21 February 2024

Highlighting the stories of PaperOne™ partners, this series interviews our business network to gain insights into their partnership with APRIL Group, as well as their take on the future of the paper and pulp industry.

A Holistic Approach

Consisting of over 900 employees across 30 countries, CellMark Inc. leverages its unique global advantage in exercising greater responsibility to local communities and governance. In our February issue, Mr Shane Cassidy, Vice President of Sales, Packaging & Paper, shares more about the company’s commitment to transparency, along with his thoughts on how to stay ahead of the curve in the pulp and paper industry.

Good day, Mr Cassidy, could you give us some background on CellMark?

Certainly. We are a privately-owned independent company offering marketing and distributions, supply chain efficiency, and logistics solutions to our clients and suppliers across the globe. We also represent a full spectrum of publishing paper, office and book paper, containerboard, linerboard, value-added bleached and unbleached kraft paper, tissue paper, packaging paper, and specialty packaging including food packaging boards.

How long have you been working here?

18 years.

Amazing! What do you enjoy most about your work?

Aside from the people I really enjoy working with within CellMark, I also appreciate our diverse customer portfolio. We have markets on five continents across 70 sales offices worldwide. Travelling to different countries and US states allows me to meet new people, experience new cultures, and try new cuisines. My role requires me to manage PaperOne sales in the North American market within CellMark’s global network. So it’s been eye-opening discovering more about what goes on behind the scenes at PaperOne.

We’re proud to be partners with CellMark for 8 years and counting…

Yes, it’s been a great partnership. From the moment we met Pow Kin Hwa, Country Manager, in New York City, we were extremely impressed with the quality, service, and professionalism PaperOne brought to our supply chain portfolio. Our business has grown tremendously since that day, thanks to PaperOne’s loyalty and support for our market.

What PaperOne products do you sell?

CellMark represents PaperOne’s cut-size paper in some regional markets in Latin America. In North America, the focus is on web rolls, and even though we do have monthly clients using PaperOne Inkjet and Offset paper, we hope to further this growth in 2024.

Are there any memorable moments in your partnership with PaperOne?

The first instance was in Florida—being a part of the journey qualifying PaperOne Inkjet to run on Canon Inkjet printers was a landmark occasion. Effective January 2024, we also successfully qualified PaperOne Inkjet to run on Kodak equipment in the US. Both of these qualification milestones will open up doors for the product line.

How has being a PaperOne partner benefitted your business?

The PaperOne brand is always growing and evolving, offering stability in a market where stability is hard to find. Unfortunately, conversions and closures have become a common theme in our industry, so to have PaperOne as a long-term sustainable choice today, tomorrow, and for the distant future has allowed CellMark to provide our clients with a steadfast assurance and reliable comfort of the PaperOne brand.

Adding on to that, we believe CellMark sets itself apart in the industry from the way we conduct our services and business activities. Like PaperOne, we are committed to a high degree of integrity and awareness of our surroundings—the impacts on society and the environment. This includes social rights, employee wellbeing, respecting the corporate governance and internal controls of local communities, and ensuring complete transparency with our supply partners and customers.

Last but not least, what do you see in the future of the paper and pulp industry?

The only way for us to stay ahead in this industry is to continuously provide quality products that work for our customers. Commercial printing, for example, has come a long way in a short period of time with the advancement of printing technologies. As mentioned before, we obtained a sought-after qualification to run Canon and Kodak equipment specific to PaperOne Inkjet specifications. So, the point is to constantly evolve according to customer needs, while offering high-quality service and products.

Thank you for agreeing to this interview, Mr Cassidy. We’ve learnt so much from the success of CellMark, and we look forward to many more years of working closely together!