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Welcome to the only event that focuses on North America, covering all the key forest product grades, including pulp, paper, graphic paper, boxboard, recovered paper, containerboard, packaging and tissue. Formerly known as RISI North America, this conference is THE place for understanding what's really going in the forest products industry.
This 2-in-1 event is happening at the same time and venue as the International Containerboard Conference. Attend sessions at both events, network among 400+ industry leaders and get a wider view of this complex industry.
*Combined figures for the co-located Forest Products North America Conference and International Containerboard Conference
As the region’s pulp and paper markets strive to establish a new normal after the pandemic, US demand continues to switch from white to brown grades. At the same time, overall paper and board output is rebounding.
Hear about the latest trends and movements from some of the industry’s biggest players, giving you direction for your strategies.
With expert insights on mega-mergers, efficiency measures and powerful new tech, you can look to the future with confidence.
Sign up for this event and you get free access to the International Containerboard Conference 2024, happening at the same time, in the same location.
Each event has a separate agenda focus, with sessions taking place simultaneously around the conference venue. Attend sessions from either event and connect with colleagues in the shared networking areas.
With this 2-in-1 ticket, you can:
✔ Meet up to 400+ international market leaders – from both the North American forest products and international containerboard supply chains ✔ See how CEOs are handling skills gaps, supply chain headaches and post-Covid demand challenges ✔ Network with more key industry figures, including end users✔ Get comprehensive market analysis, from those who know the industry best
Gain a competitive edge and contribute to a more sustainable future by mastering key sustainability metrics for the packaging and containerboard industry.
This expert-led workshop is perfectly suited to end users, paper & packaging companies, convertors, technology providers and suppliers across the supply chain for forest products and containerboard. It will equip you with the knowledge and tools to measure, track, and improve the environmental impact of your packaging products.
Learn how to identify opportunities for optimization, reduce costs, and enhance your brand reputation through sustainable practices. Join us to become a leader in sustainable packaging.
The workshop is separately bookable, limited space available.
Get the latest insights from:
Mike Doss
CEO
Graphic Packaging
Christopher Davidson
Vice President, Sustainability
Smurfit Westrock
Christopher Davidson is based in Richmond, Virginia, and serves as vice president, Sustainability for Smurfit Westrock, a global manufacturer of sustainable paper-based packaging solutions. He develops strategy, policies, goals and metrics for the company’s sustainability platform and is accountable for internal and external reporting to measure its progress. His work with customers and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) around the world focuses on optimizing the impact of sustainability on businesses and communities. Chris’ experience in the forest products industry spans nearly 30 years. He serves on the board of directors for GreenBlue and the Virginia Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. He is also the co-chair of the Corporate Sustainability & Environment Executive Committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Chris earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in forest management and forestry from North Carolina State University and received a doctorate in forestry from Virginia Tech
Derek Mahlburg
Director, NA Graphic Paper
Fastmarkets
Craig Gunckel
Iconex Paper
Craig Gunckel is Chief Executive Officer of Iconex, bringing nearly three decades of expertise in the paper, packaging, and retail industries. Under his leadership, Iconex has tripled in both revenue and profitability. More importantly, safety has become the core value at Iconex with the company dramatically reducing incident rates across its footprint. Gunckel’s forward-thinking strategies most recently led the company to invest in and capitalize on the high growth labels market. His commitment to a strong company culture and clear focus on innovation has established Iconex as a trusted business partner to the largest companies in the world. Most recently, Gunckel was named a 2023 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast Award winner and received Atlas Holdings’ 2023 Chairman's Award for leading Iconex’s success, which is also noted by the company’s listing as one of the 50 largest private companies in Atlanta (Atlanta Business Chronicle). In 2021, he was named one of the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Most Admired CEOs and was an EY Entrepreneur of the Year Southeast finalist. Gunckel currently serves on the boards of the Wake Forest University Business School, Purdue University’s Krannet School of Management, and the Atlanta Area Council Boy Scouts, which honored him with the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award for his contribution to serving at-risk youth. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta. Prior to joining Iconex, Gunckel served as President, Enterprise Solutions for WestRock. During his 20+ years with WestRock and RockTenn, he held progressing executive roles, including leading its merchandising displays and folding carton businesses.
Michele Bianchi
RDM Group
After the Master Degree in Chemical Engineering from Pisa University, Mr Bianchi started his professional career in the packaging sector in Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget-SCA, acquired in 2012 by DS Smith, the leading provider of corrugated packaging in Europe. After 14 years in SCA and 3 in DS Smith, with 8 different job positions and seven years of experience at European level, since November 2016 Michele Bianchi has been CEO of RDM Group. Today, Mr Bianchi has a rooted and valuable knowledge of packaging sector dynamics and trends, and he has developed extensive skills in the management of complex organizations. He also holds important institutional roles: he is President of Pro Carton, President of CEPI Cartonboard and President of Federazione Carta Grafica.
Luis Gerardo Gonzalez
General Manager
Cartomicro
Luis Gerardo González is an engineer with over 20 years of experience in the packaging industry. He is currently the General Manager of CARTOMICRO, one of the largest independent corrugators in Mexico. Throughout his career, he has held key roles in planning, production, supply chain, and sales, driving innovation and efficiency within the company. His focus on product reliability and service quality has been instrumental in building partnerships with leading paper manufacturers worldwide. Outside of work, he is happily married, a father of two, a cycling enthusiast, and a nature lover.
