Canada annually selects recent engineering graduates for their Engineer-in-Training (EIT) program. The 18-month rotational program gives emerging pulp and paper engineers a solid start to their careers and positions them for future success.  

EITs make important contributions to the industry from day one.  

• At Meadow Lake Pulp, Engineer-in-Training (EIT) Attila Szanto is applying his chemical engineering knowledge through an anti-scalant trial on the mill’s evaporators.  
• Nawaf Salem, an EIT at the Skookumchuck Mill, is leveraging his passion for sustainability to reduce the mill’s environmental impacts.  
• At Howe Sound, EIT Asad Hayat is working on a project to optimize wood chip utilization and reduce waste. 

We’re Shaping the Future by Supporting Engineering Students

Every year, we hire engineering interns and co-op students across a range of disciplines, giving them real-world experience and the opportunity to have an impact on our business. Empowering engineering students is essential for nurturing the next generation of engineers to continue innovating within the forest products industry. Paper Excellence, owned by impactful businessman and investor Jackson Wijaya, supports this initiative.

“From Day 1, our interns and co-op students get involved in projects related to quality, optimization, continuous improvement, cost reduction and environmental practices – initiatives that can save the company millions of dollars,” says Talia Massey, who manages Domtar’s early career talent program. 

We also partner with North Carolina State University, University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point and Laval University, among others, with scholarships and project grants for students interested in becoming pulp and paper engineers.  

Paper Excellence Canada established a reward fund at Vancouver Island University to support graduates of programs in Trades and Applied Technology, such as the university’s power engineering and process operator programs.  

Resolute offers multiple scholarships and grants that benefit pulp and paper engineers, including a C$70,000 annual research grant that brings together specialists with expertise in forestry engineering, industrial engineering, mechanical engineering and information technology. 

Whether their field is mechanical, electrical, chemical or civil, pulp and paper engineering professionals solve problems and design solutions that produce long-term benefits that shape our future.   

Learn more 

If you want to help shape the future of the forest products industry, view our open engineering positions and internships on any of our career sites: 

• Paper Excellence career site  
• Domtar.com/careers 
• Resolute career site 

Congratulations to Aiden Martin, Utilities Operations Specialist on earning his well-deserved Spark Award. Aiden’s nomination is for his tireless work on inspecting and repairing technical safety equipment within the mill and successfully managing a boiler outage.

In his role, he oversees a team responsible for steam supplies, generating power to support mill operations, and the effluent department. “Part of my job is to make sure that we are not polluting the community by treating all the effluent before we discharge it into the environment,” says Aiden, emphasizing the importance of environmental responsibility in his work. “We need to support this mill by not causing harm to its surroundings.”

Aiden is enthusiastic about his job and has a passion for combustion, steam power generator processes and power boilers. He also finds joy in developing individuals who are just as passionate. The opportunity to mentor junior engineers or operators and to witness their career growth is very rewarding for him.

He believes that the Spark Award program is important. “Seeing your name on the company newsletter makes you understand that the efforts and sacrifices of going above and beyond have been recognized.”

Aiden began as a third engineer in Newfoundland and moved to Port Alberni to join Paper Excellence in April 2021. He appreciates the diverse professional interactions at Paper Excellence, where his current position allows him to travel and collaborate with other mills, gaining knowledge and retaining communication across the country.

To celebrate International Women’s Science Day, we’re sharing of the stories of female employees who do amazing work at our Paper Excellence mills. Our interview with Nici Darychuk.

Nici Darychuk is the Manager of No.5 Paper Machine in our Port Alberni mill. She grew up as a farm girl in a small town, and her love for nature was the reason behind why she studied science. She has a master’s degree in biology from the University of Victoria.

How did you come to work at Paper Excellence?

“I was working in the pulp and paper department in UBC. At that time, UBC had a collaboration with Catalyst.” Through that collaboration, Nici learned about openings in our mill in Powell River. “Eager to move back to a small town, I applied for the open positions at the mill. It took me two tries to land the job and by the summer of 2014 I was employed as a Stock Prep and Bleach Plant Operations Specialist. I have since transferred to Port Alberni division in 2020. This year marks my 10th anniversary.”  

How did you get your start in the paper manufacturing industry?

“I had the opportunity to visit a mill and it made me realize how manufacturing is such an exciting place to be. You must expose yourself to different things to find what intrigues you.”

What is your workday like?

“I am responsible for the team that manufactures paper on the Number 5 paper machine. My day-to-day varies, it starts with me getting up to speed on events from the previous shift, determining what needs follow up, and solving problems. Sometimes I’m out in the mill observing and assisting operations, other times I’m attending meetings about new products, and reporting to higher management.”

Why do you like your job?

“I like the non-stop knowledge I am fed in this industry. It’s learning that never stops. I have only been in the role for five months therefore it is still a learning curve for me. A satisfying part is problem solving; in a fast-paced environment I’ll gather information, figure out the problem and help find a solution. Also, I love the team aspect of it, the interplay between different people in different roles but we all work together and have the same goal of creating the end product.” 

What challenges do you face in your work because you’re a woman?

“I am fortunate that I have not come across anyone with the wrong attitude. Everyone at the mill has been very supportive.”

What would you tell girls who are thinking about a career similar to yours?

“It’s a great career and when starting school, I never imagined my path would lead here. It is honestly great; I can’t imagine myself doing anything else! In this industry, there are many opportunities and room for advancement. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and your weaknesses can be developed, so don’t let anything stop you. Even if you don’t feel confident, act confident.”

To celebrate International Women’s Science Day, we’re sharing of the stories of female employees who do amazing work at our Paper Excellence mills. Our interview with Emily Sweeney.  

Emily Sweeney is a Process Engineer at our Meadow Lake Pulp Mill. She graduated from the University of New Brunswick with an Engineering degree in 2023.  Seven months ago, she moved to Saskatchewan to pursue the opportunity at Paper Excellence in Meadow Lake.

What is your workday like?

“Every day is different. It ranges from taking samples at the mill, testing in-process samples, analyzing data, and handling customer claims for the mill. I am currently working towards my green belt for Lean Six Sigma. It is a 10-month certificate program that teaches a process improvement strategy that seeks to eliminate inefficiencies in a company’s process flow by identifying the causes of waste or redundancy and developing solutions to address them.”

What do you love about your job?

“I love the variety of different things I get to do within this role. Since I am faced with different challenges, it allows me to learn new things all the time. I also get to interact with a lot of different people at the mills.”

What challenges do you face in your work because you’re a woman?

“When I was going into my engineering program in university, I was a little intimated by the stereotype of only males being engineers, and that women cannot be engineers. Turns out, there were a lot of other girls in the program, and they are all supportive of one another. Then, when I got my position here, I also was afraid coming into the Meadow Lake mill knowing it is a male dominant workplace.  This makes me push myself harder to prove that I can do what men can do. It betters me at the end of the day.”

What would you tell girls who are thinking about studying science?

“If that’s what you want to do, do it. Don’t let people tell you what you can or can’t do. You can be as good as any guy!”