Niilo Hakkarainen and Juhani Strömberg named in the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame

Two former long-time directors from UPM and its predecessor United Paper Mills, Niilo Hakkarainen and Juhani Strömberg, have been named in the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame (PIIHF). The Board of Directors at PIIHF selects the new members from the group of nominated inductees.

The nomination is a significant international acknowledgement to Hakkarainen and Strömberg for their achievements in the paper industry and in advancing industry technology. This year, six new members from Finland and the United States have been named in the Hall of Fame. There are 135 members in total. 

In 1970, Niilo Hakkarainen (1927-2011) was invited the CEO of United Paper Mills, which was struggling with financial problems at that time. Hakkarainen managed to turn the business profitable again, had eight paper machines built and changed boldly the company direction which significantly affected the future of the company. During Hakkarainen's era, United Paper Mills became by far the most profitable wood-processing company in Finland, and also an international frontrunner in the industry. Later on, United Paper Mills became a part of UPM.

Juhani Strömberg (born 1941) is a pioneer in paper converting, especially in the self-adhesive label industry. Strömberg started developing water-based adhesives as an alternative to solvent-based adhesives when working for UPM Raflatac, formerly Raf. Haarla, at the turn of the 1970s. At that time, water-based adhesive technology was out of the ordinary and constituted a significant development that later revolutionised the entire label industry. Strömberg's work in developing label face papers and release papers has also been significant. His innovations formed a strong foundation for growth and globalisation of the label stock producer UPM Raflatac. 

For further information, please contact: 

Maria Costello, Executive Director, Paper Industry International Hall of Fame, tel. +1-920-380-7491, email: Maria@paperhall.org, web: www.paperhall.org