Back Home!

Hello everyone-

After about twenty hours, two plane rides, and a bus from Boston to Augusta, I'm finally back home. We left our hotel in Munich around 4:00am (10pm Eastern time) and made our 7:30 flight from Munich to Istanbul. We had a couple hours worth of a layover before our flight from Istanbul to Boston at 1:30pm (6:30am Eastern time). I was able to watch four movies on this plane ride in between some naps and meals. We finally landed in Boston at 5:30pm and everyone successfully went through customs.

A lot of people, including myself, took the 6:30 bus from Boston to Portland while others were picked up/drove from the airport home. Josh and I continued our journey by taking a bus from Portland to Augusta where we were picked up. It was a long, exhausting day of travel.

I thouroughly enjoyed my time in Europe. It was a beautiful country. I was able to learn a lot from the tours we took and I also learned a lot about the culture. It was a fantastic experience, and I wanted to take the time to thank all of our donors. Thank you so much for allowing me and 13 other students to have this once in a lifetime opportunity. Without you, this trip would not have been possible.

Thank you so much for all of your support-
Katrina Lessard

Monday Activities

Hello! I'm so sad we're close to the end of our TREE Trip but we still have a full day to look forward to tomorrow!  We needed some extra sleep and got a later start to today than usual.   We explored outside a huge palace (Nymphenburg Palace) this afternoon and went back to the Olympic stadium.  There we were able to play some frisbee and then look out over Munich from a tower. We were about 200 meters above the ground. The group tried to catch a movie tonight but it was in German so instead we got gelato! Back at the hotel half of our group got stuck in the elevator for about an hour but they are out now!

Thanks for your continued support! I still can't believe we're even on this trip!

Munich Adventures

Hello all,

We have been in Munich since Friday evening and have been having a blast learning about German culture and history.  I must admit, it has been quite nice not having to change cities every evening and we are starting to feel comfortable with our surroundings.  We have practically mastered the tram and train system.  Well mastered is probably the wrong word but we have handled it for sure.

For dinner on Friday we ate at the second largest beer garden in Munich which was the Augustine Beer Hall.  Here we enjoyed some typical Bavarian food and drank a few brews.  Well technically it was like one or two brews but they sell them by the liter so who knows really?  None the less we had a great evening enjoying eachothers company and sharing stories about all of the tours and locations that we had travelled to over the past week and a half.

Saturday was the first free day that we had in Munich.  I elected to go check out Allianz Stadium which is where the revered Bayern Munich play.  They actually had their last soccer game of the season on Saturday and we were able to experience all the celebrations as they won their league title.  This was pretty cool.  We also travelled to Olympic Stadium which is where the 1972 Olympics were held.  I was really interested in this because I recently watched a biography on a famous runner named Steve Prefontaine who competed in the 72 games.  You may recall that during the 1972 games, there was a terrorist attack and ultimately members of the Israeli teams lost their lives.  It was very interesting to learn about the history as well as see the area in person.

On Saturday we also visited the BMW Museum and learned about the history of the BMW company.  It was very nice to see so many concept cars that I will never own.  I really enjoyed the motorcycle portion as well as a display that they had on jet engines.

On Sunday we travelled to Dachau Concentration Camp right outside of Munich.  For everyone on the trip, I believe this was our first first hand experience with the Holocaust.  I cannot describe how intense and moving a walk within the compound is.  I was constantly in thought at the camp and this was truly a sobering experience.  It is one thing to watch movies and see pictures in text books, but when you actually stand in a gas chamber, or walk through a barracks, you are able to comprehend the horrendous events that occured during WWII.  I will never forget what we saw at Dachau.

On a lighter note, we went to dinner at the Haufbrauhaus Sunday night.  For those of you who have experienced it, you know.  For those of you who haven't, you need to.  I have never been in a place where 1300 people are drinking beer and yelling, screaming, and singing songs.  Wait, nevermind, I went to UMaine.  But this place was unreal.  People were dressed up in traditional Bavarian clothes and singing German drinking songs and giving praise to the holy Bayern Munich!  We had some great food and again enjoyed our group's company.  What we didn't expect was to enjoy the company of everyone in the restaurant.  People were extremely friendly and we all shared stories.  What an incredible experience!

