Fwd: Video Hug for Nicole Patterson's upcoming birthday (July 29th)

Send a virtual hug to Nicole for her 29th birthday. Matt has set up a website to make this easy. 

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Matt Patterson <matt@mattp.org>
Date: Mon, Jul 20, 2020 at 11:04 AM
Subject: Fwd: Video Hug for Nicole Patterson's upcoming birthday (July 29th)
To: pkomlos <pkomlos@gmail.com>, Pete & Lavonne Komlos <pkomlos@new.rr.com>, LaVonne Komlos <lvkomlos@gmail.com>

Pete / Lavonne - do you mind forwarding this email out to the Wulff and Komlos side of the family? I don't have their email addresses?

Thanks!

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Matt Patterson <matt@mattp.org>
Date: Mon, Jul 20, 2020 at 10:00 AM
Subject: Video Hug for Nicole Patterson's upcoming birthday (July 29th)
To: Matt Patterson <matt@mattp.org>

Hi all - Nicole's birthday is coming up! (turning 29 again!) 

When you get a moment please give her a quick/easy video hug via the following link: https://app.vidhug.com/nicole-pattersons-birthday/H1t2v4meD/record

She will love it. 

Feel free to forward to others who's email/contact I may not have...

Ping me if you have any questions!

-Matt

Appleton to Sell Performance Packaging Operations

Appleton to Sell Performance Packaging Operations

Appleton, Wisconsin, USA, 08 July 2010 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Appleton announced today that it has entered into an agreement to sell its Performance Packaging operations to a newly formed company named NEX Performance Films Inc. which is owned by Mason Wells, a Milwaukee-based private equity firm. The sale of the Performance Packaging operations is a strategic move to consolidateAppleton's offerings and to allow Appleton to focus on its core business. The purchase price to be paid in the transaction is approximately USD 58 million. Subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, the companies expect the transaction to be completed in July.Appleton intends to use proceeds from the sale to reduce debt and for general corporate purposes. Appleton's Performance Packaging operations produce high-quality single and multilayer polyethylene films and are comprised of two wholly-owned subsidiaries: American Plastics Company, Inc., located in Rhinelander, Wisconsin; and New England Extrusion Inc., which has facilities in Turners Falls, Massachusetts, and Milton, Wisconsin. Appleton's chief executive officer, Mark Richards, said the Performance Packaging operations no longer complement the company's long-term strategic direction, which is to focus on its specialty paper and microencapsulation businesses. "Our core strengths in specialty paper production and microencapsulation have been the foundation of our company's success for more than a century, and they will be the focus of our growth strategy in the future," said Richards. He added that Appleton will leverage the operational strengths of the company and its recent capital investments in its thermal and encapsulation businesses to expand Appleton's market leadership positions in specialty paper and encapsulation. Appleton simultaneously acquired American Plastics Company and C&H Packaging Company, Inc. in April 2003. C&H Packaging, located in Merrill, Wisconsin, prints and converts flexible plastic packaging materials for companies in the food processing, household, and industrial products industries. Appleton sold C&H Packaging to The Interflex Group, Inc. in December 2009. Appleton acquired New England Extrusion in January 2005. Appleton creates product solutions through its development and use of coating formulations, coating applications, and encapsulation technology. The company produces carbonless papers, thermal papers, encapsulation products, and performance packaging products.Appleton, headquartered in Appleton, Wisconsin, has manufacturing operations in Wisconsin,Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts; employs approximately 2100 people; and is 100% employee-owned. For more information, visit www.appletonideas.com.

Appleton Thermal Papers converts

APPLETON — A decision to halt use of a chemical in its thermal paper has given company Appleton an edge up with buyers increasingly attuned to "green" office supplies. Or so thinks a Fox Cities firm that converts large parent rolls from Appleton to thinner rolls, which it then sells for cash register receipts.

."We've been hearing more and more about customers requesting BPA-free paper, and Appleton being the only one (with) that product today," said Dave Blum, vice president of paper for Heartland Label Printers Inc., Little Chute. "We've designed a particular stock number just so we know we'll be using Appleton paper (and) guarantee customers that it's BPA-free paper."

Bill Van Den Brandt, company spokesman, said the firm did away with chemical bisphenol-A, or BPA, in its thermal receipt paper in 2006. He said the firm concluded its elimination was "the right thing to do" as the controversy about the weak organic acid's effect on human health began heating up.

Most fears at that point focused on BPA's use in clear plastic products like baby bottles and sipping cups because it potentially can leach into beverages. Gov. Jim Doyle this month signed into law the BPA-Free Kids Act to help protect children from exposure to its potentially harmful effects.

Van Den Brandt said the company doesn't use BPA in any of its other lines and never used it in its carbonless paper.

The BPA-free paper has clearly sparked interest from users.

"We have had people call and inquire about it," he said. "I think there is a greater attention to the whole subject of BPA. For some people, it does matter and it is a good thing. We haven't promoted it specifically as that."

In addition, thermal paper produced at Appleton's West Carrollton, Ohio, facility contains up to 50 percent recycled fiber. "So there are elements beyond the BPA element that we're proud of and we think distinguish us from competitors."

It's a classic win-win situation, Blum said. Appleton and Heartland are Fox Valley partners and the latter has been involved in green initiatives for some time. All of Heartland's waste — 1,400 tons per year — goes to another Wisconsin firm and not the landfill. That firm breaks it all down and makes fuel pellets out of it, Blum said.

