KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and the Wisconsin Paper Council are giving an update on where the paper industry stands today. The two partnered to conduct a roughly two-year study.
Together, UWO and the Paper Council have developed a roadmap for the future of Wisconsin’s paper industry.
“This report shows, not only the challenges, but also some solutions that are being offered to make certain that we keep this industry strong and sustainable throughout the course of the next ten years,” said Wisconsin Paper Council president Scott Suder.
Obstacles the industry is facing include workforce challenges and engaging younger professionals who may not even know the jobs that are available in the industry today.
“Speaking with college students and high school students about the industry, there really isn’t an awareness of the industry at all, so there is no positive or negative impression about paper is and what it can do,” director for the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Center for Customized Research and Services Jeff Sachse said.
Experts say, many view the paper industry as a dying one, when on the contrary, it’s thriving. Shedding decades-old misperceptions like that is another hurdle.
“We wanna make sure that we’re defeating false narratives,” said Suder. “These are good paying jobs, these are highly-technically skilled jobs that are sustainable, and that the industry is sustainable, as well.”
Like many industries, the paper industry has had to pivot and change the way it operates. For paper makers, that meant becoming more innovative, using more technology and moving toward sustainability practices.
“Consumers and brand owners are really charging industry professionals to say, ‘Make our products better. We want to have less of an impact on the world, and we wanna know that if we’re buying a product, we’re doing something that is making a better choice for the planet,’” said Addie Teeters, head of marketing communications & public affairs at Ahlstrom-Munksjö.
The paper industry may need an image makeover, but Suder tells FOX 11 its future is still bright.
“Wisconsin’s the number one paper making/paper producing state in the entire nation, and we intend to stay that way.”.
The report was also presented to both state and federal policymakers.
The hope is that it will encourage them to work with the Paper Council to create an industry fund that could be used during crises in the paper industry.
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