Thanks for following our adventure!

You stay classy readership,

Jon Lee

Past few days

Hello everyone!

We haven't had wifi for the past couple of days, so now we are playing catchup with posts! We visited Schaeffer Rolls and MWN rolls on Tuesday which was incredible. It was really cool to see the machinery up close and personal. Wednesday we visited SKF and BASF. SKF specializes in lubrication systems. I never realized how intricate it can be until we heard the presentations. SKF will be sending us some information by mail later which will include the lubrication system in the pulp and paper industry and an explanation on their different bearings. I can't wait to read up and learn about this process. Later that day and today we toured BASF. Just to give you an idea of how big this place is, the number of employees they have at this facility is equivalent to the population of Bangor. They have three power facilities just to power the plant and we had to take a bus tour to see the entire plant. It was huge!

I've learned so much over the last few days. I didn't have a lot of knowledge regarding the mechanical aspect of the paper industry, so I'm glad we have had a wide variety of tours. We will continue to keep you updated throughout the trip!

Thanks for the continued support-
Katrina

BASF town

Hello All,

Today and yesterday evening we had the chance to see BASF town which is really named Ludwigshafen. We started off yesterday afternoon where we got a brief overview tour the 13 km long facility in a tour bus. This included seeing everything from the steam crackers to the harbor in which many of the supplies are delivered. The size of this facility was unfathomable when explained with words. We got to see this in person when many of the 36,000 employees frantically drove through the many roads located through out the facility.

The evening we stayed in the country side in a hostel in the hills. It contained a castle like structure where we had a wonderful evening of bbqing our own dinner and playing soccer with a few of the young children who also were staying at the hostel.

Day 2 of BASF we got to tour the pilot coater that services many pulp and paper related companies and their research. I was amazed at the capabilities of this pilot coater. I had the capability to run at 10 times the speed of any coater I have seen in person. We were luckily enough to see it run for a brief minute before a web break turned into a small fire which was easily and expect idly put out by the very experienced crew. We had the chance to also hear from many of the U.S. immersion employees and how they have adjusted to being Germany. They had high praise for the program and have no regrets. The part I found the most astounding was that the Haber-Bosch process was discovered right at this facility. For anyone who doesn't know this is the process in which ammonia is synthesized from the nitrogen in the air and the hydrogen from water. This reaction revolutionized many industries and really progressed chemical engineering closer to where it is today. For me this may have been one of the most astounding tours we have been on yet. 

Besten Wunsche,

Devin Weaver

Hostel in the Country Side

A nice competitive game of futbol

BASF Interactive table

Schäfer Rolls and MWN

Hallo Readers! 

On Tuesday we woke up and traveled from Reutlingen to Renningen to tour Schäfer Rolls.  We were all interested to hear about the largest roll cover facility in the world from Ms. Schäfer, the granddaughter of the founder of the company.  It was incredible to see all stages of the process that go into making a roll cover.  Schäfer Rolls produces rubber, composite, and polyurethane covers.  While onsite, we were fortunate enough to see one of the largest rolls they have ever serviced. Special thanks to Schäfer Rolls and J.T. Fisher for allowing us to see this impressive facility.  

From Schäfer Rolls, we traveled to Niefern to see MWN Rolls.  MWN services and produces rolls for the industry.  While there, we saw rolls made by Schäfer, Voith, and Metso all being serviced.  We were also able to see the impressive technology of a gundrill, used in order to create the suction rolls. 

Both of these tours were unique experiences, and gave us a better perspective about how much technology and effort goes into rolls and their covers.  

We're still having tons of fun, and appreciate all the support! 

Alexi Deering

Kelsey Bolduc

Occupy German Train Stations

Strikes are good sometimes.  If you are a pitcher in a baseball game or if you are bowling and trying to beat a group of college kids in Europe.  Unfortunately, some strikes can leave you in a bind once in a while.  We were informed on Tuesday that there would be a good chance that the railway would strike while we were abroad and they in fact did!  So, for the past few days we have been lucky enough to receive transportation from SKF and BASF.  So, special thanks to those guys.  

