TAPPI Podcast Network

Hosted by Jan Bottiglieri

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

The TAPPI Podcast Network offers engaging conversations with the most innovative leaders in the packaging, pulp, paper, tissue and converting industries through wide-ranging interviews on current topics relevant to listeners at every stage of their careers.

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44 recent

August 10, 202635 min

Better Together: 2026 TAPPICon Live! - Episode 2

We're excited to bring listeners this second of two special episodes recorded at TAPPICon 2026, April 26-29 in Columbus, OH. We had a great turnout for TAPPICon 2026 and the new program format made it easy for people to engage, learn, and grow. TAPPICon’s multi-track program is planned and executed by real working papermakers, and 2026 brought Mill Monday, Technical Tuesday, and Workshop Wednesday to the forefront. As TAPPI's official event podcast, Better Together is happy to bring you the opportunity to experience a taste of what makes TAPPICon special. We've assembled three interviews recorded with attendees at the event. Our guests for this episode are: Wayne Reinhart Jr., technical solutions manager at SPM : "Bring me your issues and we're going to help you find a solution. And it could be anything from changing your process to certain types of equipment to help you monitor that equipment." John Watkins , product sales manager for Andritz Inc .: "There is a tremendous opportunity to invest in automation and digitalization solutions because if we don't, the BRIC countries are doing it and we are going to fall behind. We have to adapt." Kurt Mehlberg , quality solutions manager, Domtar : "Continuously reducing risk, continuously challenging what we're doing, (using) a fresh sets of eyes or new tools like AI, that all makes us better. We've got to be able to listen and leverage that knowledge." YOU can get in on the conversation! Mark your calendars for April 24 – 28, 2027, and join us in Indianapolis, IN, for TAPPICon 2027. We hope this podcast captured some of the excitement of TAPPICon but to really get it, you need to be there. Thanks to our amazing guests for sharing their knowledge and stories. Be sure to check out our first TAPPICon 2026 episode as well, where we meet three more of our TAPPICon attendees.

July 30, 2026Episode 4044 min

Better Together: 2026 TAPPICon Live! - Episode 1

We're excited to bring listeners this first of two special episodes recorded at TAPPICon 2026, April 26-29 in Columbus, OH. We had a great turnout for TAPPICon 2026 and the new program format made it easy for people to engage, learn, and grow. TAPPICon’s multi-track program is planned and executed by real working papermakers, and 2026 brought Mill Monday, Technical Tuesday, and Workshop Wednesday to the forefront. As TAPPI's official event podcast, Better Together is happy to bring you the opportunity to experience a taste of what makes TAPPICon special. We've assembled three interviews recorded with attendees at the event. Our guests for this episode are: Brian Mock , owner and president of Event Capture Systems : "International Paper came to us and said, 'We need you to help us develop a camera-based safety system to add an additional layer of safety'... and it's been transformative." Joe Braun, division president, process industries and Wilson Monteiro, global business line manager, Pulp, Paper & Fiber , ABB : "Reliability comes from the design of the plant, then the way that you are managing your asset, then (from) how you are operating your plant. If you have a stable operation, you have a direct impact on reliability." Abigail Hickman , third year dual major in ChemE/PSE at NC State University : "The opportunities are endless and industry professionals I meet... are really excited to see where I go with this." YOU can get in on the conversation! Mark your calendars for April 24 – 28, 2027, and join us in Indianapolis, IN, for TAPPICon 2027. We hope this podcast captured some of the excitement of TAPPICon but to really get it, you need to be there. Thanks to our amazing guests for sharing their knowledge and stories. Be sure to check out our second TAPPICon 2026 Episode as well, where we meet three more of our TAPPICon attendees.

June 2, 2026Episode 328 min

Uptime: Dr. Selene Silvestri

' Minutes, Not Days': Dr. Selene Silvestri on AI Tools for Supply Chain Decision-Making "Driving the Future of Global Supply Chain Integration" —that's the motto that greets visitors to the website of MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics in Cambridge, MA. Through research, education, and stakeholder engagement, MIT CTL doesn't merely study supply chains—they advance what’s possible and turn insight into action. Our guest for this episode is Dr. Selene Silvestri , a research scientist at the MIT CTL in the Intelligent Logistics Systems Lab. Silvestri's current research addresses supply chain network design and optimization, to help companies improve decision-making in their supply chain. In Paper360° 's May/June issue, readers learn about one of the Lab's most exciting new projects: the GENESIS platform, developed in partnership with Mecalux, a warehouse technology and intralogistics software enterprise. Silvestri discusses GENESIS and much more in this engaging episode of UpTime. "What GENESIS allows you to do is solve scenarios in minutes," she tells listeners. "And if you can solve scenarios in minutes, you do not only solve those that you want to validate. You solve scenarios that you want to explore, right?" Stay tuned until the Lightning Round, when co-host Mark Rushton asks Dr. Silverstri about the biggest changes she has seen in the packaging industry over the last 10 years. Learn more about MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics and its many specialized labs—including the Computational Analytics, Visualization & Education ( CAVE ) Lab that Dr. Silvestri references in this conversation. Discover Workforce & Leadership Development opportunities that can help your mill or plant build, upskill, and advance your supply chain employees and teams. Access more resources through the TAPPI OnDemand platform: Paper360° Archives , including the complete May/June 2026 issue. UpTime episode featuring Wesco's Jefferson Smith and Matt Lasnicki on navigating supply chain challenges. Mark Rushton's article Saica in Spain: A Walk Into the Future of Mill Logistics .

