WASHINGTON, DC and ALEXANDRIA, VA papiNet NA, the new group coordinating the involvement of North American pulp, paper and paperboard producers and customers in the papiNet international e-business standards effort, announced the selection of its chairs following its first steering committee meeting. Dan O'Brien, Senior Vice President, Paper Operations, Quebecor World was elected Chairman and John Balboni, Vice President of E-Business, International Paper Company was elected Vice Chairman. "This is the first international effort that involves the entire industry - manufacturers, printers and customers - working together toward improving supply chain transparency," said O'Brien. "Unlike previous models the papiNet initiative represents a true grassroots industrial approach to increasing productivity that can benefit all participants." "I look forward to this opportunity for the North American industry to be represented in the international effort to develop one set of e-business standards for the industry and its supply chains," said Balboni." Both paper producers and customers, including printers, publishers and cataloguers, were present at the inaugural papiNet NA Steering Committee on May 15, 2001 in Alexandria, Virginia. At that meeting the Steering Committee approved a governance structure for reaching out and involving companies across the supply chain and trade associations in North America. Also, representatives were selected to attend the first meeting of the international papiNet Executive Committee involving papiNet NA and the European Paper Consortium to be held in June. Outreach to North American companies and trade associations is underway. The list of companies committed to papiNet NA includes: Bowater, International Paper, Lands' End, Mead, Quebecor World, Time Inc., Perry Judd's, Smurfit-Stone Container, Stora Enso NA, and Weyerhaeuser.