5. OPEN FORUM HANDOUT 10-20-2014

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Liberty Paper: Four Generations of Re -Use and Recycle Liberty Paper began recycling old corrugated containers into new paper for packaging in its state -of -the -art mill in 1995, but the Becker company's recycling roots go back almost a century. It was 1918 when Jack Fiterman, an immigrant from Russia, started out refurbishing burlap sacks and old wooden crates in his new home Minneapolis. Out of Jack's hard work came Liberty Carton, manufactur- er of corrugated boxes, located today in Golden Valley. Four generations of Fitermans have grown Liberty Carton into Liberty Diversified International, a privately held family of companies in the paper, packaging and promotions; furniture and organization products for the office; building and architectural products; and preci- sion machining centers industries, of which Liberty Paper, Inc. (LPI) is a key subsidiary. LPI began as a dream of Jack's son, Ben Fiterman, and grandson, Mike Fiterman (today, chairman and CEO of Liberty Diversified), to expand into papermaking. In the 1990s, minimills, which required less capital investment than traditional paper mills, created the opportunity to pursue the dream. For business and envi- ronmental reasons, the new mill would manufacture recycled, rather than virgin, paper. The city of Becker was selected as the site for LPI, according to general manager Larry Newell, for its competitive energy rates and proximity to Xcel Energy's Sherco Plant, from which it draws steam. The city's welcoming attitude and "last, but not least, the great Minnesota work ethic," also factored into the choice of location, Newell said. A state -of -the -art Valmet brand paper machine was selected after checking out options from around the world. The Fitermans nicknamed the machine "The Dream Catcher," after the decorative Native American hoop and net thought to bring good dreams. In 1997, LPI added a 60,000- square -foot heated storage area for its raw material —bales of old corrugated containers, known in the trade as OCC. Newell, an Arkansas native, has been with LPI since groundbreaking for the Becker plant in 1994. He is an accomplished and seasoned papermaker, beginning in the field right out of high school. LPI was his fourth green -field mill startup. Newell worked his way up from a superintendent position to general manager in 1999. Under his leadership, the mill has grown from manufacturing 400 tons to over 700 tons of paper per day. The themes of LPI's story, he said, are environmental stewardship, product innovation, and commitment