We have chartered a bus to take us to Heidenheim tomorrow for our visit with Voith and eventually back to Munich!  We knew something would go wrong during this trip and I'm proud to say that our group was able to handle it alright.  

Be on the look out for some more posts and videos as we have wifi for the first time in a few days tonight!

May 18 (Glatfelter and Xerium)

Monday May 18 - Glatfelter and Xerium

Greetings readership!

Our group is currently wrapping up a busy Monday at the Hotel Fortuna in downtown Reutlingen, Germany.  We've kicked off the week with two tours: Glatfelter in Gernsbach and Xerium in Reutlingen.

Our day started at 6AM with a bus ride from Stuttgart to Gernsbach.  After arriving at the mill, we were given a brief presentation about Glatfelter and the products they make at the mill. The Gernsbach facility is known for producing extremely lightweight paper for tea bags and coffee filters, among other products.  Their thinnest product has a basis weight of  8 GSM!  The mill also has a metallizing machine, which applies a thin coat of evaporated aluminum to one side of the sheet - the type of paper that eventually becomes a beer bottle label.


The PPE was quite extensive, because it's a food grade facility.

Our second tour of the day was Xerium's fabric facility in Reutlingen. We visited their Gloggnitz facility on Friday, where press and dryer felts are produced.  Today we saw their wire production.  It was interesting to compare the two.  Friday's felts were bulkier and more focused on dewatering through absorption, whereas today was all about drainage.  We saw many wires in the various stages of production - from the loom where they are first stitched together, to their heat treatment, and finally the joining process that seamlessly joins the two ends to create one endless fabric.


Finally, Xerium brought us to dinner at the very trendy Barfußer.  This was a fine opportunity to sample some fine beverages brewed in house as well as traditional German cuisine.

Many more photos and videos of the day to follow! Our tour of Schaeffler Rolls begins in 7 hours.  A huge thanks to Glatfelter and Xerium for hosting us, and to Xerium for sponsoring our hotel rooms.


Over and out,
Steve Goulet

PSA: Streching

Today we arrived in Stuutgart, Germany.  It took over 6 hours and two trains to get here plus about a mile of walking through the city.  We are sore and tired.

So with all of this traveling, I just wanted to ensure everyone we are taking much care into our personal well being.  This exercise is an easy one even you can do at home!

Here is Katrina executing a perfect hip flexor stretch in the middle of downtown Stuutgart.

Until next time,
Cory Schweitzer

Day 3 (Gloggnitz and Xerium)

Day 3 (Travel to Gloggnitz on Train and Tour of Xerium)

DAY OFF IN VIENNA

Hello Everyone!!

This morning we woke up and traveled to Vienna via train.  We were able to choose our own adventure in Vienna! Kelsey B. and I used the public transit system to travel to Schonbrunn Palace.  It was gorgeous! We took in all the sights, and even found our way through a labyrinth.  There were multiple fountains and a huge castle.  After our exploration we ended the day with some ice cream on the palace hill overlooking the city.  We just got checked into our hotel room, and we're going to dinner with the group soon.  See our pictures below.

Since we haven't had the best internet connections, here are some pictures from the past few days

Panoramic view from the clock tower in Graz

A group of us with the clock tower in the background

Thanks for following, we'll keep you updated.

Alexi Deering

Day 2 Video

Xerium, Graz and The Alps

Hey Everyone!

Today we toured Xerium in Semmering, Austria.  They produce paper machine clothing, press felts and roll covers.  We got to see their many textile machines and got a full presentation on the things they are doing / how they create these rolls.  I was surprised to find out that they have 450 patents and are a supplying the felts to the two new Tissue Machines going in at St. Croix Tissue in Baileyville.

