What Does Expera Specialty Solutions Do?

Total employees193
HeadquartersKaukauna
Founded2013

Expera Specialty Solutions was a leading North American manufacturer of specialty paper products for the food packaging, industrial, and pressure-sensitive release liner markets. Formed in 2013 by KPS Capital Partners, LP through the combination of Thilmany Papers and Wausau Specialty Paper, Expera focused on delivering customized, high-performance paper solutions. In 2018, Expera was acquired by Ahlstrom-Munksjö (now Ahlstrom), integrating its operations and expertise into a global leader in fiber-based materials.

Where Is Expera Specialty Solutions's Headquarters?

HQ Function

Served as the corporate headquarters and a major manufacturing hub, specializing in the production of diverse specialty papers. It housed administrative offices, R&D, and extensive paper mill operations.

Notable Features:

Large-scale paper manufacturing facilities, likely including multiple paper machines and converting equipment. The site has a long history in the paper industry, particularly under the Thilmany name.

Work Culture:

Historically focused on manufacturing excellence, innovation in paper technology, safety, and quality control. A collaborative environment driven by customer-specific solutions, inherited from its legacy companies.

HQ Significance:

Historically, a cornerstone of Expera's operations, leveraging the rich paper-making heritage of the Fox River Valley region and its skilled workforce. Central to its R&D and production capabilities for specialty papers.

Values Reflected in HQ: Commitment to quality, innovation, customer-centricity, and industrial heritage. The scale and complexity of operations reflected a dedication to meeting demanding specialty paper needs for various industries.

Location:

Prior to its acquisition by Ahlstrom, Expera Specialty Solutions primarily operated and served markets within North America, with key manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin. While its direct global office presence was limited, its specialty paper products were utilized by customers in various international markets, particularly for food packaging and industrial applications. Since being integrated into Ahlstrom, these former Expera operations contribute to Ahlstrom's extensive global manufacturing footprint, sales network, and R&D capabilities, serving customers worldwide with advanced fiber-based solutions.

Street Address:

100 W Thilmany Rd

City:

Kaukauna

State/Province:

Wisconsin

Country:

USA

Where Else Does Expera Specialty Solutions Operate Around the World?

Rhinelander, Wisconsin/USA

Address: 100 W Davenport St, Rhinelander, WI 54501, USA

Leveraged Wisconsin's strong pulp and paper industry infrastructure and skilled workforce for specialized paper production, contributing significantly to Expera's release liner and packaging paper segments.

Mosinee, Wisconsin/USA

Address: 100 Main St, Mosinee, WI 54455, USA

Strategic location within Wisconsin's paper-making corridor, known for its expertise in producing high-quality technical and industrial papers, contributing to Expera's diverse product portfolio.

De Pere, Wisconsin/USA

Address: 800 S Sensenbrenner St, De Pere, WI 54115, USA

Enhanced Expera's capabilities in coated specialty papers and provided access to a skilled workforce in another key Wisconsin paper manufacturing area.

Buying Intent Signals for Expera Specialty Solutions

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Expera Specialty Solutions? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Expera Specialty Solutions' leadership includes:

Russ Wanke - President and Chief Executive Officer (at time of acquisition)
Daniel Dugal - Chief Financial Officer (at time of acquisition)
Jeff Verdoorn - Executive Vice President, Sales and Marketing (at time of acquisition)
Robyn Buss - Vice President, Human Resources (at time of acquisition)

Who's Investing in Expera Specialty Solutions?

Expera Specialty Solutions has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

KPS Capital Partners, LP (Founding investor that formed Expera Specialty Solutions by acquiring and combining Thilmany Papers and Wausau Specialty Paper)

What Leadership Changes Has Expera Specialty Solutions Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

As Expera Specialty Solutions was acquired by Ahlstrom-Munksjö (now Ahlstrom) in October 2018 and no longer operates as an independent entity, there have been no executive hires or exits specifically for 'Expera Specialty Solutions' in the last 12 months. Leadership changes for these operations now occur within the Ahlstrom corporate structure.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used byExpera Specialty Solutions?

Discover the tools Expera Specialty Solutions uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Expera Specialty Solutions Email Formats and Examples

Historically, Expera Specialty Solutions likely used common corporate email formats such as first initial followed by last name, or first name separated by a period from the last name, at the expera.com domain. Given its acquisition by Ahlstrom, any current business communication would use Ahlstrom's email domain (@ahlstrom.com). The following represents a plausible historical format for Expera.

flast@expera.com (e.g., jdoe@expera.com)

Format

rwanke@expera.com

Example

50%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Expera Specialty Solutions?

Ahlstrom-Munksjö Press ReleaseOctober 26, 2018

Ahlstrom-Munksjö completes the acquisition of Expera Specialty Solutions

Ahlstrom-Munksjö announced the successful completion of its acquisition of Expera Specialty Solutions, a U.S.-based specialty paper company, for an enterprise value of USD 615 million. The acquisition significantly expanded Ahlstrom-Munksjö's presence in North America and strengthened its offering in specialty papers, particularly in food packaging, release liners, and industrial papers....more

KPS Capital Partners Press Release (via Business Wire)June 3, 2013

KPS Capital Partners Creates Expera Specialty Solutions

KPS Capital Partners, LP announced that it created Expera Specialty Solutions, LLC by acquiring Thilmany Papers from Packaging Dynamics Corporation and the specialty paper business from Wausau Paper Corp. Expera was established as a leading North American manufacturer of specialty paper products with four manufacturing facilities in Wisconsin....more

Expera Specialty Solutions News (archived)July 19, 2017

Expera Specialty Solutions Invests to Expand Capabilities in Kaukauna

Expera Specialty Solutions announced significant investments in its Kaukauna, Wisconsin facility aimed at expanding its capabilities in producing niche specialty papers. This included upgrades to a paper machine to enhance product quality and flexibility for food and industrial packaging applications....more

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