“The story of M&O and Boise is inseparable from that of International Falls — as sturdy and vibrant as Bronko Nagurski; as durable as the boreal forests from which its very being is derived and upon which a whole industry depends.”
The eloquence flowed from U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar, now in his 18th term and the longest-serving member of the United States Congress. He spoke to about 150 area leaders invited to a Boise Inc. breakfast program Friday at AmericInn, kicking off the 100th anniversary celebration of papermaking in International Falls.
An early morning drizzle had attendees darting from their cars under umbrellas but the mood inside was merry. Among the crowd and tables adorned with lilies and evergreens was a notable lineup of speakers — Minnesota’s Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Oberstar, Boise Chief Executive Officer Alexander Toeldte, local mill Manager Bert Brown, and Public Affairs Director Bob Anderson — who prepared to deliver remarks on a century of papermaking. Also in attendance were state Sen. Tom Saxhaug and state Rep. Tom Anzelc, who would join other leaders later that morning to speak publicly in Smokey Bear Park.
Each introduced by Anderson, the remarks of these speakers centralized the themes of vision, community and cooperation.
President Theodore Roosevelt was signing an order to establish Superior National Forest at the same time E.W. Backus was seeing greater opportunities for his investments, said Oberstar, but the lumber baron launched a whole new industry that saved the face of the northland.
“The mill is the life blood not only of the community, but the region ...,” he said, adding that 1,130 Minnesota jobs depend upon this mill which produces 1,500 tons of paper per day with a $60 million annual payroll.
Oberstar, a native of Chisholm, drew laughter from the crowd when he keenly recalled that way back when he was a student, International Falls beat his team in a high school match. “There is something rugged about International Falls,” he extolled, noting that 100 years is also the story of the people on whose shoulders and creativity the mill was built.
He recalled knowing the local George Amidon, “a consummate forester with his grand mustache and chocolate hair, who could navigate a boat through Namakan Narrows at ten o’clock at night and knew where every rock was.” But Amidon also knew every tree in the forest by first name, Oberstar mused.
He praised Anderson for his civic devotion and being “the voice of the mill for half of its existence.” He memorialized Irv Anderson — “a mill employee who became speaker of the Minnesota House.” Facing the audience with that statement, the senior statesman then turned around and postured to other politicians in the lineup: “You understand that?”
He saluted the late Bob Walls, who he said forged relationships between labor and management and through good will kept productivity at an exceptionally high level.
Oberstar concluded by stating that whatever the unknowable future holds, the spirits of the founders will continue to “infuse mill workers with love for their craft ...,” and they will “nurture this extraordinary renewable resource,” which he projects will continue long “after the iron mines and our hydrocarbons are gone.”
Local mill Manager Brown welcomed the group saying that he appreciated the “outpouring of support from the people in this room,” and also acknowledged the presence of former state Sen. Bob Lessard. Brown thanked paper mill customers, recognizing several representatives in attendance.
He is especially proud of the safety record of the mill, he said, noting awards and a collective conscientiousness about sustainability which has kept the plant here 100 years. He synopsized the long journey since papermakers worked with bare feet and no shirts as was captured in an historical image on the cover of the new book, “The Mill at the Falls.”
Brown thanked the many community members as well as officials who have stood beside the mill. “We look forward to the future as we face it together.”
CEO Toeldte recognized Friday’s celebration first and foremost as a community event. He said the company recognizes all people who live in “the community in which we are allowed to operate, and that we serve.”
“Clearly, we own the mill, but, you know, companies change,” Toeldte, who speaks with an engaging European accent, said. He acknowledged that the company he runs, when it comes to a legal entity, is only two years old. While it has deep and long roots in many other forms, he said, “this is a celebration here in International Falls.”
Toeldte cited some gigantic differences in today’s lifestyle from those of people who lived 100 years ago when two of every 10 couldn’t read or write; the tallest world structure was the Eiffel Tower; and life expectancy in America was 47 years.
There have been great changes in the mill environment, he said, adding that whatever is being produced 100 years from now, the “important piece will be that people care about each other, work together and care about sustainability.”
“It’s no news that the last two years have been incredibly tough ... ,” he said, “the closest thing to the Depression.” He thanked officials who have been supportive to the industry with decisive actions which have helped it survive, such as Oberstar’s work on fuel tax credits.
Toeldte reminded the gathering that while the papermaking industry might be less fashionable; it’s the same size as the automobile industry — it just doesn’t have a dealer on every corner.
“We are very proud of you and grateful for a 100-year story,” the 39th governor of Minnesota, Pawlenty told the audience.
Holding the new book about the mill, the governor said he had been flipping through it and saw the universal elements of success in this local papermaking story. He identified such things as the ability to envision a different potential, a willingness to risk both natural and financial capital, and “a lot of hard work because not much success in life comes without it.”
He added that throughout the history of the local mill, there is a story about both private and public relationships, as well as about giving back. Minnesota has benefited from what this plant has given back, he said.
“This is the story of the ingredients that make businesses, communities, states and ultimately nations and societies successful,” he said.
Pawlenty then brought down the house with the offhand remark that he had never before realized that “Congressman Oberstar was actually here at the beginning of this plant!”
More seriously, Pawlenty asked the audience to think about the different reasons that people love Minnesota, whether it be fishing or hunting or the Vikings or community work — “the incredible mosaic of life activities that bring people joy.”
Although Minnesotans taunt their quality of life, Pawlenty said, they very much enjoy it. “But it takes access to resources, in other words, you can’t enjoy most of those things unless you have a job ... A job is a pathway to almost everything that Minnesotans describe as a quality of life experience.
“So I want to say to Boise and to the predecessors of this mill: What you’ve also done is provide generations and generations of Minnesotans with an access to a job, a pathway to a quality of life experience so they can live in this area ... a most beautiful part of our state and our nation ...”
Pawlenty closed by reading, in part, his proclamation designating the day as “Boise Paper International Falls Day” in the state of Minnesota.
