April 2, 2012

An industry that employs more than 56,000 people across state, producing $16.2 billion in goods is far from dying, those with a connection to the industry say.

But with an aging workforce and a limited pipeline of people lining up to replace them, some of the business sector's veterans say more efforts are needed to spark interest, particularly among youths, to show stable and innovative careers still can be found in an area of manufacturing that's centuries old.

The Paper Discovery Center, which houses the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame, has served as a bridge between the community and industry since its doors opened in February 2005. In recent years, the center has stepped up its outreach efforts to bring in more school groups and host community events, expanding the audience who can see that there is more to papermaking than many realize.

"People see us or think of us and they see a museum with displays," said Alan Button, a longtime paper industry executive, who now runs Buttonwood Consulting.

Button, who also serves as vice chairman Paper Industry International Hall of Fame board, said there is plenty to discover at the center.

"One of our staffers has a chemical engineering background and spent a long time in research for Kimberly-Clark Corp.," he said. "The resources we have here really know (about papermaking)."

As school-aged children are bought into the center, they aren't just given a tour of the facility. Educational programs are designed to showcase the science behind papermaking.

The goal is to inspire youths to become interested in science, Button said.

"We also want to help kids get an understanding of the industry," he said. "What they seem to always hear about is how the industry is dying and mill closures."

But opportunities exist, despite the consolidation happening in the business today.

"We really want kids to get interested in this profession," Button said. "The center allows us to show the connection it has with this region."

Broad applications

The American Forest & Paper Association data shows forest and paper industry still makes a significant impact on Wisconsin's economy.

The association reports about 56,533 people work in the industry, including about 32,431 in the pulp and paper business. There are more than 260 paper-industry manufacturing facilities operating across the state today, including 38 pulp, paper and paperboard mills as well as 195 converted paper products facilities.

The state's paper industry has taken hits from consolidation and growing foreign competition but has found ways to innovate and find new markets.

Thilmany Papers in Kaukauna carved a niche through its work with food giant ConAgra. Thilmany developed a specialty paper for ConAgra, which the food maker used for a pop-up popcorn bowl bag, used today in many of its lines for its popular Orville Redenbacher brand.

The innovative bag received a 2011 AmeriStar Package Award from the Institute of Packaging Professionals.

Papermaker Appleton helped Procter & Gamble make its liquid fabric softener Downy work better. P&G used Appleton's microencapsulation technology, a process where solid, liquid or gaseous materials are encased in micro-sized shells or capsules, to make clothing treated with Downy hold its freshly laundered scent longer.

The technology also has been adapted by New Jersey-based Troy Corp., a maker of specialty materials and additives, for a biocide additive used in paints, architectural coatings and mortar formulations. This means if mixed with paint, it will make that product more resistant to mold and mildew.

Button said the paper industry's science has many other applications but the industry struggles to get people interested in the profession.

"It's a problem for the industry," he said. "It's important to reach kids early and get them interested in the science. When you can show them the things like how sustainability plays into it, it may spark some interest."

Assorted applications for consumer products and utilizing proven science to enhance items in other industries is an area just beginning to be tapped by the paper industry, Button said.

Youths need to be shown the business is far from dying, he said.

"A lot of people working in the industry today (are in their mid-50s)," Button said. "The paper industry is not going away when you think about the consumer products and packaging aspects and it scares me the industry struggles to find people to fill jobs."

Kathleen Lhost, executive director of the Paper Discovery Center, said between 5,000 and 6,000 students visit the center annually. In 2010-11, 5,355 students visited the center, an increase from 4,326 in 2008-09.

"We think if we can get kids interested at the elementary level thinking science and that it's actually fun and not scary, we could spark their interest and peak their curiosity," she said.

Community site

Last April, the Paper Discovery Center hosted an Arbor Day event, which offered plenty of interactive activities. Attendees were given free pine tree seedlings and treated to hands-on learning activities including paper recycling.

"The paper industry's technology and science and innovation always has worked to find new ways to use old things," Lhost said. "The science can help find ways to make things better."

The center also has hosted other community events, providing opportunities to expose more people to the center's educational offerings.

Button said the center's resources have much to offer.

"With more people coming to the riverfront, we have some possibilities," he said.

"We are starting to see this as more of a community resource as opposed to just a center that caters to the paper industry. It's becoming more important for us to transition into a community space, get our story out there that we're not just about the paper industry."

 

http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20120402/APC03/204020429/Outreach-helping-Appleton-s-Paper-Discovery-Center-raise-profile?odyssey=nav|head