March 31, 2026
As tissue manufacturers navigate intense market competition, rising energy costs, workforce turnover, and increasing safety and sustainability pressures, the Tissue Division of TAPPI is delivering a TAPPICon® program designed to meet those challenges head-on.
To understand what tissue professionals can expect at TAPPICon 2026, April 26-29 in Columbus, Ohio, we spoke with Tissue Division leadership—Tissue Division Chair Alfredo Sarli, application specialist with Valmet, and Jessica Carette, quality director at Cascades and past
Tissue Division Council chair—about program highlights, the industry’s biggest challenges, and why TAPPICon remains uniquely valuable for tissue professionals.
A PROGRAM SHAPED BY REAL INDUSTRY CHALLENGES
Sarli identifies three primary issues consistently raised by tissue producers:
- Intense market competition and supply chain disruption
- Fluctuating raw material and energy costs
- Increasing sustainability pressures and regulatory compliance
Those issues are intentionally addressed at TAPPICon. “There’s a lot of benefit across all three days to gain knowledge, background, and perspective on how to address these challenges,” Sarli says.
Carette adds another challenge she consistently hears from mills: “We’re also seeing issues related to retention and turnover within organizations, where there’s a real need for skilled employees with the technical knowledge to execute projects with efficiency and excellence in manufacturing. The tissue program at TAPPICon addresses that head-on.”
MILL MONDAY: PRACTICAL LEARNING FOR OPERATIONS TEAMS
For tissue professionals, Mill Monday is all about practical application.
“Mill Monday is going to be an exciting day for anyone in operations,” Carette says. “It’s going to include content specifically on technical learnings, but also managerial aspects.”
The Tissue Division is co-sponsoring a Tissue Mill Masterclass with TAPPI’s PIMA Division, focused on project management fundamentals specifically tailored to tissue manufacturing. Topics include:
- Defining project scope and objectives
- Estimating project costs and evaluating return on investment
- Understanding financial metrics such as IRR and EBITDA
- Applying lessons through real-world case studies
“This is concrete, example-based learning,” Carette says. “It’s designed for people who work in operations, supply to mills, or are connected to the actual manufacturing process of tissue.”
Sarli agrees. “These are take-home best practices that are valuable for junior attendees and industry veterans alike.”
TECHNICAL TUESDAY: ENERGY, ANALYTICS, AND PERFORMANCE
On Technical Tuesday, both chairs highlight sessions that combine innovation with immediate mill relevance.
Sarli highlights a cutting-edge presentation by David Zerr of Pulmac that explores the use of advanced analytics to measure paper dust directly off tissue machines—a major step forward in preventing fires and dust explosions. Sarli will also present on energy optimization strategies for tissue machines, including:
- Increasing post-press solids
- Capturing and reusing waste heat from the Yankee dryer
- Reducing energy consumption or boosting productivity
Another standout session examines a deceptively simple but powerful question: Why are tissue mills unknowingly giving away paper?
Carette is particularly excited about that presentation by David Zerr. “It’ll give really practical examples on paper machine control to be sure that you’re respecting not only your specifications, but also your bottom line.”
WORKSHOP WEDNESDAY: SOFTNESS, SUSTAINABILITY, AND LEADERSHIP
Workshop Wednesday features a strong Tissue Division presence, including two interactive panel discussions.
- Tissue Softness: This session brings together eight industry experts representing manufacturers, suppliers, equipment providers, chemical suppliers, and measuring device standards.
Carette explains: “In a Q&A-style format, we’ll tackle questions like: What are the most important factors at the paper machine to generate softness? Can softness really be generated or lost in converting? How can you measure it? What are the leading indicators?” She went on to say, “It’s a collaborative discussion you won’t get anywhere else.”
- Redefining Sustainability Leadership in Sanitary Paper: Focused on hygiene and sanitary products, this panel explores how sustainability pressures are shaping tissue manufacturing today and how leadership is evolving in response.
“These panels are designed to spark real dialogue,” Carette says. “The interaction between panelists and the audience is where the real value comes from.”
WHY TISSUE LEADERS SHOULD
SEND THEIR TEAMS
If you’re a tissue mill leader wondering whether to send a team to TAPPICon 2026, Carette points to one key differentiator: direct access to experts.
“TAPPICon gives everyone the unique opportunity to bring to light their own challenges and get help and insight into how to be more efficient, how to be safer, or how to focus on particular objectives they may have, she says.”
Sarli also highlights the Hot Topics session on Tuesday. “It focuses on typical firefighting issues that mill personnel face daily. It also offers solutions that act as preventive measures to avoid them in the first place.”
GETTING THE MOST ROI: ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME TISSUE ATTENDEES
Both leaders strongly encourage first-time attendees to get involved beyond the sessions.
Sarli’s advice: “Get involved as a volunteer.” He adds, “It is one of the most worthwhile and rewarding aspects of professional development. The learning is unparalleled, both in terms of technical and interpersonal skills. In fact, if anything, I give people a little warning that it can be inspirational to the point of addiction.”
Carette agrees. “Volunteering is the single most important aspect, it helps boost your career and puts you right in line with fantastic mentors, coaches, people you can go to with technical questions. The number of times that I’ve reached out to my TAPPI family to help me understand things that are going on in my professional life, or with career advice, has been innumerable and invaluable.”
WHY ATTEND TISSUE DIVISION & COMMITTEE MEETINGS?
Committee meetings offer a low-pressure entry point into TAPPI involvement.
“Committee meetings are your entry point into understanding what the challenges and opportunities are within the TAPPICon structure,” Carette explains.
Sarli adds, “There’s nothing better than attending a committee meeting during TAPPICon. It’s the best way to get an idea of what it’s like to participate.”
BUILDING MOMENTUM—
AND A COMMUNITY
Looking ahead to TAPPICon 2026, both leaders express pride in the Tissue Division’s momentum.
“I’m proud of the community we’ve built,” Carette says. “Through courses, webinars, and conferences, we’re connecting early-career professionals with those nearing retirement—and strengthening the entire tissue network.”
Sarli points to the Dust Mitigation Committee as a standout example, including the development of an online TAPPISAFE course that covers strategies for managing combustible dust, reducing fire risks, and maintaining air quality in industrial settings. “That kind of progress doesn’t happen without sustained momentum and volunteer commitment.”
ONE MINDSET SHIFT—AND ONE REASON TO BE THERE
If Sarli could send tissue professionals home with one mindset shift, it would be this: “Collaboration is not a weakness; it’s a competitive advantage when guided by TAPPI’s trusted framework.”
Carette agrees. “TAPPI feels like a safe place where, even if you are competitors outside of TAPPI, there’s a mutual ground built on the non-competitive framework.”
When asked why TAPPICon 2026 is the place for tissue professionals, Sarli puts it simply: “Other conferences help you buy stuff. TAPPICon helps you invest in yourself.”
Carette adds, “TAPPICon is where competitors become colleagues—and often, friends.”
For tissue professionals looking to strengthen operations, improve safety, develop future leaders, and stay ahead of change, the Tissue Division program at TAPPICon 2026 delivers value that extends far beyond the conference floor.
To register and learn more about the program, visit TAPPICon.org.