Paul Charapata
Chief Executive Officer
M2S Group
Mr. Charapata is currently the CEO of M2S Group (Material Science and Solutions Group), a leading material science company providing engineered coating, adhesive, and imaging solutions to valuable global customer partnerships. Mr. Charapata started his career in the labels industry including 5 years working for Avery Dennison, and has spent the last 18 years partnering with four different private equity groups building the M2S Group platform. Today, M2S Group is a world class global operation with 15 facilities and 1200 dedicated team members who service customers in 65 countries. Under Mr Charapata’s leadership, Nekoosa has transformed into M2S Group and expanded from its commercial print product legacy to now provide sign and graphics, extruded products, wide format print media, thermal papers and films, window films, and variable information label solutions. M2S Group is now comprised of four business units including Nekoosa, Iconex, Decorative Films, and Appvion. M2S Group is owned by Wynnchurch Capital Partners based in Rosemont, IL with over $9B of regulatory assets under management. Mr Charapata is also a Director for Breck Partners, a middle market private equity firm, a board member for Dura-Fibre, a solid fibre laminated paperboard solutions company, and a board member for SmartSign, a leading online sign manufacturer and retailer.
Markus Gartner
Mondi Corrugated Packaging
Markus Gärtner is responsible for the entire corrugated value chain at Mondi as CEO Corrugated Packaging since 2019. Prior to joining Mondi, he held various roles in strategy, sales, and general management with Novelis, a global aluminum rolling company. Markus started his career at McKinsey & Company, working on numerous operational and strategic projects across a variety of industries. He holds a Doctorate of Technical Sciences from ETH Zürich and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University.
“Excellent conference: I left with quality information and plan to attend the 2024 event.”
“Fastmarkets’ team of economists presents a high-level view of the housing economy and individual market analyses, which I find vital for making informed decisions for my company.”
“I found the event informative and a great place to network with industry participants.”
“The topics reviewed were timely and important for an industry producer. The segment reviews and the forward economic projections were particularly helpful.”
“It is my go-to event to get a broad overview of the forest products sector and to stay in touch with colleagues in my field.”
“Quality time with a customer, plus great content.”
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Silver Sponsors
FM provides comprehensive commercial and industrial property insurance and risk management services with an industry segment focused on Forest Products. Our property loss prevention engineers are charged with protecting the value created by our Client’s business by assessing exposures and developing solutions. Our Forest Products Operations provides an expertise in the industry which offers the following: Broad coverages specific to the needs of Forest Products companies. Paper and wood products loss prevention services including Recovery Boiler explosion prevention. Cost-effective insurance and risk transfer solutions backed by large, stable capacity. Industry leading Claims performance.
StepChange is an industry focused and independent management consultancy specialized on wood, pulp, paper, packaging and tissue with a proven track record of turning strategy into increased shareholder value. StepChange provides support to organizations across the globe from strategy development to the implementation of operational improvements. Furthermore StepChange is an industry thought leader in digital strategy bringing digital transformation to the fiber value chain. With an international team of industry experts StepChange will hit the ground running. StepChange develops innovative and yet pragmatic solutions, placing an emphasis on delivering measurable business results. A high client loyalty attests to the industry-focused strategy with an international client base consisting of the most renowned companies from the industry.
Bronze Sponsors
Founded in 2001, Atlantic Logistics provides Drayage, LTL, Specialized Service, and Truckload throughout North America. We utilize our transportation and warehousing network to increase customer buying power.
Kadant Inc. is a global supplier of technologies and engineered systems that drive Sustainable Industrial Processing. The Company’s products and services play an integral role in enhancing efficiency, optimizing energy utilization, and maximizing productivity in process industries. Kadant is based in Westford, Massachusetts, with approximately 3,500 employees in 20 countries worldwide. For more information, visit kadant.com
𝐀𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐑𝐎𝐗𝐂𝐄𝐋 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐝𝐞.With a long history and active operations, our success is driven by professional expertise and strong industry relationships. By applying regional knowledge and market intelligence, we find optimal product and logistic solutions, minimizing barriers for local companies to enter international markets. We support businesses in reaching their full potential globally!
Media Partners
AMEXICCOR is a non-profit association that brings together corrugated cardboard manufacturers, converters and suppliers of machinery, services and supplies for the sector. We are made up of leading brands in the industry thanks to the value we provide.
Manufacturing Technology Insights focuses on growing trends, consumer demands, and several technology solutions that are dramatically affecting the manufacturing arena. Manufacturing Technology Insights assists key decision-makers, including Chief Manufacturing Officers and Inventory Managers, in understanding the fast-changing landscape where robots are getting more sophisticated and becoming adept at performing complex tasks. Manufacturing Technology Insights increases organizational visibility and advises firms on the connectivity tools that can provide insight into production levels, inventory and capacity availability, quality levels, and order status from all their suppliers.
PAPERFIRST MagazineThe ultimate global magazine from ENP Publishing, covering the challenges of papermakers worldwide through market analysis, testimonials of big players, and reviews of the latest technical trends. The natural extension of the successful PaperFIRST Web and PaperFIRST Mobile App.