Jim Porter, Recently Retired From WestRock, Reflects On Career, Lessons, Market Dynamics BY JACKIE SCHULTZ For nearly half a century, Jim Porter has worked, and in many instances, led, prominent independent and integrated paper and packaging com- panies, placing him in a category of distinguished industry veterans. On December 31, 2020, he retired as WestRock President, Business Devel- opment & Latin America. In a videoconference interview, Porter reflect- ed on his 46-year career and provided some insight on industry trends, present-day topics and some advice for young professionals.
Cosmo DeNicola Chairman, Amtech Software
Packaging ERP Algorithmic Scheduling Web-Based Access Online Customer Portals
He began his career in 1974 with a degree in Forest Management from the University of Missouri. His first job was field forester with Mena- sha in the company’s Washington State timberlands. In 1993, he joined Southern Container and was President and Chief Operating Officer when RockTenn acquired the company in 2008. He was President of RockTenn’s Corrugated Packaging business, leading the string of acqui- sitions that led to RockTenn becoming the second largest corrugated packaging company in the world. With the merger of MeadWestvaco in 2015, RockTenn became WestRock. He was then President of West- Rock’s Paper Solutions business, leading the operation, sales and global supply chain of all WestRock mills. In his final four years with WestRock, he focused on the growth of the Latin America businesses, including Integrated Forestry, Virgin Containerboard Mill and Corrugated opera- tions in Brazil and joint venture with Grupo Gondi in Mexico. In 2018, Porter received the RISI Lifetime Achievement Award and was inducted into the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation’s Circle of Dis- tinguished Leaders. When asked about his proudest achievements, he says he has three: the startup of Southern Container’s Solvay recycled containerboard mill in upstate New York, the growth of RockTenn and the teams of people who helped him achieve those successes. Regarding the Solvay mill, he says, “The Grossman family bet the farm with their first paper machine and later turned it into three machines. It’s still one of the most efficient, productive and profitable paper mills in the country. The team concept and work culture that we built there was just extraordinary.” When South- ern Container was sold, RockTenn was a $2 billion company. “Over the next 12 years, the senior leadership team, which I was blessed to be a Although retired after nearly 50 years in the paper and packaging industry, Jim Porter still maintains a lifelong passion for forestry and the outdoors.
Paperless Workflows Mobile Sales Systems Digital Signage Production Monitoring Mobile Logistics Management Analytics & Reporting Cloud Hosting IT Management Services Cyber Security Management
600 + Plants 60,000 Users North America Latin America
CONTINUED ON PAGE 34
14
www.boardconvertingnews.com
July 12, 2021
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog