Have you heard about the Ticonderoga Mill? Located on the eastern edge of the publicly protected Adirondack State Park, this historic Sylvamo mill wins the prize for most inspirational locale.
Surrounded by a thriving ecosystem of forests, waterways and mountain peaks, the Ticonderoga Mill is a special place that has been forever shaped by the land and wildlife around it. In fact, the mill’s setting is so uniquely beautiful — and has had such a huge impact on the way we as an organization think about sustainability — that we thought more people should know about it. So, we decided to tell its story.
A Journey to the Mill
In operation since the 1880s, the 2,200-acre Ticonderoga Mill employs over 600 local residents who produce some of the country’s highest-quality paper, including Accent Opaque. This past summer, we set out with our hiking boots and a video camera to explore Ticonderoga. Wayne Majuri, Sylvamo's Fiber Supply Manager in Global Sourcing, agreed to be our tour guide and took us on a woodlands tour. On a warm, rainy day, he led us through one of the sustainably managed forests from which Sylvamo sources its fiber and explained how the company works with forest landowners to ensure the health of the greater forest ecosystem. Then, we toured the mill and saw how wood pulp is turned to paper.
Trees are a renewable resource, as long as the forests are managed well, and we got to see firsthand how Sylvamo is leading the way when it comes to responsible forest stewardship.
Land Worth Conserving and Protecting
Those who work at the Ticonderoga Mill can tell you how critical it is that we do everything we can to minimize our impact on the surrounding environment. To that end, Sylvamo has invested heavily in the mill’s environmental sustainability over the years. Through a program called ReCharge New York, we source clean and renewable hydropower from the New York Power Authority. We’ve also partnered with several international environmental nonprofits, including World Wildlife Fund® and The Nature Conservancy®, to advance forest stewardship globally.
In June 2019, Sylvamo was awarded $2.8 million through New York State’s Industrial Carbon Challenge Program in recognition of our efforts to reduce the Ticonderoga Mill’s environmental impact. We’re using the money to further green our operations and upgrade our infrastructure.
Designing the Storybook Mailer
To us, Ticonderoga is a fairytale setting. Inspired by whimsy and childlike wonder, our designers set out to create a direct mail piece that would bring to life all the little things that make this place so special, from the sparkling waters of Lake Champlain to the wildlife we share it with. We pictured a pop-up storybook, one that would somehow transport the viewer to the Adirondack State Park.
To make this happen, we partnered with Structural Graphics to create a dimensional print piece that tells the story of Ticonderoga Mill in three parts. The piece comes with playful papercraft figurines that can be moved around the scene. And there’s even more interactivity: scan each panel using the Sylvamo+ AR app to see video footage of the mill and the majesty that surrounds it.
Our hope is that more people will get to know Ticonderoga and will join us in caring for this unique and beautiful land for generations to come.
Are you a printer who wants to learn more about Ticonderoga Mill and the advantages of working with Sylvamo? Let’s talk about Ticonderoga!