UPM, a global leader in sustainable material solutions, has achieved an important milestone in the startup of production of commercial, wood-based chemicals in its Leuna biorefinery in Germany. The refinery, which is the largest industrial-scale investment in biochemicals in Europe, has started the production and commercialization of industrial sugars. After successfully starting up the hydrothermal breakdown of wood on industrial scale earlier this year, the biorefinery has now reached stable operation in separating lignin and sugars. This critical process step is a prerequisite for the conversion of sugars to renewable glycols and lignin to renewable functional fillers. “Leuna is significant proof of UPM’s commitment to scaling up innovative, high-performance bio-based material solutions.

Robert P. Mundy, PCA’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will step down as CFO on May 1, 2025 and remain employed by PCA in an advisory role through his planned retirement date of March 1, 2026. Bob has served as PCA’s CFO since 2015. Kent A. Pflederer, PCA’s General Counsel since he joined PCA in 2007, will become PCA’s Executive Vice President and CFO on May 1, 2025. Thomas A. Hassfurther, PCA’s Executive Vice President, Corrugated Products has been named President of PCA. Tom will continue to report to Mark W. Kowlzan, Chairman and CEO, and will oversee PCA’s strategic growth efforts in addition to leading the corrugated products business. Tom has led PCA’s corrugated products business since 2009 and joined PCA in 1977. D. Ray Shirley, PCA’s Senior Vice President, Corporate Engineering and Process Technology since 2019, has been named Executive Vice President, Corrugated Products. Ray will report to Tom Hassfurther and assume day-to-day management of the corrugated products business. Ray has worked for PCA since 1996 in various business and operational roles across PCA’s containerboard and corrugated products system. Ray will continue to oversee all aspects of PCA’s engineering and technology organization. Commenting on these changes, Mr. Kowlzan said: “Bob has been instrumental to PCA’s growth and success over the last ten years. As a 45-year industry veteran, he brought considerable operational and strategic expertise to complement his leadership of our finance function. I am very pleased that he will remain with PCA to assist in the transition of the CFO role to Kent.