SAN FRANCISCO, CA - December 12, 2007 - New Leaf Paper announced that it has won 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&reg 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 www.newleafpaper.com.

New Leaf Paper

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® certified renewable wind energy certificates. New Leaf Paper products range from luxurious finishes to offset papers, and its customer list includes printers and designers, Fortune 100 companies and preeminent nonprofit organizations. For more information, please call New Leaf Paper at (888) 989-5323 or visit www.newleafpaper.com.

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