Kelly H. ferguson
is Editor Pulp & Paper

Et tu, K-C?

In preparation for P&P's report on the Top 50 North American paper companies, our managing editor, Brandee Jarski, called the Top 10 companies seeking photos of their CEOs and company logos. Due to space limitations we weren't able to use those, but what I couldn't resist using was a quote from the corporate media relations person at No. 2-ranked Kimberly-Clark. Her comment, to paraphrase, was that Kimberly-Clark doesn't consider itself a paper company and doesn't wish to be categorized in that way.

So it's come to this. First it was the group that no longer wanted wastepaper to be called wastepaper but for all of us to use the term recovered fiber. Now, it seems there are firms that don't want the stigma of the "paper company" label.

A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME.... Okay, Kimberly-Clark may have some legitimate claim on being a "non-paper company" since they are highly focused on personal care products to a primarily consumer market. And they have some of the biggest brand names around: Kleenex, Scott, Depends, Huggies, etc.

On the flip side, however, Kimberly-Clark operates more than 150 paper machines producing about 1.7 million tons of capacity in North America. The company also calls itself the world's largest tissue producer. Alright, you can make the case that tissue isn't paper, but if it's made of cellulose and is formed, pressed, and dried, we at Pulp & You Know What typically call it the "p" word.

There's also this bit of interesting commentary from K-C's website. Under a category called "Additional Businesses" it says, "We apply our expertise in fibers, nonwovens and absorbency to leading products that you may not immediately recognize as coming from Kimberly-Clark. Our Neenah Paper Sector produces premium writing, text and cover papers. We also make specialized papers for technical, commercial and industrial applications and newsprint for many leading newspapers in the United States."

Just a note about that last line. K-C, which started out in 1872 as a producer of rag content newsprint in Neenah, Wis., stopped making "newsprint for many leading newspapers in the United States" when it sold its Coosa Pines, Ala., mill in 1997.

So why, with all these tissue/paper manufacturing assets, does K-C not want to be categorized as a "paper company?" Could it have something to do with Wall Street's current dislike of this sector? Is it that the company-like it's direct competitor, Procter & Gamble-wants to be more of a consumer giant rather than No. 2 on our paper company list? Or is the label just something that those corporate marketing people have said, "we need to get away from."

But not to be too harsh on K-C, other companies are following a in the same vein. If Georgia-Pacific maintains its current efforts, it could be making a similar claim of "non-paper" status in a few years. And some paperboard producers are now trying to re-direct themselves as "packaging companies." It would be interesting to see how the stock price of one of these companies is affected if the Wall Street Journal broke the story, "ABC Paper re-terms itself as cellulosic engineering and distribution company."

Sadly, until it becomes hip again to be a paper company (Or was it ever hip to be a paper company?), our Top 50 list may dwindle not because of consolidation but because no one wants to be stuck with the label. Now, if people would just stop calling us a "trade" magazine.

A quick note on this month's elections. When Bill Clinton campaigned in 1992 for the youth vote by appearing on MTV, he was asked the question, "Boxers or briefs?", possibly giving some insight into his presidency. Appearing on MTV in September, a different this-or-that question was posed to Al Gore: "Paper or plastic?" The consummate politician, Gore chose not to choose by mumbling something to the effect that he usually carried his groceries home in his arms. Pity the poor Secret Service personnel who have to help when he goes on a major shopping trip and they have neither paper nor plastic.