Paul is the CEO of Nanaimo Forest Products Ltd’s located in Nanaimo, BC. Paul, along with key members of mill management, union representation, and several BC based business partners purchased the 385,000 tonne per year Harmac NBSK pulp operation in 2008. The mill was part of a court approved asset sale following Pope and Talbot’s bankruptcy. Under a unique ownership structure which includes financial participation by the employees, Paul is responsible for all aspects of running the company with 340 employees and gross annual sales of approximately $400 million. The company is trade-exposed/export-based with 95% of sales occurring in China, Japan and South Korea. In 2014 the company started up a second business – Power Generation – under a long-term contract with BC Hydro. The company continues to aggressively pursue new business opportunities, most recently in a wholesale propane terminal facility and industrial park development in the Duke Point industrial area.
Over the many years of working in the pulp industry, Paul has served on a wide variety of committees, associations, non-profit organizations and boards. Most recently Paul was the co-chair of the BC Pulp and Paper Coalition.
Paul was born in Quebec City and received his Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Paul began his working career at MacMillan Bloedel’s Harmac Division in 1981. Since then he has been promoted through many areas of the operation, and under the previous ownership rose to General Manager in 2001.
Paul and his wife live in Nanaimo where both enjoy outdoor pursuits Vancouver Island is famous for. They have two adult daughters, one of which is an engineer working in Whitehorse YT and the other an RN and soon-to-be-dentist in Durango, CO, USA.