Yesterday in Graz, Austria we got to experience the culture of the city in semi-full swing.  Since there was a national holiday, the city was a lot quieter than normal and proved difficult in finding places to eat.  Luckily the Chinese restaurant was open and the buffet wasn't half bad.  We had traditional Austrian cuisine and beer at a local restaurant for dinner, getting meals like the Wiener Schnitzel.

The best part of the trip, in my opinion, has been the traveling.  The Alps in Eastern Austria are steep,  heavily wooded mountains that rise and fall in all directions.  There are tunnels that go straight through the mountains because it would be nearly impossible to go over them.  Also speaking German, or attempting to, has been a neat experience too.  Most people speak fluent english but its fun to try and say simple things like Danke (thank you) or Auf Wietesen (Goodbye), and trying to pronounce what you're ordering for food.

The past three days have felt like a week and a half.  This trip has already been more than I could've asked for and I'm very excited for whats in store for the rest of it.

- Cory Schweitzer

Video From Today

Aaron Ortiz has been able to capture some of today's events on a Go-Pro!  Here is some of the footage!

One trip to Turkey later...

Greetings readership!

We TREE-trippers landed in Munich at approximately 10PM local time. By the time we got to the hotel, many of us had been traveling for 30 hours or more, including a quick stop in Istanbul.

Agenda for tonight:
- Sample some famed German beers
- Try to get some much needed rest before we head to Austria in the morning

Tomorrow marks the start of our tours. In the morning we'll be taking a bus to Graz, Austria where we'll be touring an Andritz manufacturing facility.  Afterward we'll visit the University of Graz and visit students and professors in their pulp and paper program.  We're all very excited just to be here, and even more excited to start our tours.  We'll be traveling through the Alps tomorrow, which promises to be quite a sight.

Here are some images from our trek across the Atlantic:

Stay tuned readers! More tales, photos, and videos to follow.

Steve

We have arrived!

Guten Tag!

After an 8 hour flight, a 3 hour layover in Turkey, and finally a 2.5 hour flight, we have arrived in Munich! We just got to our hotel and we are exhausted, as demonstrated by Rachel below (on our shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel). It's been a long day, and I hope we can get use to the time change. It's already 1:00am here in Germany (7:00 Maine time) and I'm not that tired. We have to be up and ready though by 7:00am tomorrow to go on a 5 hour bus ride for our first tour in Graz though! I'm really excited to see what Andritz has to offer. Afterwards we are going to be visiting the University of Graz to meet up with some students there. I'm really excited, and will keep you guys updated!

Thanks for all of your support-
Katrina

Today was a very long day!  It started on Tuesday carpooling from Orono to Portland where we took a bus to Boston for our flights.  We got to go outside in Turkey for a few minutes so that was exciting, too. We just arrived at our hotel and I'm anxious to get some rest and tour Andritz tomorrow.

A Minute with Matt

Hello!

Currently on a bus from Portland to Boston and watching Night at the Museum 2 on the bus tv, a terrible movie but nothing else to do on the bus. Hopefully nothing was forgotten back home because there is no going back for it now. I am looking forward to the trip and everything has gone smoothly so far. Only about 20 more hours until we arrive in Germany, I will keep fellow bloggers updated along the way.

this is Matt Haws over and out

'Twas the night before departure....

As we are scheduled to fly out of Logan Airport in Boston tomorrow evening, I thought it would be a good idea to start packing.  I'm sure that most of our trip attendees have realized the same thing.  We are scheduled to fly out of Logan at 11:00PM and arrive in Munich at 9:00PM tomorrow evening with a layover in Istanbul, Turkey.  We'll be sure to let you know how that goes.

Below you can see the route that we will be taking while we are in Germany and Austria.  We will begin by travelling into Austria and then back to Germany after this weekend.  We have been fortunate enough to have incredible support from all of our host companies and our itinerary will certainly provide our group with a once in a lifetime opportunity.  Check out our blog over the next couple weeks to stay up to date with our travel, read about what we've been doing, and view some pictures!  If you guys have any questions for us please shoot us an email and we will respond to them on the blog!  Thanks to everyone who has made this possible!!!

