From: Tom Murray President & CEO Wisconsin Paper Group, Inc. (parent of WPG Shippers Association) Subject: 2009’s Whirlwind Economy Affected All of Us

The leading business news story of 2009 was the continued slumping national economy. Wisconsin Paper Group’s key market segments endured substantial reduction of orders which drove our customers’ production to under-performing manufacturing levels and diminished shipments. In order to offset overall this declining volume and revenue, WPG made structural changes internally to gain efficiencies throughout our processes.

WPG management made several operational and procedural changes during the year. Staffing levels were reduced, reporting structure revamped, responsibilities restated, and business focus redefined. We identified our weaknesses, built on our strengths and managed our controllables. Several new metrics were introduced and deliverables identified and discussed with employees.

Tangible results of the restructuring were not realized until well into the 2^nd half of 2009 and are still ongoing. Due to the newly implemented cost containment and enhanced business awareness, WPG made a strong financial recovery in the 4^th Quarter.

Our WPG staff’s attention to detail, control of costs, and teamwork paid off as we realized a strong operational finish for the year. This turnaround seemed unreachable at the mid-year point.

Kudos to all WPG Members and employees for being the key part of this achievement. Change is difficult to implement, especially before realizing or understanding the crux of the effort. For any game plan to be successful, it takes each player to correctly execute the play. Our WPG team played this to near perfection in an unstable market.