20 Years of New Forest Mill: Celebrating People, Purpose, and Sustainability

Atlantic Packaging Products, the Ontario division of the Atlantic Packaging group of companies, shares one of its most enduring sustainability stories: the New Forest Mill. Two decades ago, the company transformed a former pickle factory site into a 100% recycled paper mill. Today, it stands as a high-performing operation built on people, process, and a long-term commitment to sustainable manufacturing.

Glenn Taylor, Senior Vice President of Mill Manufacturing Operations, offers a closer look at how New Forest was built and how it continues to evolve.

20 Years of New Forest

Q: How did New Forest come to be?

Glenn Taylor (Glenn): It was built during a down market, very much in keeping with how Irving thinks. He tends to buy when others are selling. He thinks long-term.

Someone called Irving and said, ‘You’re building a paper machine.’ His answer was, ‘I’d be crazy to build in this market.’ And there it was.

That long-term mindset continues to define the mill’s direction.

“We started out with a paper machine. Now it is a phenomenal paper machine, like the others at Atlantic.” – Irving Granovsky, Chairman

Built by People

New Forest’s foundation has always been its people, from early leadership to today’s operators who continue to improve performance year after year.

Werner Thoma, the mill’s first manager, now retired, reflects:

“Together with Irving and a strong team, it became what it became.”

Retired Vice Chairman John Cherry adds:

“This mill has stayed vibrant through 20 years. Today it runs better than ever.”

That continuity was clear during the anniversary celebration.

Q: What stood out to you at the 20-year celebration?

Glenn: Seeing retirees come back, sharing stories of how their careers here supported their families. That connection means everything.

Paul Kalbun, New Forest Mill Manager, reflected:

“What stands out most about the first 20 years isn’t just growth or milestones, it’s consistency. The willingness to adapt, to solve problems, to learn, and to keep moving forward together. That’s what defines the New Forest team.” 

As we look ahead to the next 20 years, the goal is simple: to honour what’s been built by continuing to improve it. 

Performance and Progress

Over the past several years, the New Forest team has strengthened performance across quality, productivity, and safety, even as recycled fibre quality has become more challenging and customer expectations have increased.

Q: What defines the mill’s performance today?

Glenn: Over the last four to five years, the team has improved quality, productivity, and safety, all at the same time. They have pushed this into what I would call a world-class operation, hitting about 85% OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), which very few mills achieve.

He also highlighted significant gains in safety performance:

On safety, their OSHA incident rate has come down dramatically to about 1.6, which is tremendous for a paper mill of this size and complexity.

For Production Manager Kugenthini Tharmakulasekaram, the driver remains culture:

“The dedication and pride here make all the difference.”

Sustainability is our way of Business

Sustainability has been central to New Forest from the beginning, not as a standalone initiative, but as part of how the mill operates every day.

Q: How has sustainability shaped operations at New Forest?

Glenn: Recycling is not simple. What comes in is not clean and has been getting worse over the years. We find metal, plastic, glass, and even materials that were never meant to be in fibre streams from the Blue Box Program. But we have built the systems to handle that and produce the high-quality paper that today’s customers demand.

The mill operates 100% recycled fibre, continuously processing post-consumer and industrial materials into paper used in sustainable packaging. Continued innovation from our team has dramatically improved final paper quality while the raw material stream continues to degrade. This approach keeps large volumes of material out of landfill and reintroduces it into the circular economy.

One part of this system is New Forest’s anaerobic digester, which processes wastewater byproducts and converts organic material into methane. That energy is captured and reused within mill operations, helping offset natural gas consumption.

Q: What role does that system play in sustainability goals?

Glenn: Our anaerobic digester turns waste into fuel. That is something we are proud of, because it means our waste becomes part of our energy system.

Water use is also closely managed. Water is drawn from the lake, used in the papermaking process, treated, and returned through municipal systems before re-entering the natural environment. The only loss is steam generated during production.

These systems reflect a broader strategy focused on reducing waste, improving efficiency, and extending the life of recycled fibres through ongoing investment in technology and process optimization.

Looking Ahead

Q: What’s the key takeaway after 20 years?

“You give good people the right tools and processes, and they succeed.” – Glenn Taylor

That principle continues to guide New Forest, where sustainability, performance, and people remain closely connected.

As Atlantic Packaging Products looks ahead, New Forest represents what is possible when long-term thinking, responsible manufacturing, and strong teams come together. Its progress over the past 20 years reflects not only where we have been, but how we continue to evolve by investing in our people, advancing sustainable practices, and strengthening our ability to support customers.