Domtar Engineering Careers Are Fulfilling, Collaborative

September 9, 2022

BY: Lauren.Hultz

Pictured above, left to right: Anna McFarland, Kenny Boswell, Lindsey Clifton and Jimmy Herman

Whether their field is mechanical, electrical, chemical or civil, engineering professionals are finding fulfilling engineering careers at Domtar.

Our pulp, paper and packaging mills use engineers’ problem-solving skills in unique ways. Domtar’s collaborative environment means engineering careers will include a variety of challenges and tangible, rewarding projects.

“Working with engineers across the site is something I do daily,” says Anna McFarland, a pulp superintendent at the Ashdown Mill in Arkansas. “For process improvements, I work with chemical engineers. For reliability or equipment improvements, I call on the mechanical engineers. For process control or electrical, electrical engineering.

“It takes all of us as a team driving decisions to make this mill a safer place to work while being a part of advancements in productivity. There is a niche for most engineering disciplines at the mill.”

Engineering Careers Start Before Graduation

Many engineering careers begin with a summer internship or a semester co-op job within the field. Students apply what they’ve learned in the classroom in a manufacturing environment, and they also learn about a company’s culture and processes.

Jimmy Herman is one of many Domtar engineers that got their careers started during their school days. Herman studied mechanical engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison and gained experience as an intern at a pulp and paper company in 2016. He then joined Domtar as a mechanical engineer in 2017.

He appreciates the wide range of skills shown by his coworkers at the Nekoosa Mill and the opportunity to invest time and energy to come up with the right solution, such as a recent renovation of the bleach plant.

“At Nekoosa, we can get help with the big projects, take it slow and do it right,” he says. “I’m proud of the work I do every day, getting it right and not just getting a Band-Aid.”

Mentors to the Next Generation

Kenny Boswell, who works as a power distribution reliability engineer at the Plymouth Mill in North Carolina, has spent many years in the pulp and paper industry as an electrical engineer.

In addition to lending valuable experience and expertise to the process, he’s also sharing what he’s learned with people just beginning their engineering careers. He mentors electrical and instrumentation apprentices, as well as new engineers.

“Being an engineer is very fulfilling,” he says. “I love fixing problems. Of the four places I’ve worked, this location has a really great culture — friendly, open and encouraging for everyone. It’s very refreshing the way people take ownership.”

Engineering Careers Build Networks

Boswell soon will be assisting engineers at our Kingsport Mill in Tennessee, as the project to convert the mill to manufacture packaging progresses toward start-up.

It’s also where Lindsey Clifton, a former Domtar intern and current research and development engineer, works. She’s another example of the way engineering careers develop at Domtar.

Clifton studied paper science and engineering and chemical engineering at Miami University in Ohio. Domtar is an industry supporter of the paper science foundation there, contributing to the education of future professionals in the field.

Clifton enjoyed learning about the paper-making process and worked as an intern and a process engineer following graduation. She now collaborates with engineers across fields as well as other colleagues to solve complex process problems or alleviate supply chain challenges with new efficiencies.

“Though many of these processes are decades old,” she says, “we continue to find ways to refine them and the materials to be more efficient, environmentally friendly and higher quality. That’s a rewarding part of engineering.”

Each of these colleagues found fulfilling engineering careers at Domtar and invite other engineers to join them. We have openings for paid internships and full-time positions in a variety of engineering fields. Visit Domtar.com/careers for details on available positions. Students also can meet us at an upcoming campus event.