Rachel Dow

Hey! I'm Rachel Marie Dow, a sophomore at UMaine studying Chemical Engineering.  I am from Aroostook County in Northern Maine, a small town called Mapleton.  This past summer I was a Process Engineering Intern with Verso Paper Corp, and I will be doing my Co-op with UPM Madison in Madison, ME.  Currently I am the co-Secretary for the American Institute for Chemical Engineers, and was the Co-Fundraiser chair last year, as well as the Co-Treasurer for TAPPI/PIMA.  This will be my first time traveling in Europe, and I'm very excited!

Profile: Joshua Storgaard

Hello! My name is Joshua Storgaard and I am from Veazie, Maine. I am a third year Chemical Engineering student at the University of Maine. I have visited a couple paper mills in different places in Maine before but that is the most experience I have had with the paper industry. This trip will be a huge opportunity for me to learn more about the paper industry along as a great experience to be able to see all the different facilities in Germany and Austria and how they are different to the ones that I have visited. I am looking forward to this trip because I know that this is a rare opportunity to be able to learn more about the paper industry in a different part of the world and to be able to see all of the different cultural sights and customs of Germany and Austria. 

In my free time, I try to be outside as much as possible. I enjoy playing golf, soccer, tennis and like to go fishing when the weather is nice.

I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has helped make this trip possible. Without your support, none of this could be possible. Thanks again for this exciting opportunity!

Profile: Stephen Goulet

Greetings! My name is Steve Goulet and I am a fourth year mechanical engineering student graduating in May 2016. I originally hail from Presque Isle, Maine. I have worked as a Lab Technician at Sappi Somerset and as a co-op at Verso Bucksport.  This summer I will be working for Paperchine as a project engineer.  I currently serve as president of our student TAPPI chapter.

I had the opportunity of going on the last TREE trip to Finland and it was a tremendous experience.  I'm stoked to see the paper industry and Germany (and perhaps sample some fine German ales).  When I'm not doing energy balances and drawing free-body diagrams I ski, hike, hunt, bike, and make maple syrup when the sap is running.

Thank you very much to all who have contributed to the trip! We couldn't do it without your support.

Profile: Matthew Haws

Hello! My name is Matthew Haws and I am from Hampden, Maine. I am a second year Chemical Engineering student at the University of Maine and I have accepted a co-op position over the summer at Woodland Pulp/St Croix Tissue in Baileyville, Maine. I am eager to learn more about the paper industry and look forward to the experiences that this summer will bring.

Thank you to all of the people that have helped make the TREE trip possible. I am looking forward to touring the facilities in Germany and Austria to gain perspective of the industry overseas and gain a more widespread understanding of the paper industry. It is a great opportunity for all of us involved to experience the European culture and process of producing paper.

In my free time I enjoy riding bikes, fishing, hiking and playing with my dog. In the winter I spend a lot of time playing pond hockey and on occasion I go skiing

Once again, thank you to everyone involved to make the trip possible!

Profile: Cory Schweitzer

Hey everyone!  My name is Cory Schweitzer and I am a Junior Chemical Engineering Student at UMaine.  I'm currently in my second semester of internship for Sappi Fine Paper at the Somerset mill and cannot get enough of it.  Please don't make me go back to school.  My co-op experience has limited me to the Sappi Somerset Mill and I'm really looking forward to touring foreign paper mills on this upcoming TREE trip.

Working at Sappi has shown me that as an engineer, we look for opportunities to better the process.  I feel as though the TREE trip is a huge opportunity to better my process in finding a career after college as well as rounding myself out as a young adult, and I intend to make the most of it!

Living in Central Maine this winter/spring has been perfect as well in terms of being a very active person.  Snowboarding, Ice Fishing, and Hockey are all I want to do in the winter and I can't think of a better place to experience all of that than Maine.

Thank you to everyone who has helped us and contributed to this extraordinary opportunity!

