Conflict of Interest

February 15, 2024

Many of us in the industry have an agricultural background. If we go back to the 1960's, the John Deere self-propelled combine of the day was the Model 95. It had a 90 horsepower engine and could handle headers up to twenty feet wide. This combine had the capacity for about 70 bushels of grain.

Today, a John Deere Model x9100 has 630 horsepower, holds 420 bushels of grain and takes headers up to 60 feet wide. This model also has extremely sophisticated electronic controls and measuring devices. It operates on the SpaceX StarLink satellite system for precision location and machine health diagnostics services.

When we talk about paper machines built in the 1960's, we think of them as "almost new." They are as new as the old JD Model 95. Likely they have had some upgrades along the way but they are still narrow (see 20 foot header, above) and do not have the electronics of SpaceX. They certainly have more operating hours on them than any combine ever had.

And there have been some paper machines of even the 1960's shut down (Can you spell Courtland, Alabama?).

So where does your title, "Conflict of Interest" come in, Jim?

If you are working on rebuilding an old machine that is no longer competitive, you may be unknowingly exercising a conflict of interest. Whether you are an engineer or in senior management, you just may be patching up something that should be replaced. And perhaps, even, not replaced on the same site where you obsolete machinery sits now.

It has happened before and it will likely happen again. Make good business decisions, not emotional decisions. The industry is counting on it.

By the way, do you listen to Capital Arguments Agains? Available twice a month at Pulp & Paper Radio International or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

What is your opinion? Drop me a line at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com. I would like to hear from you.

And further by the way, I come to mills and talk to various departments about many subjects. To arrange my custom visit to your mill, just email me at jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com or call me at 678-206-6010.

Young Engineering Manager of the Year, call for nominations

We are looking for an individual who has done an extraordinary project, one that almost defies belief. Its extraordinary features can be schedule, technology, cost or all three. There is an age limit on the manager eligible for this award: they must be under 35 years old when they completed the project.

We have often gotten nominees that go something like this, "I nominate Joe because he has done a great job of running our engineering department for the last fifteen years." Quite frankly, we are not interested in such nominees.

However, if you know someone who has led a very exceptional project in the recent past (the last two or three years) and meets our age requirement, we want to know about it. We want to honor them and hold them up as an example for Engineering Managers in every pulp and paper mill around the world.

Just send your nomination, with as much details as you can provide, to jim.thompson@ipulpmedia.com. We will seriously consider it.

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Please write when we tickle your brain cells! Email jthompson@taii.com