Cloquet mill manager promoted at Sappi

Longtime Cloquet Sappi mill manager Mike Schultz is leaving town after being promoted to vice president of manufacturing for Sappi North America.

The promotion means Schultz will relocate to Boston, but will still have a hand in how things are run in Cloquet, overseeing manufacturing operations at the company's four North American mills (including Cloquet), a sheeting facility in Pennsylvania and the Westbrook Technology Center in Maine.

The announcement followed the appointment of Mike Haws, current vice president of manufacturing, as incoming president and CEO for Sappi North America starting in October.

"Mike Schultz was a natural choice to step up and lead Sappi's manufacturing division here in North America," Haws said. "Throughout his tenure at the Cloquet mill, Mike has been the driving force behind highly successful sustainability, environmental and employee safety initiatives. I know that Mike's experience and proven track record will ensure a thriving future for the Sappi North America manufacturing organization."

Schultz has spent 30 years at the Cloquet mill. Following Sappi's acquisition from Potlatch in 2002, he became the pulp production manager and then managing director of the mill in 2007. Schultz was instrumental in leading the pulp mill conversion project from 2011 to 2013, as well as implementing safety initiatives which allowed the mill to five times surpass more than a million hours without a lost-time injury.

He was also involved in the community, serving on the Cloquet Economic Development Authority Board the past six years.

Cloquet Community Development director Holly Hansen said it was an honor to work with Schultz, who she said was a housing advocate and a sensible businessperson at the EDA.

"Mike was thoughtful and direct in his feedback on business and community issues, a strong voice of reason and a solid reality check at our EDA table," she said. "He will be missed."

Sappi is in the process of appointing a permanent replacement for Schultz.

In the interim, Tom Radovich, paper business manager for Sappi North America, will assume the responsibilities of managing director of the Cloquet mill.

Schultz was unavailable for comment before the Pine Knot News went to press, as he was traveling.

In addition to his work at Sappi, Schultz has served as president of Minnesota Forest Industries, and has been a two-time finalist for PPI's Mill Manager of the Year Award. He holds a bachelor's degree in paper science and engineering from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point.

Sappi North America employs more than 2,000 people at its mills, sheeting facility, technology center, and supporting offices across the U.S. The Cloquet mill has more than 700 employees.

Altogether, the sites produce 1.35 million metric tons of paper, and over 800,000 metric tons of kraft and dissolving wood pulp annually.

Sappi North America, headquartered in Boston, is a market leader in converting wood fiber into glossy specialty papers. It is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents in seven countries and customers in more than 150 countries.