King began his career with RockTenn in January of 1989 as a Safety Engineer and developed risk control processes for the company’s operating locations. During his career, he served in a variety of leadership roles throughout the company including: Vice President, Supply Chain; Director and later Vice President, Risk Management; Treasurer; Director, Environmental, Health and Safety; Senior Vice President, Safety & Health; and Chief Procurement Officer.

King started his studies in pre-med with the goal of entering the medical field. If you ask what motivated him to pursue a degree in safety, he will tell you a very personal story about his best friend being killed in a work-related incident. That experience changed him forever, and regardless of what his official title has been over the years, he has never given up his responsibility for safety and his desire to improve safety systems at RockTenn.

Other awards presented during the PPSA conference included: Distinguished Service Awards, the Innovator Award, the Award of Safety Excellence, Best One Year Safety Record, Most Improved, No OSHA Recordables, and No Lost Time Award.

Winners of some of the major awards included:

Distinguished Service Awards
- Chris Redfearn - Weyerhaeuser
- Dan Quarles - formerly of RiteHite

Safety Innovator Award
- RockTenn - St. Paul Mill

Award of Excellence
(Sponsored by RockTenn)

- Green Bay Packaging Inc. - Fiber Resources Division - Woodland Operations
- Mohawk Fine Papers - Elmira, NY - Specialty Operations
- RockTenn - St. Louis, MO - Recycle Collection Center

Best One Year Safety Record
(Sponsored by Pulp and Paper International Magazine)

- Domtar - Dubois, PA - Fine Paper Converting Plants
- Domtar - Marlboro, SC - Paper Mill Small
- Domtar - Ashdown, AR - Paper Mills Large
- Green Bay Packaging Inc. - Slitting - Coated Products
- Green Bay Packaging Inc. - Pinecrest Division - Sawmills
- RockTenn - PORTAGE-DU-FORT,QBE - Other Paper Converting
- RockTenn - Syracuse, NY - 100% Recycle Mills
- RockTenn - Lynchburg, VA - Building Products
- RockTenn - Queretaro, Mexico - Corrugated Box Plants with Corrugators
- RockTenn - Spartanburg, SC - Corrugated Box Plants Without Corrugators (Sheet Plants)
- RockTenn - Milwaukee, WI - Corrugated Sheet Feeder Plants
- RockTenn - Claremont, NC - Folding Carton Plants
- RockTenn - Fernandina Beach, FL - Paper Mill Medium
- RockTenn - Columbus, OH - Recycle Collection Center
- RockTenn - Richmond, BC - Specialty Operations
- RockTenn - Saltwell Chip Mill - Woodland Operations
- Weyerhaeuser - Oglethorpe, GA - Pulp Mill

Most Improved
(Sponsored by Weyerhaeuser)

- Domtar - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX - Fine Paper Converting Plants
- Domtar - Johnsonburg, PA - Paper Mill Small
- Glatfelter - Chillicothe, OH - Paper Mill Large
- Green Bay Packaging Inc. - Kalamazoo, MI - Corrugated Box Plants with Corrugators
- MeadWestvaco - Cottonton, AL - Sawmills
- RockTenn - Cincinnati, OH - 100% Recycle Mills
- RockTenn - Neenah, WI - Corrugated Box Plants Without Corrugators (Sheet Plants)
- RockTenn - Hazleton, PA - Folding Carton Plants
- RockTenn - Pickering, Ontario - Other Paper Converting
- RockTenn - West Point, VA - Paper Mill Medium
- RockTenn - Anchorage, AK - Recycle Collection Center
- RockTenn - Orlando, FL - Specialty Operations
- RockTenn - Rooster Bridge Chip Mill - Woodland Operations
- Weyerhaeuser - Grande Prairie, AB - Pulp Mill

The Pulp and Paper Safety Association (PPSA) is the only association focused on safety for the forest products industry and has the objective of "bringing the industry home safe." For more information on PPSA, go to: www.ppsa.org.