Four Reasons We Love Working at Domtar

Oct 18, 2019 12:00 PM ET

We’re proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work® and listed as one of Canada’s Best Employers by Forbes. So why do people love working at Domtar?

Our colleagues say they appreciate Domtar’s commitment to environmental sustainability and community involvement. They also like that we make purposeful products and that we cultivate professional growth opportunities. Here’s what employees have to say about working at Domtar:

1. Environmental Sustainability

“I’m proud of the fact that Domtar is focused on sustainability at all levels of the company. It’s both a bottom-up and a top-down approach,” says Brian Kozlowski, a senior manager in sustainability. “Good environmental performance starts with having highly competent, experienced and committed environmental managers and engineers in our facilities. We are successful because of our dedicated employees and our collaboration.”

Domtar’s positive reputation for sustainability was a key reason Kozlowski, an environmental expert, joined Domtar six years ago. As part of the corporate sustainability team, he fosters ideas, connects people, reports on sustainability performance, develops strategies and engages with external stakeholders.

2. Community Involvement

Whether it’s a corporate-sponsored program or a locally driven initiative, Michelle Osborne regularly spearheads our Rock Hill converting site’s efforts to invest in the community. Just this year, the facility’s 53 employees have participated in more than 10 charitable events or activities.

“Domtar has programs related to literacy, education and health that we’re proud to support locally,” says Osborne, an administrative coordinator who helps plan projects that support the company’s Comfort and Care diaper assistance program and Powerful Pages events for literacy. Other activities have included hosting local students for a career day tour of the facility, organizing a PaperPal™ event to allow student and law enforcement officers to meet each other, and participating in the town’s educational grants committee.

Through our EarthChoice® Ambassadors activities and our new 1K Your Way program, we encourage and support our employees in their efforts to be good neighbors.

Being able to give back means a lot to Osborne, who works in inventory control. “I’m beyond grateful that I can help do these things,” she says. “Before I came to Domtar, I didn’t know what community involvement meant. Now I understand it’s not just about giving money; it’s about the personal connection.”

3. Purposeful Products

Kristin Bailey loves working at Domtar because we make products that enhance people’s lives.

Bailey works in our Personal Care division, which manufactures adult incontinence products and baby diapers. She started as a call center representative at Home Delivery Incontinence Supplies (HDIS) in Missouri in 2011 and now trains other representatives. She appreciates the role our Personal Care products, as well as books and the paper we make, play in people’s lives every day.

“At first I was uncomfortable talking about adult diapers and bladder control pads,” she says. “But then I began to appreciate how hard it is for people to live with incontinence. Our job is not about selling; it’s about building relationships and helping customers get their independence back.”

4. Growth Opportunities

For Lindsey Clifton, a process engineer at our Kingsport Mill, working at Domtar means she has access to opportunities that can help grow her career. “It started with my internship here in 2014, where I was given real responsibilities and learned a lot in a short period of time,” she says. Since becoming a full-time employee, those types of growth opportunities have multiplied.

Along with other engineers, Clifton attends on- and offsite technical training classes.  She’s also able to work on projects outside of her normal sphere of responsibility, such as leading an environmental project related to fiber loss and taking part in safety investigations.

But it’s the personalized support that means the most to her, including having a mentor for her first four years working at Domtar. “Leadership has been actively helping me get where I want to be in five years,” Clifton says.

For these reasons and more, our employees appreciate working at Domtar and helping to make the products people around the world rely on every day. Learn more about careers at Domtar.