Haws accepts the honor on behalf of the Sappi North America team

Sappi North America is pleased to announce that President and CEO Mike Haws has been named the 2026 Executive Papermaker of the Year by PaperAge magazine. The award, which PaperAge has presented annually since 1988, recognizes paper industry executives who demonstrate exceptional vision, strategic leadership, and commitment to their company and the broader industry.

“Under the leadership of Mike Haws, Sappi North America continues to successfully build its manufacturing platform through operational efficiency, environmental stewardship, and the creation of innovative, sustainable paper-based products, while driving the culture of employee safety as a top priority,” said John O’Brien, managing editor of PaperAge. “Mike’s dedication and enthusiasm exemplify the strength of his character and leadership at Sappi North America.”

The magazine specifically cited Haws’s leadership of Project Elevate, a $500 million conversion and expansion of Paper Machine No. 2 (PM2) at Sappi’s Somerset Mill in Skowhegan, Maine. The project began in 2022 and reached a successful start-up in May 2025. PM2 now has the capacity to produce approximately 470,000 metric tons per year of high-performance SBS (solid bleached sulfate) paperboard, positioning Sappi to meet the growing demand for sustainable, fiber-based packaging.

“The true success of this project lies in our people," Haws said. "Their precision, focus, and unwavering commitment to safety enabled us to complete a complex transformation, all while keeping the mill fully operational. This award from PaperAge is really a tribute to the entire Sappi North America team. People from across our organization came together to make Project Elevate possible, backed by the full support of Sappi Limited leadership, and I'm honored to accept it on their behalf.”

A full feature on Sappi North America, including insights from Haws, will be published in the Spring 2026 issue of PaperAge magazine.

About Mike Haws

Mike Haws was named President and CEO of Sappi North America in 2019 and is responsible for leading all Sappi operations in the region. Previously he was the Vice President, Manufacturing responsible for the Somerset, Cloquet and Allentown operations as well as the Research and Development facility. Haws joined Sappi in 2012 as Managing Director of the Somerset Mill. Prior to Sappi, he held a variety of operational roles with Verso Paper, International Paper and Champion International. Haws has over 30 years of experience in the paper industry and holds a BS in Paper Science and Engineering from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

About Sappi North America, Inc.

Headquartered in Boston, MA, Sappi North America is part of a global pulp, paper, and packaging company that transforms renewable resources into sustainable alternatives to plastics and fossil fuel- based products. From cosmetics packaging and food-safe barrier papers to dissolving wood pulp used in textiles, our solutions support a circular economy worldwide. Every product is recyclable, reusable, or compostable as manufactured.

Employing approximately 2,200 people across facilities in Maine, Minnesota, and Quebec, Sappi North America combines deep manufacturing expertise with a commitment to responsible forestry. Recognized with an elite EcoVadis rating for seven consecutive years and CDP scores of A in Forests, A- in Climate Change, and B in Water Security, we back our sustainability claims with data.

Sappi North America is a subsidiary of Sappi Limited (JSE), a global company headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, with more than 12,000 employees and manufacturing operations on three continents across seven countries, and customers in over 150 countries. To learn more, visit www.sappi.com.

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