Georgia-Pacific’s Ron Wang Retires After Three Decades of Service

After a distinguished career spanning 26 years, Xuerong (Ron) Wang, a research scientist with Georgia-Pacific is retiring.

It was in 1998 when Wang began his career in the wood products industry. He was originally hired by Temple-Inland as a process engineer, but a few years later he would find his way to the lab where he would spend the next three decades as a research scientist.

Today Wang retires from this role where he was responsible for continuous process improvement, technical support, research and development on products, and process operation excellence.

According to Wang, his tenure in the wood products industry has been rewarding. “I really enjoyed working with the Georgia-Pacific facilities to improve processes via design of the experiment (DOE) to achieve manufacturing efficiency, competitive, and operation excellence,” said Wang.

Wang, who earned his PhD in Wood Science from Michigan Technological University, has a long list of accomplishments that continue to influence the industry; however, he is most proud of his contribution to the company’s particleboard business.

“The development and commercialization of the fire resistant MDF and particleboard conversion of the no-added formaldehyde products from UF/MUF was exciting,” said Wang.

David Thelen, Georgia-Pacific’s Area Manager of Oriented Strand Board and Composite Panels, agrees that Wang’s work continues to shape the direction of the company while contributing to its overall growth. “Ron has been an instrumental part of our company, making a lasting impact on the wood products industry through his leadership, expertise, and dedication,” said Thelen.

As Wang trades in his employee badge for a ticket to retirement, he and his wife Hui Shen, plan on traveling the world and spending more time with their two daughters.

After more than 26 years as a research scientist with Georgia-Pacific, Xuerong (Ron) Wang is retiring. Georgia-Pacific Diboll Particleboard Plant Manager Andrew Dover congratulates Wang on his contributions to the wood products industry.