New Leaf Paper Wins Fast Company Magazine and Monitor Group's Social Capitalist Award

New Leaf Paper Wins Fast Company Magazine and Monitor Group's Social
Capitalist Award
New Leaf Paper is one of 10 companies honored in Social Profit category

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- New Leaf Paper announced that it
has the coveted 2008 Social Capitalist Award from Fast Company magazine and
Monitor Group. This is the first year that Fast Company has awarded social
performance of for-profit companies, recognizing that social entrepreneurship
is not limited to the nonprofit sector. Companies are increasingly acting to
demonstrate and measure a positive impact on society, the environment, and
their workforces, and the magazine believes that those who commit to the
highest standards of social responsibility deserve recognition. For the 2008
awards, Fast Company selected New Leaf Paper as one of 10 winners in this new
Social Profit category.
"This year we've seen an explosion of diverse experiments that attempt to
bring new capital -- and capital-market dynamics -- to the realm of social
good," said Fast Company contributing writer, Keith Hammonds. "Through their
work, social entrepreneurs and businesses are raising the stakes, creating
both business and social impact, and changing old-style capitalism as we know
it."
According to the magazine, New Leaf Paper was selected to win the award
because the company's business activity both generates immediate environmental
benefits and serves the company's greater mission by pioneering markets and
shifting the behavior of its competitors.
"When I founded New Leaf Paper in 1998, the paper industry had
demonstrated a high resistance to change. With low margins, a commoditized
international market, and huge capital investment in the status quo, paper
companies resisted efforts to integrate sustainable principles into their
business practices," said Jeff Mendelsohn, founder and CEO of New Leaf Paper.
"New Leaf Paper is working to change this picture, leading a shift toward
sustainability in the paper industry by developing a unique approach to
business and embedding our social and environmental values into every product
line and every business relationship."
Fast Company cites New Leaf Paper's innovative strategy as helping to
solve the classic "chicken or the egg" dilemma in the paper industry, in which
both the supply side and the demand side of the market were unable to change
their behavior. Leveraging the strength and clarity of the company's mission,
New Leaf Paper has developed a market for truly environmentally responsible
papers and served this market through leading product innovation.
Fast Company partners with global consulting firm Monitor Group to
identify, evaluate, and celebrate top-performing organizations, assessing and
rating them on five critical components: social impact, entrepreneurship,
innovation, aspiration and growth, and sustainability, based on an application
that included two years of operating and audited financial data, a statement
of mission and objectives, and answers to a survey to assess strategy and
activities. Winners were selected by an independent advisory board of sector
experts. The winners, featured in Fast Company's December/January 2008 issue,
will be recognized at a ceremony at The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center,
on January 8, 2008.
About New Leaf Paper:
New Leaf Paper leads the paper industry in the development and
distribution of environmentally responsible printing and office papers that
compete aesthetically and economically with leading virgin-fiber products. New
Leaf Paper offers a selection of more than 30 coated, uncoated, and board
grade papers, many made with 100% post-consumer recycled content; its
inventory products are all made with electricity that is offset with
Green-e(R) certified renewable wind energy certificates. New Leaf Paper
products range from luxurious finishes to offset papers, and its customers
include printers, designers, Fortune 100 companies and preeminent nonprofit
organizations. For more information, please call New Leaf Paper at
(888) 989-5323 or visit http://www.newleafpaper.com.
About Fast Company magazine:
Founded in 1996 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, LLC,
award-winning Fast Company magazine (http://www.FastCompany.com) covers the
ideas, trends and visionaries that are sparking change and creating the future
of business. With a total paid circulation of 746,161, Fast Company explores
the profound innovation, creative breakthroughs, and best and "next" practices
that are driving the business world.
About Monitor Group:
Monitor Group is a leading global professional services firm working with
corporations, governments, and social-sector organizations to help them drive
growth. Employing over 1,500 people in 22 countries worldwide Monitor offers a
blend of advisory, capability building and capital services. Headquartered in
Cambridge, MA, Monitor can be reached at 617.252.2000 or on the web at
http://www.monitor.com
Contact: Kirsten Maynard, New Leaf Paper, 415.350.4147,
kirsten@maynardpr.com
Christina Duffney, Fast Company magazine, 212.389.5485,
cduffney@mvpub.com

SOURCE New Leaf Paper

Kirsten Maynard of New Leaf Paper, +1-415-350-4147, kirsten@maynardpr.com; or
Christina Duffney of Fast Company magazine, +1-212-389-5485,
cduffney@mvpub.com