SP’s Simon Receives Alpert Award

Ralph Simon, vice president of the material management group of SP Newsprint, Atlanta, has received the Phil Alpert Memorial Award from the Paper Stock Industries (PSI) Chapter of the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc. (ISRI).

Simon received the award at the closing banquet of the PSI 2007 fall meeting in Arizona. “Our award recipient is dedicated [to] putting the best forward for the employer and the customer, which could sound like a contradiction, but our recipient does it with style and grace,” said Joel Litman of Texas Recycling when presenting the award to Simon.

After graduating from college and working for several paper companies, including Crown Zellerbach, Wilson Paper and Consolidated Fibre, Simon eventually accepted a position with Southeast Paper, now known as SP Newsprint.

In addition to helping that company achieve its success in the newsprint manufacturing and secondary fiber markets, Simon has also played key volunteer leadership roles with the PSI Chapter.

“Recently, our recipient was the chairman of the always-challenging, sometimes contentious and controversial Standards and Practices Committee,” noted Litman. “These standards are used worldwide by buyers and sellers of millions of tons daily. Johnny Gold, vice president of The Newark Group and past Phil Alpert Memorial Award recipient, and who was involved with this committee, said there were a lot of loopholes that needed to be tightened up. Ralph was dedicated to it, and he did a 100 percent job to get it straightened out. He took the chair position seriously and made it right for our industry,” Litman added.

Litman also remarked that Simon has achieved his accomplishments while maintaining commendable ethical standards. “This year’s Phil Alpert Memorial Award recipient looks in the mirror each morning and knows that whatever occurs during the day—whether it be working with a customer, an employee or being with family—it will be done the best way. There is a conscience,” Litman declared.