COMMUNICATE
+ IMPROVE
We are
Motag North.
The Millyard Operators Technical Advancement Group, commonly known as MOTAG is a subcommittee of the Fiber Raw Materials Supply Committee in the Pulping Division of TAPPI. It was formed in April 1973 in Atlanta, Georgia. At that meeting the groundwork for the subcommittee was laid. Since then, the organization has grown to form four subcommittees known as MOTAG-South, MOTAG-North, MOTAG West and MOTAG Northeast.
The objective of the subcommittee was, and is, to provide a conduit for communications between the fiber industry, vendors, and consultants, to hear and discuss prepared presentations covering mill woodyard design and operational problems.
MOTAG North currently operates as an independent committee, but still adheres to its original bylaws and objectives.
MOTAG North is operated by its Executive Committee: President, Executive Director, and Secretary/Treasurer.
President
Todd Pecha
Production Manager, Ahlstrom-Munksjo
Mosinee, WI
Todd Pecha was voted in as MOTAG North President at the 2012 meeting and has run uncontested every year since. Pecha worked at the Mosinee Mill for 27+ years, the last 16 years as the Production Manager for the wood room and wood yard. During those 27 years the name of the Mill has changed from Mosinee Paper to Wausau – Mosinee Paper to Wausau Paper to Expera and is currently Ahlstrom-Munksjo.
He attended his first MOTAG North meeting in 2005 and realized the benefits immediately. It is a casual, interactive meeting with plenty of time to discuss improvement opportunities with vendors and operations personnel from other mills. This meeting is a great networking event that will leave you with additional knowledge and resources that you can reach out to for operational improvement or help getting yourself out of the ditch.
Executive Director
Dave Rannie
Sales Application Specialist, Can-Am Chain
Brantford, ON
Dave Rannie was elected to the position of MOTAG North, Conference Co-Ordinator in 2010. Through that time, he has worked closely with the members of the committee to put forth a worthwhile and extensive program. The focus is and remains Safety, New Innovations and Industry Pertinent Technologies. The second component involves providing networking opportunities for professionals with-in the Wood Handling Area of Pulp & Paper and the Forest Products Industry in general.
Mr. Rannie has worked for Can-Am Chains for the past 32 years in many capacities. Can-Am Chains is a privately owned Canadian company that has been producing chain & sprockets since 1964 with manufacturing facilities in Surrey, British Columbia Canada and Portland Oregon, USA. With a focus on bulk material handling and specializing in forest products. We maintain sales offices and distribution centers all over the world -eight throughout North America alone.
Secretary Treasurer
Eric Maki
President, Midwest Forest Products Company
Hayward, WI
Mr. Maki was voted in as Secretary Treasurer at the 2010 event in Hayward, WI. That is what you get for showing up at the business meeting at the last minute – or at least while officers are being elected. Eric had the insurmountable task of taking over responsibility of Glen Lundin’s legendary hospitality suite happy hours, which Glen had been successfully accomplishing for the previous 25 years or so as Secretary. Eric must be doing a good job since he hasn’t been deposed yet.
Mr. Maki is president and owner of Midwest Forest Products Company, a Wisconsin corporation that provides wood procurement, inventory management, trucking, and pulpwood debarking/chipping services to mills across the Lakes States. Eric has been with the company since 1997. MFPC has also provided debarking and chipping services in Maine, New Hampshire, Alabama, Florida, and Ontario.
WANT TO SPONSOR MOTAG NORTH? CONTACT ERIC MAKI.