We took several initiatives in 1997 to fulfill our mission, including a reorganization of certain operations and several capital improvements. We moved to a dedicated carrier transportation arrangement, downsized, reorganized and merged the accounting functions of the recycling group with that of the mill, and made major management changes to the group. Our centrally located mill in New Jersey is certainly one of our key advantages over the competition. We are close to our raw material supply, which directly translates to lower transportation costs, especially when one considers that most of our competition for old newspaper comes from the Far East. In addition, our customers are concentrated in the major northeastern metropolitan markets, and therefore, we have the ability to provide short notice service to customers in these areas.
Improved efficiency is the heart of our strategic plan for growth.
We are continually looking for ways to make cost-effective improvements that allow us to increase the operating speed and efficiency of our existing paper machines. There are several areas with the potential for further improvement including production, sales, energy, and reduced solid waste losses.