Appleton is looking at eliminating its employee stock ownership plan

APPLETON — Papermaker Appleton is looking at eliminating its employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), but the process is neither simple nor certain, an executive told analysts during a Web conference call Tuesday.

"We have frequent conversations about mitigation of the ESOP," said Thomas Ferree, chief financial officer.

The stock was priced at $10 a share when the plan was launched in November 2001. In 2007, it had risen to about $33.60 per share, he said. As of this week, the stock hovered around $13 per share. Analysts tossed some pointed questions about the ESOP at Ferree during the call to review 2009 final-quarter and full-year earnings. Ferree said there are two ways to terminate an ESOP: Pay off shareholders in cash or provide some form of tradable public securities. "There's really no set value for that," he said.

With 10 million shares outstanding, the full value is about $130 million. While Appleton is privately held — 100 percent owned by employees or former employees —it has some publicly traded debt and thus must publicly report financial results. Bill Van Den Brandt, manager for corporate communications, said it's largely the public bondholders who have pushed for the company to consider eliminating the ESOP, structured so the company must buy back the stock in a process called a repurchase obligation.

  

Comments posted at Post Crescent:

oldster2 wrote:

Where are the answers to key questions:
Does the company have the financial capacity to repurchase ESOP shares? (Presumably not, which suggests that a buyer is needed.)
Are any viable buyers engaged in discussion with the company?
Are there alternative lenders other than public bondholders available to the company?
If this information is provided, we could conclude what is likely to occur.

smack2649 wrote:

There are probably 2 main reasons. The company is not doing very good - not meeting annual objectives. Secondly, executives will receive platinum parachutes. When there is a change of control to the company the CEO gets 3 times salary & bonus and the other execs get 2 times - sounds like a great plan to me.

Bluedevil84 wrote:

Appears that the public bondholders are nervous about the poor performance of the company. Look for a merger or company sale to take place and we can all watch as the CEO and his team float away on their golden parachutes!

sludgemonkey wrote:

The real issue appears to be marginal performance.

Appleton has hired Jim Tyrone as senior vice president- Thermal Paper

APPLETON — Appleton has hired Jim Tyrone as senior vice president. He will be responsible for Appleton's thermal paper business unit and have oversight of paper manufacturing operations. Tyrone has 28 years of management experience. He most recently served as senior vice president of sales and marketing for NewPage Corp. Tyrone served in the same capacity with MeadWestvaco Corp. before its spinoff of NewPage. Tyrone earned a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University and a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering from the University of Virginia.

Lloyd Swaim

Lloyd Swaim, 96, Neenah, died with his loving wife by his side, Wednesday, February 17, 2010, at Vallhaven Care Center, Neenah. He was born November 15, 1913, in Tangier, Indiana, son of Jacob and Anna (English) Swaim. Lloyd married Evelyn A. Govert June 14, 1941, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Griffith, Indiana. Mr. Swaim was a member of St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, Neenah. He was an instructor and taught at Indiana University and Purdue University at Indianapolis. Lloyd was employed as senior vice president at Appleton Papers and also served on their board of directors until his retirement. After retirement, Lloyd owned Management Consultants for 16 years, finally retiring at the age of 82. Lloyd was involved and a former member of the following: Society for Advancement of Management, serving as chapter president; Work Factor Association, Midwest Director; American Institute of Industrial Engineers, serving as former director; Appleton Chamber of Commerce Project Division Vice Chair; TAPPI Association, serving as former chapter president; Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry; Institute of Paper Chemistry; Appleton Chamber of Commerce recipient as one of the 50 top industrialists of the Fox Valley. Lloyd was also a former member of Buttes Des Morts Country Club and Ridgeway Country Club.
Lloyd is survived by his wife, Evelyn; his children: Lloyd (Hermine) Swaim, Davie, FL; Robert (Karen) Swaim, Neenah; MaryAnn (Dr. G. Paul) DeRosa, Durham, N.C.; Thomas (Linda) Swaim, Neenah; 9 grandchildren: Bryan Swaim, Los Angeles, CA; Cpt. Brett (Kimberly) Swaim, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Bart (Angela) Swaim, Neenah; Peggy (Stephen) Stair, Mason, OH; Kathleen (Paul) Lytle, Ft. Wayne, IN; Julie (Scott) Wasoski, Miamisburg, OH; Karen (Jason) Johnson, Toledo, OH; James (Molli) DeRosa, Lexington, S.C.; Crystal (John) Vodopija, Neenah; 18 great-grandchildren; a brother-in-law, Lester (Mercedes) Govert, Apple River, IL; 3 sisters-in-law: Lorraine Herod, Griffith, IN; Patricia (Paul) Searle, Lowell, IN; Gloria Govert, Griffith, IN; nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Lorene (Frank) Gray; brothers- and sisters-in-law. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, February 20, 2010, at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 620 Division St., Neenah, with Fr. Mike Ingold officiating. Interment will be in St. Margaret Cemetery, Neenah. Visitation will be from 9 a.m. Saturday at the church until the time of the mass. In lieu of flowers a memorial has been established in Lloyd's name for the St. Margaret Mary Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Lloyd Swaim, 96, Neenah, died Wednesday

Lloyd Swaim, 96, Neenah, died Wednesday. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Kessler Funeral Home

& Cremation Services

Neenah 920-722-6464

www.kesslerfh.com