Cascades

Founded in 1964, Cascades is in the business of producing, converting and marketing packaging, tissue and paper composed mainly of recycled fibres. The company employs some 11,000 people in over 100 facilities throughout North America and Europe.

The concept of “sustainable development” is very real at Cascades – in fact, it is a way of life. It has been the heart of Cascades’ management philosophy from the very beginning near 50 years ago, and long before it became a “politically-correct” position for corporations seeking approval from governments or environmentalists. “Innovation” is an equally important concept in the mix, one that ensures the company’s leadership. Last but not least, our business approach allows for a participative management style, making all employee contributions a vital part of our success.

We are frequently looking for skill sets from various areas of expertise:

Procurement
Administrative Support
Environmental Policies & Procedures
Accounting/Finance
Legal
Production & Maintenance Management
Engineering
Sales & Marketing
Human Resources
Health and Safety
Technical Services
Information Technology
Logistics and Transport
Customer Service Relations
Production, Maintenance & Trucking

Creating INNOVATIONS The open-minded management approach at Cascades fosters an atmosphere of trust which paves the way for new ideas. By recognizing and encouraging inspiration in its many forms, employees feel free to express their suggestions in countless ways, too numerous to mention. As a precursor to our spirit of innovation, initiative is the key value we seek from employees who want to explore new horizons. Words and phrases such as “a mover and shaker”, “pro-active” and “a go-getter” are often used to describe our most successful contributors. Employees propose, implement and plan new ways of doing business, making a commitment to improvements as the situation requires. Obviously, our employees are often in the best position to recognize emerging needs and to intuitively come up with the best solutions. Innovation is truly nurtured by fostering our employees’ adaptability and through maintaining a flexible corporate structure. To help great ideas become successful in reality, Cascades also puts into place multidisciplinary specialist groups to support the company’s various units, particularly in North America:

• Information Technology Centre : http://www.cascades.com/profile/centres-expertise/information-technology-centre
• Cascades Engineering and Projects : http://www.cascades.com/profile/centres-expertise/engineering-and-projects
• Research and Development Centre : http://www.cascades.com/profile/centres-expertise/research-and-development
• Energy Action Group : http://www.cascades.com/profile/centres-expertise/energy-action-group
• Skills Development Centre : http://www.cascades.com/profile/centres-expertise/training
• Environment Department : http://www.cascades.com/profile/centres-expertise/the-environment-department

EMPOWERED with energy

Through being consulted, involved, invited to participate or just listened to, our employees feel that they are an important part of Cascades’ success, and that they truly make a difference. We believe in equality for all individuals, and we express this belief by investing in consultation and negotiation rather than imposing rules and regulations.

To make all this possible, Cascades’ organizational structure comprises autonomous and independent units managed as profit centers. Local teams are responsible for each unit’s performance, meaning that every effort, each decision and all initiatives have a direct effect on the results of these ‘’small businesses within the big business’’. We value autonomy for both individuals and unit management teams.

Sharing is the foundation for empowerment: Sharing information, sharing common interests, and profit-sharing. Cascades recognizes that each employee participates directly in the success of the company; as a result a portion of the company’s benefits is redistributed bi-annually. In 2010, as an example, this recognition took on the form of approximately 38 million dollars.

According to Cascades, commitment and loyalty are solid links that are considerably stronger without closed-door policies or a rigid hierarchical structure. We are proud of our open-door policy and a commitment to freely-flowing information. Our hierarchical structure is flexible, adaptable and minimized to facilitate and stimulate transparent exchanges. Management is accessible, relations among all teams are open, and fruitful communication without any barriers is the “norm”. We are real people working together for real success.

Among the many values that comprise the Cascades corporate philosophy, six of them are crucial to any interested candidates. Our employees share these fundaments and put them into practice daily:

• Respect
  
• Teamwork
  
• Autonomy
  
• Adaptability
  
• Initiative
  
• Communication

Inspired by Sustainable Development

Respect for the environment, our employees, and the communities within which we work is not just a promise on paper at Cascades -- it is truly a way of life that is anchored in the company’s sea of values. We are “Green by Nature”, through and through.

Cascades is the only papermaker in North America with a team of energy efficiency specialists in various fields who are dedicated to energy efficiency, wastewater, solid waste, soil, air, proper regulation and sustainable development. These specialists oversee the company’s ongoing achievements in this area, and record our continued success in reducing energy costs and increasing energy efficiency.

Cascades is also one of North America’s top five collectors of waste paper -- recycled fibres count for an impressive 75% of our total consumption of fibre and pulp in 2010. We boast a variety of ecologic certifications in the USA, including:

• EcoLogo Certification (PCE-77),
  
• Processed Chlorine-Free Certification (PCF)
  
• Chlorine Free Products Association (CFPA)
  
• The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC^®)
  
• Green Seal^MD

In September of 2010, Cascades received confirmation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that our USA mills are approved Energy Star® partners. This rating recognizes our commitment to meeting the highest performance standards set forth by the EPA.

In addition, the company takes advantage of Green-e® certified renewable energy credits in the USA, thus offsetting most greenhouse gas emissions associated with electricity consumption. As a result, we were able to eliminate an emission volume of 11,125 metric tonnes in 2009, which is the equivalent of the reduction you would achieve by not driving a car for 44 million kilometres, or the benefit of planting three million new trees.

Assistance to our communities and sustainable development go hand-in-hand at Cascades; the company donates more than $5,200,000 every year to hundreds of organizations in North America and Europe. We hope to continue our generosity in this area, and strengthen our commitment to this cause.

Cascades offers a multitude of career opportunities: Over 14 areas of expertise lead to some 320 different positions. By encouraging growth and promotion from within, ambitious employees can fast-track their careers vertically or horizontally. More than 39% of positions are filled internally, and an objective of 70% of internal promoting has been established for filling key positions in the next years. Getting in on the ground now would be ideal timing for people considering a long and fruitful career at Cascades.

To encourage employees to continuously self-improve, Cascades puts $11,000,000 every year into training projects, equal to an investment of 297,000 hours.

When you truly believe in the full potential of the future, you eagerly take on the challenge of pushing your own limits to go further than ever before. When you are surrounded by talented, like-minded individuals, you are inspired to become involved, work together, and “succeed as one”.

From its inception, the success of Cascades has relied on employees who were renowned for their willingness to be involved. In 1964, several families in Centre-du-Québec (a small region in Canada’s province of Quebec) found themselves on precarious financial footing, and together they nurtured the hope of improving the community’s situation. Antonio Lemaire and his three sons took over an out-of-work mill in Kingsey Falls and officially began producing paper made from recycled fibres. Cascades emerged as a corporate entity when the members of this small community joined forces to consolidate its foundation. Their collective passion and commitment to teamwork was the beginning of Cascades’ impressive success story.

Today, with teams made up of more than 11,000 individuals, this close collaboration between our people continues to be a very real driving force.