“Green Bay is the place where tissue is king,” says E80 Group North America president

In today’s Talk Tissue, Brian Uzcategui spoke with William “Bill” Nelson, President of E80 Group North America, about his career in the tissue industry, the evolution of automation in converting plants and the upcoming Tissue Summit North America. 

During the conversation, Nelson, a Green Bay native, recalled the start of his career at Fabio Perini in 1989, where he specialized in packaging, and the three years he spent in Bologna, Italy, responsible for worldwide sales and customer service at Casmatic. In 2005, he joined E80 Group as the fourth employee of its first North American affiliate, opened in Chicago the year before. Today, the company has more than 500 people across the United States and Mexico. 

Another topic discussed was the partnership between E80 Group and Sofidel, which dates back to the late 1990s. Nelson explained how the two companies developed a new approach to converting plant design, replacing U-shaped layouts with linear ones and planning facilities with future expansion in mind. He highlighted integration as the most important aspect of the concept, with equipment communicating with each other and laser guided vehicles (LGVs) moving products from the rewinders through palletizing and stretch wrapping. The partnership continues today with a new phase of expansion at Sofidel’s plant in Inola, Oklahoma. 

Finally, the conversation turned to the Tissue Summit North America, which has E80 Group as a platinum sponsor. Nelson encouraged professionals across the North American tissue industry to attend, stressing the importance of more open dialogue between producers and suppliers. The first edition will take place on November 2 and 3, 2026, at the KI Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with space for around 300 attendees. Attendance is free for professionals working at tissue mills, with lunch on both days and cocktails after the first day.