Day 4 – Domtar Personal Care and Valencia

Day 4 – by Daniel Richardson and Audra Chenoweth

Today was an interesting day. We checked out of the hotel at 7:45 AM and went to the pickup point to be picked up at 8. After making it there, we found out about 30 minutes later that nobody was on the way to pick us up, so this caused a lot of frustration for us. The bus company told us that the bus was in the Plaza de Espana, so we walked 5 blocks to get there and to make a long story short, we did not get picked up until 10 o’clock.

From there, we traveled about 45 minutes to Domtar converting facility in Toledo and I was amazed at all of the different products that they made. From feminine care to first aid products, this facility ran a very efficient process at around 6-12 products per second depending on the type of product. It blew my mind that the plant ran so well, despite the complex automation involved! I think that the most fascinating part about this visit was the majority of the fluff pulp supplied to the plant is sourced from U.S. mills, including the mill in Plymouth, NC. It was very interesting to know that the same pine trees from back home are being used to make products across the world! I also found it extremely satisfying to know that all products that don’t meet consumer specifications are recycled to be used again in the process. This includes super absorbent polymer, cellulose fibers, and even the plastic used for waistband elastic in diapers and adult incontinence products. The plastic is molded into pellets and melted down when needed throughout the conversion process. Overall, the visit to Domtar was amazing, and illustrated the rapid growth of, and need for, hygienic products! It is a very exciting time to be in this industry!  Jacob Vrooman, Class of 2013 and PIE 2013 alumnus was our host.  He works out of the Madrid office, after having spent time in Raleigh and Greenville, NC.

Later that day, we traveled 4 hours to Valencia for a banquet provided by our hosts, Carlos and Maria Gomez. On the way there, we stopped by a small convenient shop and stretched and enjoyed a couple cervezas. After staying about 30 minutes, we got back on the road and enjoyed several beautiful views on the way there. When we arrived in Valencia, we quickly checked into our hotel and met our host in the lobby. From there, we walked over to Saono friendly coffee & food for dinner. There, we enjoyed many Spanish cuisines, drinks, a main course and several desserts. It was a great time to talk with my peers and get the opportunity to meet our hosts before we visit the mill the next day.

After dinner, it was about 12:30 so most of us decided to head back to the hotel and get some rest for Friday

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