May 21, 2026Episode 229 min

Uptime: Matt and Jefferson, WESCO

Crib Crawls and Curve Balls: Wesco's Jefferson Smith and Matt Lasnicki on Supply Chain Challenges From aging infrastructures to multi-company mergers, Wesco's Jefferson Smith and Matt Lasnicki have helped their pulp and paper industry customers through a variety of supply chain challenges. As Smith shares in his Paper360° article, Operations Depend on Equipment Supply Chains , it's an area mills ignore at their peril: One delayed part can rack up millions of dollars in downtime losses. In this episode of Uptime, Jeff and Matt, along with co-hosts Mark Rushton and Jan Bottiglieri, discuss the current reality for supply chain management—and some strategies for dealing with a world that's increasingly disruptive. "It all compounds," says Lasnicki. " The cost to operate (mills and converting facilities) keeps going up and if they don't find ways to drive efficiency, it's going to be a much bigger challenge for them in the future." Stick around for the Uptime Lightning Round, when we ask Matt and Jeff about the most exciting things they see ahead for supply chain management in paper and packaging. Thanks for listening! Access additional articles and case studies about effective supply chain management through Wesco's Knowledge Hub . Review Wesco's products and services for pulp and paper industry customers. Access more resources through the TAPPI OnDemand platform: Paper360° Archives of searchable articles Search a variety of other industry topics, including Market Trends

April 23, 2026Episode 129 min

UpTime: Bodo Kottwitz on Tissue Markets Today

Still Looking for Balance: Bodo Kottwitz on Tissue Markets Today As a tissue industry consultant, Bodo Kottwitz is more than just the CEO of BKay Tissue Advice ; he's something of an industry rock star. Bodo has a long career in pulp and paper and frequently speaks about the tissue industry and its markets at conferences and events around the globe. In this episode of UpTime, co-hosts Mark Rushton and Jan Bottiglieri chat with Bodo about how he sees the modern tissue industry—including supply chain challenges, energy costs, and true sustainability. When it comes to tissue markets, "uncertainty is more or less the headline all over the world," Bodo tells us. Stick around for the UpTime Lightning Round, when Bodo tells us his biggest challenge—and his biggest regret—in his industry journey. Thanks for listening! Click to watch the "Emma" Sofidel toilet tissue ad mentioned in our chat. Learn how to grow your career by becoming involved with TAPPI's Tissue Division . Access more resources through the TAPPI OnDemand platform: Bodo's Fall/Winter 2025 Tissue360° feature, Uncertainty Dominates Tissue Markets Mark Rushton's Fall/Winter 2025 Tissue 360° interview with Luigi Lazzareschi, Sofidel View the Tissue360° archive , including the Spring/Summer 2026 issue.

March 13, 2026Episode 3934 min

Better Together: 2026 Student Summit

This episode was recorded on-site at TAPPI's 2026 Student Summit in Birmingham, AL. More than 200 students, plus scores of other attendees, enjoyed panel discussions, a Career Fair, an Engineering Challenge, and so much more. Pulp and paper engineering students came from more than15 leading paper, packaging, engineering, and technical programs to participate in a program focused on "Charting Tomorrow." We asked students to "take the mic" to let listeners know what matters to them. As always, they responded with humor, candor, and their own unique insights. This episode includes student commentary from five TAPPI Student Chapter schools: Georgia Institute of Technology Western Michigan University Auburn University University of Wisconsin Stevens Point North Carolina State University Useful links: How to Craft Tissue Paper Truffula Trees Latest edition of Handbook For Pulp and Paper Technologists (The SMOOK Book) TAPPI-sponsored Scholarships for Industry Students I'm sure you'll enjoy our student hosts for this energetic episode of Better Together ! Don't forget to share this episode to spread the word about opportunities in pulp and paper—and subscribe to TAPPI's Better Together podcast channel so you won'tmiss future episodes of Better Together: TAPPI's Live Event Podcast and Uptime: A Paper and Packaging Podcast . Thanks for listening!

