Young Professionals

A bright future for young professionals in the pulp and paper industry

Young professionals are now joining the pulp and paper industry as its economic prospects improve. You can look forward to very interesting careers. Not for decades have there been opportunities like there are now for new talent to take up the challenge as the industry completes one major transition and enters a new, more positive one. Transitions are disruptive but always provide opportunities and you are the ones who will develop and lead the industry through its next evolution. It reminds me of the future I faced when I first joined the telecommunications industry in the early 1970’s. The industry was beginning a transition which lasted some 35 years and provided opportunities galore for a young person like me at the time. These great opportunities just kept coming throughout my entire career in that industry. Now that I recently joined Pulmac Systems and embraced a second career in the pulp and paper industry, I look forward to making a contribution to my new industry and sharing my career experiences with you. The latter is my objective in writing this blog.

But first, let me put all this in context. Pulmac has been in the pulp and paper industry directly and through its antecedents since 1945. We adapted to the changing conditions in the industry by developing innovative equipment and processes and expanding beyond North America. We ensured that our customers valued our contribution by building reliable products and actively supporting their use to resolve performance issues that they encountered in their operations. We retained the services of highly qualified engineers, technicians and professionals in general. When the industry took a downturn in the late 1990’s we had to take defensive measures to be able to remain in business because there wasn’t enough business and capital to go around. Much to our regret, we had to stop hiring and expanding into new products. What happened to us mirrors what happened in the industry; we all lost a lot of expertise, essential to meet the challenges of growth.

The disruptive adjustments to demand and regulations are thankfully completed and we are all hiring again to face a new growth environment. When an industry undergoes such significant changes as happened in ours, the nature of business coming out at the other end is no longer the same as that before the transition began. Pulmac and the industry are responding by modernizing our structures to adapt to the new conditions. This will result in a plethora of opportunities for you if you’re up to the challenge.

This first writing has given you a very broad overview; we will go into more details as this blog evolves and in answer to your questions and comments. One thing is for sure: young professionals in the industry are facing a great future for several years to come.