|
|
References on Tom Paper******************************************************************** I have known Tom Paper since 1988, and we have worked together closely since 1998 in a variety of situations. In general, I know Tom to be intelligent, determined and of the highest integrity. Tom thinks like an owner and keeps the long-term objectives in mind, even when a situation is challenging. Tom’s determination to accomplish an objective is second to none. In Tom’s two years as CFO of Mendocino Forest Products, he took on the challenging job of designing and implementing a new financial accounting and reporting software and hardware system, and he led this team effort quickly and at a low cost; he led the effort to financially model and value a significant acquisition opportunity; he developed all of the company’s scorecards and reporting documents; he managed the company’s banking relationships; and provided valuable operational and personnel insights to me in the role as president of the Company. In all of these tasks, Tom excelled. In Tom’s four years as President of Premier Roasters, Tom took on a troubled situation and turned it into the best possible outcome. He refocused the business on profitable segments; he downsized and resized personnel; he re-located the business 1,000 miles without interruption to customer service; he creatively re-structured and re-financed the business on more than one occasion; finally, he successfully executed a sale under very difficult circumstances. Recently, Tom has demonstrated his strategic thinking capability by doing an excellent job of analyzing the many facets of a particular industry in terms of opportunities for growth. Tom has a strong combination of operational level tools, strategic capability and personal leadership, and he is someone that I can highly recommend. I remain happy to share specifics of the experiences Tom and I have shared together. Sandy Dean, Managing Member, Sansome Partners LLC, Duke University BS, Stanford Business School MBA, December 2004 ******************************************************************** It has been quite a while since we last spoke regarding Premier Roasters, LLC. You did such a terrific job there...I am quite sure you saved the secured lenders several million dollars while giving the investors every opportunity to succeed. If I never said it before, thank you for a job well done. Your current and future clients should feel very lucky to have the skill set you possess working for them. Tom Kinzel, Comerica Bank - May 2005 ******************************************************************** I worked with Tom Paper in 2004 when he was the architect of a major fundraising effort targeted at his class from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Tom took what had been a sleepy and mildly successful program and transformed it. This program is largely aimed at improved participation in giving, especially in non-reunion years. In a single year, Tom increased participation from 37% to 54% and increased dollars by 55%. Tom took a fresh approach, based on “network” theories he has recently studied, and recruited a team of 14 people from across the class in order to make a more personal and direct appeal. He crafted a clear and compelling message that was delivered by his team. Tom's particular talents made all the difference in the success of this fundraising program. Susan Beans, Class of 1990 Agent, Stanford University Graduate School of Business ******************************************************************** Your analysis was technically magnificent. We were able to determine key numbers...to kick start the program. Your analysis of the advertising was especially valuable. In this area we were not aware of the possibilities... Alan Gay, President, KPOS Positive Communications Corporation, August, 2004 ******************************************************************** I had the pleasure of working with Tom Paper from 2001 to 2004 as he headed a large coffee roasting company. Tom was my first boss after completing my undergraduate education and he truly shaped the way I think about and approach all of my professional endeavors. Through a relentless drive to succeed, while never undermining his integrity, he helped instill in me the values that I now know are the foundations of success both professionally and personally. There is no doubt that these characteristics coexist with high expectations of the people he works with. Tom took on every task with conviction and determination. Combining this with his strict attention to quantitative analysis and diverse professional career experiences truly make Tom one of the most well rounded professionals I have encountered. As a new professional, Tom gave me the ability to express my thoughts through my analysis and was always there to tell when I was veering of course and praise me when I was headed in the right direction. The road was not always easy but was always a road filled with mutual understanding and learning from one another (although truthfully I was doing most of the learning). Tom tackles every problem analyzing its impact on the business as a whole and through his vast experiences has tremendous foresight into the outcomes of decisions. Tom strived to be involved in every aspect of the business and gave me the opportunity to do the same. I don’t know of any of my peers that came close to having this type of all-inclusive experience with their first job out of college. Tom is a family man and he knows what is really important in life. That being said, he has given me a better understanding of how his professional strides have allowed him to be happy in and out of the office. Anybody that has the opportunity to work with Tom....will be impressed by the caliber of professionalism and experience he brings to the table. Justin Amirault, Colby College, February 2005 ******************************************************************** La Junta and the State of Colorado have experience with Tom Paper, the CEO. We watched him take on a floundering manufacturing plant and move it halfway across the country. That company, Lewis Bolt & Nut, is now one of the most respected employers in southeastern Colorado. Both the City of La Junta and the State of Colorado have been richly rewarded for financing the relocation of Lewis Bolt & Nut. Allison Cortner, Director of Economic Development, La Junta Development, Inc., 2002. ******************************************************************** This letter is in reference to our banking relationship with Thomas Paper and Lewis Bolt and Nut Company...The turnaround story of Lewis since leaving Minnesota and relocating to Colorado is one that any business (or banker) would be proud of. Tom Paper, in our opinion, was instrumental in orchestrating this turnaround through his management style and practices. From the outside looking in some of these would include:
Finally, the information received from Lewis is second to none. Monthly we receive a copy of a management report that discusses what is going on with the company along with graphs, charts and detailed financial information. It is comforting to know that management is keenly aware of everyting that goes on with their business. This is why Lewis has seen strong performance over the past five years that has awarded them a solid financial statement.
I would highly recomment Tom Paper to any business in need of financial or management consulting. His record speaks for itself as far as we are concerned.
Kevin S. McCarthy, Vice President, US Bank, 1999
******************************************************************** I worked for Tom from 1993 through 1995 at Lewis Bolt & Nut Co. Lewis Bolt was (and is) a small manufacturer of industrial fasteners (large bolts and spikes used in bridge and railroad construction). Tom was running the company and hired me out of college for a two year position, which he characterized as "like a management consulting analyst program," with the added benefit of an opportunity to implement proposals instead of just writing about them in a report. The company had just relocated from Minneapolis to La Junta, Colorado, and had an almost entirely new workforce. These facts interested me more than the more conventional Wall Street job I was considering, so I joined the company. I had no clear position or set of responsibilities when I arrived, which presented both challenges and opportunities. I worked with Tom to find a role where I could be a valuable member of the company, as well as where I could learn a lot. Tom sent me on sales trips, had me run part of the employee training program, and brought me in to work with him on ideas for automating parts of our operations. As a result, I gained a breadth of experience, an insight into the manufacturing process, and exposure to many aspects of small business. While this may sound like overstatement, much of my subsequent professional success has been due to what I learned during those two years. Tom was a demanding boss, and I grew up a great deal working for him, learning two important lessons. The first is that when you are creative and tireless, there is no unsolvable problem. I faced a wide variety of unfamiliar situations and issues in that job, and I learned to try anything to get them resolved. Second, I learned that ultimately, the only thing that matters is the result. When faced with a problem (like the possibility that a line could go down), you need to solve it, not make excuses for failing to do so. By all of this I do not want to suggest that Tom was a tyrant or even difficult to work with. We often socialized and even went camping together to hike one of Colorado's "Fourteeners," Blanca Peak. But he did take work seriously, and he expected people he worked with to do the same. If you are looking for that type of environment, you will profit a great deal from an experience with him. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me. C. Graham Gerst, Kirkland & Ellis LLP, Williams College, BA (February 2005) ******************************************************************** |