Cory Schweitzer

Profile: Kelsey Dillon

Hello! My name is Kelsey; I am a senior chemical engineering student. I have interned three summers in technical sales with Ashland Inc. in Maine and Georgia. After graduation I will be working for BTG in Savannah, Georgia. Over the course of my internships and undergraduate study I have had the chance to visit numerous pulp and paper facilities in the United States. I am really excited for the TREE trip as this will be my first opportunity to see the industry abroad. As someone about to enter the global pulp and paper industry, this will be an amazing opportunity to see the culture in Germany and Austria and become more knowledgeable about the industry on a larger scale.  The planning and preparing continues as our trip gets closer. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed and helped us so far!!

Profile: Kelsey Bolduc

Hello TREE Trip Followers!

My name is Kelsey Bolduc and I am a third year chemical engineering student from Oakland, ME.
I have completed one semester of my two semester coop experience at Sappi Somerset in Skowhegan, ME. I am very excited to return for my second semester when we get back from Germany.

 I'm super excited to be a part of the TREE trip to Germany and Austria. It will be an incredible opportunity for us to see all of the capabilities of the facilities overseas and also to learn more about our industry. Thank you all so much for your continued support of the TREE trip. This really is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us and I'm so thankful to be a part of it.

In my spare time I really enjoy playing lacrosse and I am a member of the women's club team here at UMaine. During the spring we spend our weekends traveling around New England playing different club teams. I also love spending summers on the lake with my family and our pup, Buddy.

Thanks again for your support and keep checking the blog for updates!

Kelsey

Profile: Lauren Tingley

Hello, I’m Lauren and I am from Madawaska!  I am a sophomore and am studying chemical engineering.   Last summer I was able to intern at Twin Rivers Paper Company.  This fall and next summer I’ll be co-oping there as well.

I’ve never traveled overseas and am extremely anxious to go to Germany and Austria.  I’ve been involved in AIChE and TAPPI/PIMA the last two years so I have been fortunate enough to tour several mills and plants, but I’m interested in seeing how they differ in European countries.

Lastly, thank you to everyone who is helping us make this trip happen!

Profile: Alexi Deering

Hello everyone!

My name is Alexi Deering, and I am currently a junior chemical engineering major.  Jay, Maine is where I call home.  I have been fortunate enough to have had a coop experience at MeadWestvaco in Covington, Virginia.  I will be returning to Covington this summer for my second rotation.  I can’t say thank you enough to everyone who has contributed to make this trip possible.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am very excited to be a part of it!  I am looking forward to gaining a more global perspective on the industry because of the trip.  I think it will be very interesting to tour the facilities overseas and see how much or how little they differ with what we have here.  I’m thrilled about the cultural experience in store for us!

I enjoy spending the majority of my free time outside.  In the fall and summer months I can usually be found hiking or rock climbing, and in the winter snowboarding. This spring will be my second attempt at making my own maple syrup.  Thanks again for all of your support!

Profile: Jonathan Haws

Hello, my name is Jon Haws and I am a senior graduating from the University of Maine with a Chemical Engineering degree this upcoming May. My career will start at Woodland Pulp/St. Croix Tissue in Baileyville Maine as an entry level process engineer. I have had a great college experience but I am looking forward to the next phase of my life. I am an avid Patriots fan and I also enjoy the outdoors as well as an active lifestyle.
After graduation, I look forward to participating in the 2015 TAPPI/PIMA TREE Trip to Austria and Germany. I look forward to being exposed to European paper facilities as well as equipment manufacturing facilities in which I have yet to experience. I also have not traveled to Europe in my life so I look forward to the cultural exposure as well as we will be visiting multiple large cities.

Profile: Jonathan Lee

Hi everyone, my name is Jonathan Lee and I am from Madawaska, ME.  I am currently a senior at UMaine and will be graduating in May.  After school, I will be working for Sappi in Skowhegan, ME.  I am thrilled to be attending the TREE Trip and want to thank everyone who has been involved with setting up our tours as well as everyone that has contributed to our cause financially.  I know personally I am looking to broaden my knowledge of the pulp and paper industry from this TREE Trip.  I am really looking forward to the cultural experience as well.

When I'm not on the golf course in the summer, I can be found running or playing some sort of other sport.  I'm usually on the go as I don't like being lazy (even though you need a day like that every once in awhile).  In the winter I enjoy skiing and ice fishing.  I also do quite a bit of hunting in the fall.

