Finch Paper LLC announces the appointment of Michael McLarty as Vice President of Forest Management and Wood Procurement. In this role, Mr. McLarty will oversee Finch Forest Management and its staff of professional foresters, as well as lead the wood sourcing team to secure and sustain timber sourced from local, Northeastern forests.
 
Mr. McLarty is a Registered Professional Forester from Northwestern Ontario with more than 15 years of experience in the forest industry. He was most recently the  Timberlands Manager for Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corporation, where he managed fiber procurement and forestland and the company's forest seedling nursery. Prior to moving to Nova Scotia, Mike was employed with Kimberly-Clark, Neenah Paper, and with Buchanan Forest Products, where he was responsible for forest management activities on both the Ogoki and Kenogami Forests. He is also experienced in strategic, long-term timber harvest planning, regeneration and silviculture programs.
 
Michael succeeds Roger Dziengeleski, who recently retired from Finch Paper after 33 years of service. During his tenure, Finch became a leader in sustainable forestry standards and launched the innovative Finch Forest Management division, which provides consulting forestry services to landowners across the Northeast.
 
Finch Paper President and CEO Joseph F. Raccuia said the addition of Mr. McLarty to Finch's senior leadership team will help drive the company's sustainability initiatives and further establish Finch Forest Management as an ever-growing, profitable segment of Finch Paper.
 
"Finch was the first integrated paper mill in the U.S. to receive both Forest Management and Chain-of-Custody certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council and is one of only a few paper companies with an active forestry staff. I'm happy to have Mike continue our industry leading forestry efforts," Mr. Raccuia said, adding that with its new Family Forest Owner program, Finch is again leading the way in helping small landowners meet certification standards and obtain premium market value from their wood.
 
Michael earned an Honors Bachelor of Science Degree in Forestry from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1999.