Soundview Paper Announces Leadership Transition

Sep 24, 2014

Soundview Paper Company announced today that George Wurtz is retiring from his position as President and CEO of the Elmwood Park, New Jersey-based towel and tissue product manufacturer, effective September 23, 2014. Mr. Wurtz will continue to be engaged with Soundview as its Chairman and as a significant investor. He will be succeeded as President by Karl Meyers, who has served as Chief Operating Officer of Soundview’s Away-From-Home Division for the past year and brings decades of experience in the pulp and paper industry to the position. Meyers and Wurtz were two of the original industry leaders who started Soundview.

“Soundview Paper was established in 2012 to recapture the greatness of a family-owned business and transform an eighty-year old company into a leading, 21st century manufacturer,” Mr. Wurtz said. “We believed then that a united and safe workforce delivering high-quality products and superior customer service at a competitive price would drive that transformation and it has. I am extremely proud of how our team has positioned the company for growth and success in the years to come and have the utmost confidence in Karl’s ability to lead this business in its next successful chapter.”

Mr. Wurtz further indicated that Mr. Meyers has decades of hands-on experience and leadership in the Consumer Products Tissue Market of North America. His capabilities make him uniquely qualified to build upon Soundview’s recent success. Under Wurtz’s leadership, Soundview increased its sales of converted product by successfully revitalizing the Marcal Brand, penetrating new channels of distribution, improving product quality and through the acquisition of Vermont based Putney Paper entered the Away From Home business with a complete product portfolio.

Tim Fazio, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Atlas Holdings LLC, which owns Soundview Paper, said, “George Wurtz partnered with us to found Soundview Paper and immediately spearheaded the successful turnaround of a vital consumer products business. From ensuring strong labor-management relations to developing an exciting array of products to meet our customers’ needs, George honored the legacy of the Marcal name at every turn and set us on the right course for the future. We thank George for his contributions as President and CEO and look forward to his continued service as a member of the Soundview Board of Directors.”

Mr. Fazio added, “We are extremely fortunate that Karl Meyers has agreed to serve as Soundview’s next President. Karl has all the attributes necessary to be an exceptional leader of Soundview; he’s a former paper company mill worker, a supervisor, and an energetic, innovative leader. He knows our business from the ground up, has the unwavering respect and admiration of his colleagues, and has the industry expertise necessary to take Soundview to the next level of sustainable excellence.”

Mr. Meyers has served as the Chief Operating Officer of Soundview’s Away-From-Home Division since 2013. Prior to joining Soundview, he served as a senior executive for Georgia Pacific Corp. from 1997 to 2009. In that role, he helped to lead manufacturing operations in Oklahoma, North Carolina, and Toluca, Mexico. Prior to that, Meyers spent sixteen years working in a variety of leadership posts within Fort James and Fort Howard Corporation in Oklahoma.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead Soundview Paper and its extraordinary employees who care deeply about the company we’re part of and meeting the needs of the customers we’re privileged to serve,” said Mr. Meyers. “Manufacturing is the backbone of our economy, and Soundview is at the forefront of our industry when it comes to employee safety, innovative product development, customer service and community engagement. I look forward to working with my colleagues, our customers and the community to write the next great chapter in the story of this company.”

About Soundview Paper

Soundview Paper Company is a leading, world-class manufacturer of recycled and virgin fiber towel and tissue products for the At-Home and Away-From-Home markets in North America. Our customer-focused approach to the market enables us to focus on the continuous improvement of our products, processes and services to meet the specific needs of our customers. Strategically located in Elmwood Park, New Jersey – just 15 miles northwest of New York City – our flagship operations encompass more than one million square feet of manufacturing and storage facilities on a 30-acre site. Elmwood Park operations include a manufacturing facility with fully integrated deinking, towel, tissue, napkin and facial production and converting capabilities, as well as separate storage facilities for housing finished goods and parent rolls. The company also operates a facility in Putney, Vermont, which allows us to offer a broader range of commercial towel manufacturing capability into our finished paper products offering of tissue, towel and napkin products to retailers, distributors and other customers.