Sappi appoints new CEO of North American operations

Sappi Limited, a global leader in dissolving wood pulp as well as graphic, packaging and speciality papers, announced that Michael Haws has been appointed as president and CEO of Sappi North America effective Oct. 1, 2019. Haws succeeds Mark Gardner, a 38-year veteran of Sappi in North America, who will retire at the end of September. Haws is currently vice president of manufacturing at Sappi North America.

Haws joined Sappi in 2012 as managing director of the Somerset Mill before being promoted to vice president of manufacturing in Oct. 2015 with responsibility for the Somerset, Westbrook and Cloquet mills and the Allentown sheeting facility, and safety, research and development and customer care. Prior to joining Sappi, he had extensive experience in the industry and held numerous leadership roles with St. Regis, Champion International, International Paper and Verso Paper. While leading the Somerset Mill, Haws received the Pulp and Paper International Mill Manager of the Year award in 2014.

Sappi Limited CEO Steve Binnie said he was pleased the company was able to ensure a smooth transition in leadership.

“Mike is an experienced industry leader who has been integral to the development and execution of Sappi’s 2020Vision, and the investments we have made in North America to grow our dissolving wood pulp and packaging and specialties businesses,” Binnie said. “I am confident that under Mike’s leadership our business will take full advantage of the exciting opportunities for the pulp and paper industry in North America.”

Binnie also praised Gardner for his leadership as Sappi restructured and refocused the business, “a task he embraced and has executed with aplomb,” Binnie said.

Sappi has made a number of investments in the Cloquet mill over the past 10 years, most recently a $25 million project in the recovery areas of the pulp mill to “debottleneck” the mill’s dissolving wood pulp production — which was the main focus of the $170 million conversion project completed in 2013.

Since the conversion project, the Cloquet mill has been able to swing production between kraft (or paper-grade) pulp and dissolving wood pulp for the open market. Dissolving wood pulp is sold in rolls to the textile market, where it can be used to make rayon and other fabrics, as well as cosmetics, pharmaceutical binders, diapers, wet wipes, cigarette filters, bandages, yogurt and ice cream ingredients and even cell phone screens.