James Baxter Porter III

James B. Porter Ill October 13, 1951 - December 3, 2025

James B. Porter Ill died December 3 at 4:15 pm at his home in Key Largo, Florida. Jim is survived by his wife, Pam Porter, his sister, Elizabeth (Betsy) Porter Rountree, his three children, Caleb Porter, of Boston, Elizabeth Porter Cavanaugh, Washington, DC, and Seth Porter of South Carolina, and his grandchildren, Colin, Jake, Stella, Monroe, Abraham, Willa and Eleanor. 

James B. Porter Ill was a distinguished leader in the global paper and packaging industry, renowned for his strategic vision and decades-long commitment to operational excellence. He built a 46-year career spanning forestry, containerboard, corrugated packaging, and global business development before retiring at the end of 2020.

Jim earned a bachelor's degree in forest management from the University of Missouri and completed graduate studies in business including the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, underscoring his commitment to both technical forestry knowledge and strategic business leadership. He began his career in the forestry and paperboard business with Menasha Corporation - working first in timberlands, later rising to general management withing Menasha's paperboard operations.

In 1993, Jim joined Southern Container and helped build the Solvay Paperboard Mill as Vice President. This mill ultimately had three paper machines with more than 800,000 tons of capacity and was one of the most efficient mills in the world at the time. Jim and his incredible team grew Southern Container into a very well-managed business - the best in the industry at the time.

As President and Chief Operating Officer of Southern Container, he oversaw operations during a pivotal era and in 2008, when RockTenn Company acquired Southern Container, Jim joined Rock Tenn's senior leadership team. Under his leadership, the company greatly expanded: what had been a roughly $2 billion-scale company at the time of acquisition grew into an industry heavyweight with about $18 billion in net sales over approximately a dozen years. Then after the merger of Rock Tenn and MeadWestvaco, becoming WestRock, Jim served as President of several key divisions - including Corrugated Packaging and Paper Solutions - and ultimately as President, Business Development & Latin America. In that role, he led global fiber procurement and oversaw WestRock's operations and expansion in Latin American markets (notably Brazil) and its joint-venture operations in Mexico with Grupo Gondi where he remained on their Board of Directors following his retirement.

Jim's many industry accolades include the following ...

In 2018, Jim was honored with the RISI Lifetime Achievement Award- a testament to his longterm impact in the packaging industry. In the same year, he was inducted into the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) 's Circle of Distinguished Leaders, marking his status among the top echelon of industry executives. He also received the Pulp and Paper Safety Association Executive Eagle award in 2017, and he is a past chairman of the Fibre Box Association. He is a past chairman of the Containerboard Sector of the American Forest and Paper Association and a past member of the Board of Directors for Corrugated Packaging Alliance, the International Corrugated Case Association and World Containerboard Association. Jim served on the boards of the American Forest Foundation, the Family Forest Impact Foundation and the Forest History Society. He was inducted into the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation's Circle of Distinguished Leaders, was a member of the Society of American Foresters and was an SAF Certified Forester.

Jim was devoted to building a strong culture supported by committed teams and consistent execution. He was known by his many team members throughout his career as a caring and supportive leader who encouraged each member's personal and professional growth in support of company success. His career demonstrated a rare blend of technical forestry knowledge, operational leadership, and strategic business development, making him a respected leader among both industry and conservation communities.

After retiring Jim dedicated time to conservation and sustainable forestry. He served on the board of environmental organizations such as the American Forest Foundation and the Forest History Society. Together with his wife, Pam and supported by his son, Seth, Jim actively managed a large tree farm under sustainable forestry practices - reflecting his lifelong commitment to stewardship of natural resources. They were recently honored with South Carolina, Southern Tree Farmer of the Year and have been nominated for National Tree Farmer of the Year.

In lieu of flowers please donate to the cancer society of your choice. Thank you very much!