The US-based tissue manufacturer Soundview Paper Company announces that George Wurtz is retiring from his position as President and CEO of the Elmwood Park, New Jersey-based towel and tissue product manufacturer, effective September 23, 2014. Mr. Wurtz will continue to be engaged with Soundview as its Chairman and as a significant investor. He will be succeeded as President by Karl Meyers, who has served as Chief Operating Officer of Soundview’s Away-From-Home Division for the past year and brings decades of experience in the pulp and paper industry to the position. Meyers and Wurtz were two of the original industry leaders who started Soundview.
“Soundview Paper was established in 2012 to recapture the greatness of a family-owned business and transform an eighty-year old company into a leading, 21st century manufacturer,” Mr. Wurtz said. “We believed then that a united and safe workforce delivering high-quality products and superior customer service at a competitive price would drive that transformation and it has. I am extremely proud of how our team has positioned the company for growth and success in the years to come and have the utmost confidence in Karl’s ability to lead this business in its next successful chapter.”
Mr. Wurtz further indicated that Mr. Meyers has decades of hands-on experience and leadership in the Consumer Products Tissue Market of North America. His capabilities make him uniquely qualified to build upon Soundview’s recent success. Under Wurtz’s leadership, Soundview increased its sales of converted product by successfully revitalizing the Marcal Brand, penetrating new channels of distribution, improving product quality and through the acquisition of Vermont based Putney Paper entered the Away From Home business with a complete product portfolio.
Tim Fazio, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Atlas Holdings LLC, which owns Soundview Paper, said, “George Wurtz partnered with us to found Soundview Paper and immediately spearheaded the successful turnaround of a vital consumer products business. From ensuring strong labor-management relations to developing an exciting array of products to meet our customers’ needs, George honored the legacy of the Marcal name at every turn and set us on the right course for the future. We thank George for his contributions as President and CEO and look forward to his continued service as a member of the Soundview Board of Directors.”
