Q&A with Domtar’s Lewis Fix
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Lewis Fix is Vice President of Brand Management and Sustainable Product Development for Domtar, the first major paper manufacturer in North America to provide FSC-certified paper originating from certified forests through the mills and distribution networks – the chain-of-custody (CoC) – to the retailer and consumer. More than 40 different locations in Domtar’s supply chain are FSC-certified, as are 14 of its 15 pulp and paper mills, and more than 15 million acres of the forests from which the company sources its fiber. As a participant of WWF’s Global Forest and Trade Network, Domtar has committed to responsible purchasing of forest products and the credible forest certification of its suppliers. In his eight years with Domtar, Lewis has helped orchestrate many of the company’s moves toward FSC, from launching Domtar’s EarthChoice line of FSC-paper to occupying his current “environmental space” in sustainable product development. We caught up with Lewis, who has been called “a true believer” by some of his FSC colleagues, at his office in Addison, Illinois. Hometown:
St. Petersburg, Florida Did you grow up feeling some special bond to forests or the outdoors?
My first “forestry” experience came when my dad had me remove schefflera trees around our house foundation. Does that count? Also, some of my best childhood memories are of my family camping in Wisconsin and in Florida. How did you get into the paper business?
I started in printing. My dad was a printer for CI/OPS [counter-intelligence] in the Korean War. I grew up working summers at a commercial printer with my uncle and cousins. After college, I went to Atlanta and worked for Georgia-Pacific in customer service. What triggered Domtar’s commitment to FSC in 2003?
The fact that forest products are traded internationally – and that carries with it a lot risk. FSC was the only international and truly third-party certification system at the time. Those two factors were extremely important to our CEO – plus the fact that FSC brought along with it the support of leading environmental organizations. There is actually a great case study by Graeme Auld [Yale University] about Domtar’s decision to go in that direction. In what sectors do you see the strongest demand for FSC?
Fine paper, including copy paper. It’s starting to grow among global 100 brands and large financial institutions. What major changes you have seen in the paper industry in recent years?
The issue of traceability – tracing a product back to its forest of origin – is far better understood now than it was four years ago. Brand risk and how something like paper can affect that is also much better understood. Where FSC plays a part: when you see the FSC logo, we can tell you traceability is in place here. How does certification rank in terms of what your customers are looking for?
Certification doesn’t trump quality, price and service, but what it does do is help you with the jump balls. Where certification comes in and where we’ve been able to differentiate ourselves is by offering certified products across a pretty wide bandwidth of markets and functions, and priced competitively. What is Domtar's greatest challenge as it moves to grow its FSC offerings?
It’s still going to be supply. We feel the demand is there. But the bulk of our manufacturing base is in the U.S. now, and helping bring about more certified supply in the U.S. is a challenge. We’d like to see what happened in Wisconsin [2 million privately owned acres covered by a large FSC group certificate] replicated around our mills in the South. Do you think U.S. consumer awareness of FSC is important?
Absolutely. Business-to-business awareness can drive consumer awareness, but it’s not going to get a lot of traction across the board unless you get to consumers directly. What’s the most fun you’ve had while at Domtar?
The Gary Burden album cover tour was a lot of fun. We’d go into these really cool venues like the Bowery Ballroom in New York, and invite designers and end users and printers, and there’d be rock & roll music and Gary Burden would be there with his album-cover retrospective book printed on Domtar FSC-certified paper. What’s been the most rewarding?
The relationships I’ve built personally with folks at Rainforest Alliance and WWF, and also getting to know so many people within Domtar, from the forestry group to the mills and operations employees. Also, knowing that I can help companies understand and better manage their impacts on the forests. You went to the 2008 FSC General Assembly in South Africa. What made the strongest impression?
The moderator was phenomenal; getting 1,000-some people to vote with speed and efficiency was a Herculean task. The best experience was when we broke into chambers and went through the motions. The back-and-forth negotiation, and watching people like Richard Donovan [of Rainforest Alliance’s SmartWood] and Bruce Cabarle [WWF] – those who really know the system and who could anticipate the asks from the other chambers – it was fascinating to watch and absorb.
Last book read:
The Shack, by William P. Young
Greatest achievement:
Being married for 11 years and having two kids. As much as sustainability is a journey, so is marriage.
Best work-related field trip:
The Spanish Forest, an FSC-certified forest in Ontario’s southern boreal. I liked seeing the pride and intensity with which people do their jobs, such as the gentleman in his feller-buncher who had a laminated card showing the different types of birds and animals to look out for. We asked him on one occasion, “What are you going to do with that tree behind you?” and he said, “That’s a nice one. I’ll leave it for the birds.” I’d love to take my family up into Canada to see the Spanish Forest.
Have you had any close encounters with wildlife while in an FSC forest?
Richard Donovan chasing snakes in the Windsor forest in Quebec, and another time, black bear. I’d like to see caribou or moose. Can one find FSC items around your house?
Besides the paper on my desk, our floorboards. We’re renovating. Next it will be FSC doors and windows.
Who do you most admire?
Douglas Band — my best friend and former classmate at the University of Florida. He is the most loyal, hardworking, tenacious and understanding person I know. I admire him because often it's the people at the "front" who get so much of the admiration and recognition, but very often it’s the people standing behind or beside them that help make it all happen. That's Doug. Also in this newsletter  More Than 100 Million Acres of Forest in the United States and Canada Now Managed to Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Standards
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