SPC Winter Series 2022

As the current General Manager of Western Michigan’s prestigious Paper Pilot Plants, Lon has the lead role in marketing, business development, strategy, and P/L management. His background in specialty papers (Crown Vantage), coated recycled board (Graphic Packaging), integrated packaging (Sonoco), and natural binders (Tate & Lyle) prepared him well to tackle the wide variety of projects that come through the door at WMU. Lon is an active leader in the industry as part of the Tappi Coating & Graphic Arts Technical Committee, the Tappi Recycled Fiber Technical Committee, and represents WMU as a subject matter expert on the ISO TC6 (Paper, board, and pulps) working group and NextGen Cup Challenge (McDonalds, Starbucks, Pepsi). He held roles as a process engineer, senior product specialist, product manager, and director of pricing and marketing prior to coming back to his alma mater (BS Paper Science & Engineering 1998).

WMU’s Paper Pilot Plant offer a truly unique blend of equipment, expertise, and opportunity. The plant is home to North America’s only dual-fourdrinier paper machine (22” wide, installed 2019), a high speed pilot coater (40” wide, 3800 fpm top speed), and a full pilot scale stock preparation area (beating, refining, pulping, deinking, recyclability); all at a 3rd party research facility. Papermakers, researchers, chemists, brand owners, machinery manufacturers, and formulators come from around the world to complete work here with an independent entity that holds confidentiality in the highest regard. Our WMU Recyclability Protocols, in conjunction with the FBA and How2Recycle, have been used by brands and manufacturers to guide product development and certify hundreds of fiber based products as recyclable. Pilot plant research is just one of the ways that WMU is tied in closely with industry; we hold several professional course each year ( https://wmupilotplant.com/coating-course, https://wmupilotplant.com/fiber-course) and are a part of WMU’s Paper Technology Foundation. The PTF currently has 28 member companies for the paper and allied industries that donate to a scholarship fund, guide the paper engineering program here at WMU, and mentor/hire our students. WMU is proud to be constantly preparing the next generation of paper engineers! Many of these students get their start in the pilot plants, helping to prepare them to make an instant and lasting impact on the industry.