December 26, 2025Episode 3844 min

Better Together: 2025 CorrExpo

At CorrExpo 2025 in Savannah, GA, more than 1000 industry pros gathered to "Explore What’s Possible and Build What’s Next." This recorded-on-site episode of Better Together includes three engaging mini-interviews that capture some of the engagement and excitement of being there in person. CorrExpo 2025 featured an active exhibit floor, memorable networking events, and an expert-led technical program. In this episode, we'll be speaking with: · Carl Mazzanti, Co-Founder and President of eMazzanti Technologies. Carl and Jan discuss some of the amazing benefits AI can offer box makers · Christine Little, director of sales/Corrugated Machinery Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Learn how innovative machines can help our industry manage workforce challenges. · Jeff Buchanan, Director of Sales and Market Development, and Stephanie Falcone, Process Engineer, HarperLove. Jeff and Stephanie tell Jan about an intern program that's making a difference for young engineers. Click to read more about CorrExpo 2025 in Savannah—including CorrExpo LIVE! videos, event photos, Sponsor Showcase videos, and more. SAVE THE DATE for TAPPI/AICC's Corrugated Week, September 28-30, 2026 in Fort Worth, TX. Sign up for updates so you won't miss this exciting event. BIG NEWS: TAPPI is launching a NEW podcast series called Uptime! A Paper and Packaging Podcast , hosted by Jan Bottiglieri and Mark Rushton, editor of TAPPI's Tissue360° magazine. Uptime! will bring listeners 30-minute interviews with industry leaders and innovators that feature lively questions, thoughtful insights, and even a fun "lightning round" to keep guests on their toes. Better Together subscribers will automatically receive new Uptime! episodes so if you are not already subscribed, please do so—then share with colleagues, clients, and industry friends.

July 3, 2025Episode 3638 min

Better Together: 2025 TAPPICon Live! - Episode 1

We're excited to bring listeners this first of two special episodes recorded at TAPPICon 2025 in Minneapolis, MN, May 4 - 7. We had a great turnout for TAPPICon 2025 and there was more than enough positive energy to go around. TAPPICon’s multi-track program is planned and executed by real working papermakers, and it shows – always a high level of learning and engagement, people meeting new friends and solving problems together. Here is YOUR change to experience some of that energy! We've assembled three interviews recorded with attendees at the event. Our eclectic group of guests for this episode includes: Frank Mignano —Manager, condition monitoring and Industry 4.0 solutions, Schaeffler Group : "This kind of technology and toolsets are the things that entice and encourage the younger folks to get involved in the paper industry." Robert Bustin— Business development manager at Radix Engineering : "We are taking data at mills and making it more valuable, useful, and available." Thierry LeBlanc — Software and EHS Expert at CONFORMiT : "AI is going to continue to evolve—it's going to be much more integrated into everything we do." If you've never been to TAPPICon, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars for April 22 – 26, 2026, and plan to join us in Atlanta, GA, for TAPPICon 2026. We hope this podcast captured some of the excitement but to really get it, you need to be there. Thanks to these three professionals for sharing their knowledge and stories. Be sure to check out our second TAPPICon 2025 Episode as well, where we meet three more of our TAPPICon attendees.

July 3, 2025Episode 3745 min

Better Together: 2025 TAPPICon Live! - Episode 2

We're excited to bring listeners our second of two episodes recorded at TAPPICon 2025 in Minneapolis, MN, May 4 - 7. TAPPICon 2025 was a huge success, with strong attendance and a revised multi-track program that let attendees plan exactly the experience they needed. As always, there was a high level of learning and engagement, people meeting new friends and solving problems together. To try to capture some of that energy, I set up my podcast table right off the exhibit floor and talked to folks from throughout the industry. Our three guests for this episode include: Priya Venkat —Co-founder and COO of Haber : "There is so much pressure in terms of costs, maintaining a workforce, achieving net zero—the only way our industry can get there is by leveraging AI." Rich Ermlick —Principal at Boring Excellence : "If you find yourself doing the same improvement projects every three to five years, you're not improving. That indicates there is not an underlying system." Curtis Stone —Application engineer, Pulp & Paper, at Schaeffler Group : "Bearings in a paper machine are one of the most highly engineered pieces of equipment... there is no one silver bullet." Thanks to our three guests for sharing their perspectives with Better Together listeners. Be sure to check out our first TAPPICon 2025 Episode as well, where we meet three more of our TAPPICon attendees. I hope we were able to capture some of the excitement of a live event – but to really get it, you need to be there in person. So if you were not able to make it to Minneapolis this year, we hope to see you in Atlanta for TAPPICon 2026 – put it on your calendars, April 22 – 26, 2026.

April 2, 2025Episode 3442 min

Better Together: Live @ 2025 Student Summit - Ep. 1 "Papermaking is a Miracle"

This episode was recorded on-site at TAPPI's 2025 Student Summit in St. Petersburg, FL. More than 300 attendees—including pulp and paper engineering students from 13 different universities—enjoyed panel discussions, a Career Fair, and Engineering Challenge, and so much more. We asked students to "take the mic" to host their own interviews and share their unique voices. First up, Western Michigan University students Parker Langellier and Toby Archer interview Dr. Med Byrd, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator for the Paper Science and Engineering program at North Carolina State University. "The paper process is very unique, very specific, and—let's face it—delightfully funky," Dr. Byrd tells our hosts, as they explore what makes pulp and paper such an amazing career choice. Next, veteran Student Summiteers Tanner Stogner and Michael Reuss interview first-time Summit attendees Conyers Preveaux and Gavin Knight. All four are students at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. As one student comments, " You see familiar faces all around. It's really nice that we have 300 people here and we all want the same thing: to grow our industry." This is the first of two episodes hosted by student volunteers at the 2025 Student Summit. Make sure to Subscribe to Better Together so you won't miss the next episode!