Meet Katrina Lessard

Hi everyone!

My name is Katrina Lessard, and I am a junior chemical engineering major from Corinth, ME. I am
so excited to be apart of this trip to Germany/Austria and have been counting down the days until we leave. But before we get into that, I just wanted to introduce myself and give you guys some background.

As I mentioned before, I am currently a junior chemical engineering major. I have completed one semester of coop at Sappi Technology Center in Westbrook and can't wait until I can start my second semester. I worked on maintenance of the pilot coater, updating network diagrams, and a research project. It was a great experience and I'm excited to be able to continue my work. I'm currently active in the UMaine chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers as well as TAPPI/PIMA.

We have a lot of locations already planned for the trip, and I can't wait to tour all of them. It is going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity that I will treasure. Seeing how the industry works across
 the globe is going to be a unique learning opportunity and I'm excited
 to observe the culture in Germany and Austria.

Thank you guys for all of your support! I look forward to updating you guys on our progress!

Profile: Devin Weaver

Hello everyone,

First off, I am very excited to have the chance to go on this amazing trip. I am counting down the weeks till we leave, but now I am gonna tell you a little bit about myself.

My name is Devin Weaver, and I am a junior chemical engineer from Essex Junction Vermont. I currently have completed one semester at a Co-op at Sappi Fine Paper in Westbrook, ME as a project engineer. This was such a great experience and can't wait to go back for a second term this summer. I am involved with many clubs around campus such as: Tennis Club, American Institute of Chemical Engineering, and lastly I am the president of the University of Maine Trap & Skeet club.

As the itinerary has been filling in I am getting more excited to see the different parts of the industry and see how they differ from ones back here. I also can't wait to see the culture differences as well.

One thing I can tell you already is German isn't that easy !

Auf Wiedersehen !

Plane Tickets Purchased

We have officially purchased our plane tickets and are scheduled to depart on Tuesday May 12.  We will have a layover in Istanbul and then continue to Munich.  We will be returning on May 27 to Boston, MA.  Special thanks to the University of Maine Pulp and Paper Foundation for fronting some of our costs for these tickets!

14 Students Have Been Selected To Partake On Adventure

The decision for who will be coming on the TREE trip in May has been made!  The selection process was based on several key factors including participation, attendance, and seniority as well as overall interest and involvement in the pulp and paper industry.  It must be noted that the decision was extremely tough as everyone who has shown interest has been instrumental to the success of this trip.

The group has also acquired Rosetta Stone: German Edition so that we are not "completely" lost when on our trip.  This should provide us with some awesome knowledge as well as a few laughs considering our strong English accents.

As always we thank those who are helping us set up our tours in Europe.  It would not be possible without you.  We will be uploading our route as soon as it is finalized!

In Full Swing...

TREE has really hit the ground running since the new year.  Currently students are working to make contact with possible locations to tour in the Austria and Germany areas.  The students route will take them from Munich, Germany to Graz, Austria for the first leg of their excursion.  The students will then return to Munich for the weekend and will travel to Ludwigshafen, Germany and attend several tours on the way.  The students will then return to Munich for their final weekend before flying back home.  Currently efforts are being made to tour facilities belonging to the following companies:

• BASF
• Andritz
• Sappi
• Voith
• Glatfelter
• Xerium
• UPM
• SHW
• Shaefer Rolls

If you have a suggestion for a tour or if you are interested in making a donation please contact Jon Lee at jonathan.lee@maine.edu.  Tour slots are filling and we are trying to accommodate as many companies as we can.

Thank you to everyone who is involved in organizing this pulp and paper safari.  Without your continued efforts, this trip would not be possible!

50/50 Winner!!!

Congratulations to Scott Hoffses of Presque Isle, ME for being the lucky winner of the 50/50 raffle.  Our group of students were able to sell $2,540 worth of tickets!  A very big thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and for your continued support.  We will begin updated our blog as we get closer to our departure date of May 14!

We appreciate all your support!