July 2008
By Mark Rushton, Editor, PPI magazine, Graeme Rodden, Editor, Pulp & Paper magazine, Annie Zhu, Features Editor, PPI magazine, Felicia Willis, Associate Editor, Pulp & Paper magazine and Rhiannon James-Van Beuningen, Senior Vice President, Media Products, RISI
1. Cai Lun
The number one spot must be reserved for Cai Lun, or Ts’ai Lun, the Chinese court eunuch who in 105AD invented the stuff that every day we write on, write about, talk about and who some of us even make. In a very recent title, The Observer Book of Invention, Lun was given the first and foremost page in the book, under the title of “Fathers of Invention: great figures who shaped our world.” One quote from the entry said: “This invention set China on a path that would make it the world’s scientific and technological superpower for more than a millennium. Whereas before the only writing medium had been costly silk or heavy bamboo, the cheap, lightweight paper invented by Lun, allowed the civilization to flourish”. What a man!
2. Johannes Gutenberg
At number two on the list of deceased greats is Johannes Gensfleisch zum Gutenberg, inventor of movable type and therefore the father of the mass produced printed word. This invention was one of the foundation stones of modern civilization as we know it, movable type allowed education, learning and methods of advancement to be communicated at a totally new level never before experienced. This is why the great man was voted as “Man of the Millennium” by American journalists in the book, “1000 Years 1000 People” published at the turn of the millennium. The invention, of course, also transformed papermaking into the mighty colossus it is today.
3. The Fourdriniers
The first machine to produce a machine for making continuous paper of any dimension at greatly increased speeds was patented in France in 1799 by Louis Robert and later perfected in England by Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier in 1807. This machine is considered one of the most splendid inventions of the age. With further improvements over the years, it is still in use today.
4. Jaakko Pöyry
Dr Jaakko Pöyry founded Pöyry in 1958 to handle the engineering work for a major pulp mill project in Finland. The company soon won several major engineering contracts for European pulp and paper clients, marking the beginning of a notable growth period.
In the early 1970s the company became one of the largest independent consulting engineering organizations in the world serving the forest-based industries. Under the leadership of Dr Pöyry, the group acquired a thorough knowledge of every aspect of the pulp, paper and other forest products industries worldwide.
5. Leo Allo
Leo Allo, Metso Paper's former senior vice president responsible for communications, was a legend in helping and supporting the press in the paper and pulp industry for 20 years and was instrumental in getting the message across the to the world about the prowess of the Finnish engineering and papermaking fraternity. He passed away late last year at his home city of Helsinki in Finland.
An experienced journalist and communicator, in 1987 Leo joined Valmet Paper Machinery, taking responsibility for marketing and communications at the newly established company. He continued to work for Valmet and its successor company, Metso Paper.
Leo introduced the week long “Metso Press Survivors Tour” in Sweden and Finland, which is every paper industry journalist’s rite of passage. In more recent years he focused particularly on press relations. He was a highly esteemed professional and due to his friendly, open personality, many work relations developed into life-long personal friendships. “For Metso Paper's relations with the global pulp and paper press we have Leo to thank” says the company.
Leo was a great believer in the importance of an independent trade press. He appreciated the value of good, unbiased editorial and furnished journalists with the information necessary to tell the story clearly and well.
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