COSMOPOLIS, Wash. — December 5, 2018 — Cosmo Specialty Fibers (Cosmo) — a dissolving wood pulp (DWP) mill with a capacity of more than 160,000 tons annually and the capability to produce a wide range of High Purity Cellulose (HPC) softwood-based products — today announced the retirement of CEO Mike Entz and the appointment of Nicholas B. Dottino as CEO. Entz will continue to serve on the company’s Board of Directors. Cosmo’s mill was formerly owned by Weyerhaeuser until September 2010, when it was acquired by an investor group led by The Gores Group.
“We are very excited to have attracted such a world-class executive to the Company and we are thrilled at the prospect of Nick leading Cosmo into its next chapter,” said John Danner, managing director of The Gores Group. “Nick brings almost 30 years of expertise in the manufacturing, consumer products, and pulp and paper industries, where he has a proven track record of delivering top-down and bottoms-up results to organizations.”
Previously, Dottino was an executive in the non-discretionary consumer products, paper, packaging, and point of purchase sectors in North America, Asia, and Europe working with Weyerhaeuser, Southern Container Corp, RockTenn (today known as WestRock), and a privately-held consumer products company. He has served as a Director on the Boards of numerous private companies, as well as industry and charitable organizations, both domestically and internationally.
“I am very excited to join the Cosmo team and I appreciate the confidence Mike, Gores and the Board of Directors have placed in me,” said Dottino. “I look forward to continuing on the fine work Mike and his team have started and to help lead Cosmo into the future.”
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Mike for his leadership of Cosmo over the last eight years,” said Andy Freedman, managing director of The Gores Group. “His strong leadership, steadfast vision, and positive demeanor were instrumental in the successful journey to transform Cosmo from a long-shuttered mill to where it is today, a leading force in the global specialty cellulose marketplace.”
“It has been an honor to lead the team at Cosmo, and I am extremely proud of everything we have accomplished together,” said Mike Entz, Cosmo’s retiring CEO. “Looking forward, I truly believe that Cosmo is better positioned than ever to deliver quality products to some of the highest growth segments in the global high-purity cellulose industry.”
Posted December 5, 2018
Source: Cosmo Specialty Fibers
