February 2017 | Business View Magazine

168 169 Niagara Falls, NewYork of every day. “People around the world probably think of Niagara Falls, principally, as a tourist mecca,” says Paul Dyster, the Mayor of the City of Ni- agara Falls, New York, a metropolis of about 50,000. “But, through much of its history– the city was founded in 1892–Niagara Falls has actually been an industrial city. And the reason is the presence of this big drop in water levels that creates the potential for energy generation. That was recognized even before the dawn of hydroelectricity, when mechanical mills with water wheels were installed at Niagara Falls to help harness that power.” In fact, the first known effort to utilize the Falls’ enormous capacity for energy production was in 1759, when Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the Falls to power his sawmill. In the early 1800s Augustus and Peter Porter enlarged the original canal to provide hydraulic power for their gristmill and tannery. In 1881, the Niagara River’s first hydroelectric gener- ating station was built, and by the end of the 19th century, Niagara Falls was a heavily indus- trialized city due, in great part, to the relatively cheap electrical power that the Falls and River generated. Tourism was considered a secondary niche, while industry was the main economic driver - paper, rubber, plastics, petrochemicals, carbon insulators, and abrasives factories were among the city’s major job providers. At its peak, Niagara Falls had a population of over 100,000. But after the 1960s, the region experienced an economic decline as traditional CASCADES IN NIAGARA FALLS: CELEBRATING MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP Even before being green was trendy, Cascades was thinking outside of the box by instinctively putting into practice sustainable principles. Since 1964, the Company had a vision to be responsible to the Earth and build a future of sustainability. It was, in fact, born out of a form of sustainable development: the recovery of waste paper. Since then, the Corporation hasn’t looked back, working continually to improve its practices. It is, in fact, Green by Nature. Cascades Containerboard Packaging brought sustainability to the Falls over 30 years ago, and its sister, the Green- pac Mill, LLC, brings a new generation of green to Niagara. That’s why today, Niagara Falls, NY hosts a state of the art campus that turns potential landfill refuse into a coveted, world-renowned product. Both facilities utilize 100% recy- cled materials, and steam produced by the energy-efficient deconstruction of landfill garbage. This process created a linerboard product that redefines the packaging industry. Tough, flexible and light-weight, Greenpac XP linerboard is an industry first and a world-class revolution. PRODUCTS & CUSTOMERS Greenpac XP product is a revolutionary new linerboard that allows Cascades to enter markets that other recycling manufacturers cannot compete in. Cascades Containerboard Packaging brings more to the table than just ordinary brown boxes by innovatively designing packaging solutions in a variety of shapes and sizes, to protect, ship or maxi- mize the point-of-sale visibility of its clients’ products. Altogether, Cascades puts the emphasis on innovation in the packaging industry. The Company encourages its cus- tomers to rethink the box-building process. The passion for systemic sustainability attracts new customer relation- ships and future business consistently. COMMUNITY Cascades also uplifts people. For 30 years, the Company has offered stable careers in Niagara Falls in the manu- facturing industry. In conjunction with Greenpac Mill, over 300 jobs have been brought and kept locally to Niagara Falls, putting the city back to work. Cascades believes in hiring aptitude, and prides itself on employing individuals with the motivation to learn the business. The Company is proud to employ former teachers, fire fighters, veterans, college graduates, and more. Its employees have been given the tools and training to succeed, and they flavor the organization with unique viewpoints and creative problem-solving. This rich blend of know-how, experience and forward thinking has paired perfectly with Cascades’ philosophy. People who bring positivity and strong work ethics are always welcomed at Cascades.