Green Bay Innovation Group Foundation is a non-profit business-to-business association supporting the 5P and Converting Industries and our communities. We are projecting to donate $75,000 to other non-profits in 2025. We thank our Sponsors/Members/Exhibitors for your support. GBIG offers outstanding relationship-building, education, innovation, and networking opportunities by working together. In 2025, GBIG was involved in multiple projects that provided support for Sponsors and Exhibitors, and similar opportunities are expected to continue.
The Specialty Paper Conference was an enormous success. We had 162 people register for the event. We had a very impressive lineup of speakers and outstanding panel of Paper Manufacturing Companies. We want to thank ALL the speakers and attendees for their participation. We want to thank Fox 11 News for covering our story to help educate the industry and the State of Wisconsin on the size and impact of the 5P and Converting Industries!
SPEAKERS
David Zamarin Founder and CEO of Impermea Materials. Forbes recognized him 30 Under 30 and is also a TEDx speaker and the founder of Impermea Materials, an advanced materials company leading the way in PFAS-free, plastic-free barrier coatings for paper, packaging, and industrial substrates. David leads Impermea in delivering high-performance solutions that meet today’s toughest sustainability and regulatory demands with barrier performance and operational efficiency.
Chris Jansen – Chris is a Principal Product Development Engineer at Amcor. His focus is on the AmFibre Portfolio, specifically paper-based flexible packaging structures that are recyclable in the paper stream and are compostable.
Breanna Van Nuland Senior Product Development Engineer at Amcor Focused on AmFiber Portfolio paper-based packaging solutions. Beanna has amassed experience in both 2D and 3D fiber converting across a variety of consumer products for packaging solutions.
Paul Fowler is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology at the University of Stevens Point where he leads laboratories dedicated to composability testing, pulp, and paper research and analytical Testing. He speaks regularly addressing matters on sustainability, paper, and paper-based packaging, bio-based plastics, and recyclability.
PANEL
Mark Hunter Director of Technology and Innovation for Hoffmaster. He has over 25 years of pulp and paper experience as an Asset Manager, Production Manager, and Process Engineering Technical Director. He leads a team of thirty-two maintenance engineers.
Jay Downey – Product Manager at Sun Chemical Responsible for Adhesives and Coatings for Flexible Packaging and Converting with over 35 years of Experience.
Dean Benjamin Director of Development at Ahlstrom. Dean is focused on developing new specialty paper products for food packaging including barrier and heat seal papers, labels, release liners, and other industrial paper. He worked at Avery Dennison, Consolidated Paper, and Pixelle Specialty Papers.
Ryan Day General Manager of BPM, Inc. a Specialty Paper Company. He has held roles as Technical/Quality Control, and a Plant Manager focusing on Specialty Papers.
David Barr Director of New Product Development of BiOrgin has over 25 years’ experience in the Paper with a background in technical Manager, Operations Manager, Mill Manager in both MG, Tissue, and Secondary Fiber Development.
Brit Swisher is the Area Vice President – Northern Region at Midland Paper, Packaging, & Supplies; Midland is one of the largest independent paper and packaging distributors in North America. He has 40 years’ experience in the industries!
