MOSES LAKE - International Paper Account Manager Mike Sandmann was honored with the company's 2010 Container the Americas Sales and Marketing Award of Excellence. 

Sandmann, of the Moses Lake box plant, was among 23 winners recognized recently during a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. 

The honorees represented a total sales worth of $3.4 billion, he stated this week.

His wife, Wendy, also attended the ceremony.

He was credited for attracting a large piece of business to the company, after eight years of efforts. 

He called the success "significant" because the client would typically be considered a national account. Instead they were able to work it through a local level, he commented.

Another factor was the new client's 12-year supply agreement with a large competitor. To conquer this, Sandmann convinced the customer to try International Paper specialty products. 

He also started a recycling program for the new client and introduced them to International Paper "innovations like Climaguard medium to improve margins and long term stacking strength," Sandmann explained.

"The win involved hundreds of different boxes, labels and prints, at several customer locations across the United States and even into Canada," he stated. "It also involved seven different International Paper box plants to this point and an 800 mile shipping distance." 

As a result, sales increased by 93 percent and more employees were hired at the Moses Lake and Yakima box plants, he stated.

Sandmann is a graduate of Washington State University and Moses Lake High School.

He was first hired by Willamette Industries and went on to work for Weyerhaeuser when it acquired the company.

Finally he became an International Paper employee when Weyerhaeuser was sold.

"The 2010 year was an incredible year for me," he explained. "I couldn't have been as successful without the love and support of my thoughtful wife Wendy."

He was away from home about 60 nights in the first half of 2010, which he called difficult because their son, Austin, was a high school senior.

Even so, Mike was able to see Austin crowned homecoming king.

International Paper is a publicly traded company which makes uncoated papers and industrial and consumer packaging. 

The company also has a distribution in North America called xpedx, retailing printing, packaging, graphic arts, maintenance and industrial products.