Member Spotlight

Submitted: Kathi Rowzie October 13, 2021

Headquartered in Miamisburg, Ohio, Verso Corporation (www.versoco.com) is a leading American-owned and operated producer of graphic, specialty and packaging papers and market pulp. With two paper mills in Michigan and a roll-to-sheet converting plant in Wisconsin, Verso is also the only domestically owned, integrated coated paper company in the United States.

Verso’s graphic paper products are designed primarily for commercial printing, advertising and marketing applications, including direct mail, catalogs, corporate collateral, books and magazines. The company’s specialty paper products include release liner papers and label face stock for pressure sensitive, glue-applied and laminate applications. Verso also produces packaging paper used in higher-end packaging and printing applications such as greeting cards, book covers, folders, labels and point-of-purchase displays. The company’s market pulp is used in printing and writing, specialty and packaging papers, facial and toilet tissue, and paper towels.

Verso was one of Two Sides’ original members and continues to be a strong supporter. “The paper industry and our products unfortunately are often misunderstood when it comes to sustainability,” says Verso Senior Vice President of Marketing Aaron Haas. “Two Sides does a remarkable job of educating and informing stakeholders both inside and outside the industry with credible information that tells our sustainability story in meaningful and effective ways. They also provide great materials that we use to supplement our own sustainability efforts. For example we use their “Myths and Facts” on our website and regularly post the social media content they provide.

“In addition, Two Sides is the only industry organization dedicated to directly responding to corporations, the media and other organizations to get them to eliminate or correct unsubstantiated and misleading claims about the sustainability of paper products, something that is difficult for individual companies to do on our own,” Haas says.

Verso’s commitment to sustainability is evident across its business. Its paper mills are certified to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard, and the Verso Quinnesec Mill is recognized as a Clean Corporate Citizen by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. The company strives to continuously increase its use of fiber from forests that are third-party certified to credible forest certification standards and makes products available to its customers that contain both certified and recycled fiber.

To reduce waste to landfills, Verso’s mills operate an Agricultural Land Application Program in Michigan that provides leftover biosolids from the manufacturing process to local farms and other landowners. Application of these biosolids enriches the soil with nitrogen and phosphorus, reducing the need for purchased fertilizer, a win-win for farmers and the environment.

“Of course, our people are our most valuable resource,” Haas says. “That’s why we are relentless in our efforts to make sure our team members return home from work every day in the same condition as when they arrived. We strive for continuous performance improvement in all aspects of our business, but nowhere more than in the area of safety. Keeping our people safe at work takes priority over everything else we do.”

Verso is an industry leader in safety, with a total incidence rate of 0.91 in 2020.

To learn more about the benefits of Two Sides membership, visit www.twosidesna.org/member-benefits.