Bill Kahn has announced his retirement after 22 years as Vice President and General Manager of Harper/Love Adhesives Corporation. Bill Joined Harper/Love in 1993. This position capped a successful 50-year career in the corrugating industry.
Mr. Kahn commented, “I have been very fortunate to have worked for only 3 companies in my career. Two of these were paper companies that have changed names many times; neither of those companies exist anymore. I am also fortunate that I have never been fired or demoted and have worked for and with a lot of great people over the years. I have survived fires, boiler explosions, wildcat strikes, and a shooting. I’m a stronger person for the experience.”
Bill began his career in 1965 with Hoerner Waldorf (Container Division) in St. Louis, Missouri. With this company he rose from an hourly production worker to an industrial engineer.
In 1977, Mr. Kahn moved to Westvaco Corporation as a staff engineer in New York, New York. During his 16 years with this company, he also served as production manager, manager of engineering, and, ultimately, as manufacturing and technical service manager.
Bill is proud of his involvement with TAPPI since 1978. He has been a member of many committees, and served as chairman of the Corrugated Division in 1997. In 2005, he received the TAPPI Leadership and Service Award for the Corrugated Division.
Bill concluded, “August 23, 2015 marks 22 wonderful years at HLA for me. It has been a great place to work and I have enjoyed the talents and efforts of a lot of fantastic people. I can truly say that I loved my time here!”
Mr. Kahn earned his B. S. in Engineering at Southern Illinois University, in Edwardsville, Illinois. He was on the Dean’s List 3 years.
He served with the U. S. Army in Vietnam as an infantry sergeant.
He will be sorely missed at Harper/Love. All of his friends, co-workers and colleagues wish Bill and Patti the very best in the years to come….time with family that includes five wonderful grandchildren.
