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Team
Rick Goddard
Tony Downs
Mike Phillips
Rick Goddard
Rick Goddard
Chief Executive Officer
Rick brings a wealth of experience to Central Valley Circular Mills, with a career spanning military service and decades in the paper and packaging industry. Rick’s journey began with service in the United States Marine Corps, followed by over 30 years in the corrugated papers and packaging industry. His expertise spans Operations, Sales, and General Management, gained through work with both leading national paper companies and independent operators. Throughout his career, Rick has managed the construction and launch of multiple corrugated paper packaging facilities in California’s Central Valley. Notably, as the former CEO of Cal Sheets, he led what was, at the time, one of California’s largest corrugating sheet producers.
Chief Executive Officer
Rick brings a wealth of experience to Central Valley Circular Mills, with a career spanning military service and decades in the paper and packaging industry. Rick’s journey began with service in the United States Marine Corps, followed by over 30 years in the corrugated papers and packaging industry. His expertise spans Operations, Sales, and General Management, gained through work with both leading national paper companies and independent operators. Throughout his career, Rick has managed the construction and launch of multiple corrugated paper packaging facilities in California’s Central Valley. Notably, as the former CEO of Cal Sheets, he led what was, at the time, one of California’s largest corrugating sheet producers.
Tony Downs
Tony Downs
Chief Commercial Officer
Tony brings over three decades of experience in the paper industry to Central Valley Circular Mills. Throughout his career, Tony has played a pivotal role in developing sustainable paper mill projects in both Australia and the United States. His expertise lies in the commercial aspects of mill construction and operations, having been instrumental in several such projects. Prior to joining Central Valley Circular, Tony held a leadership position at Visy Industries, a member of the Pratt Industries family of companies. There, he was responsible for managing global paper sales exceeding 800,000 tons annually, demonstrating his prowess in large-scale operations and international market dynamics.
Mike Phillips
Mike Phillips
Chief General Counsel
Mike Phillips brings four decades of legal experience, specializing in transaction work
for information technology companies. His career experience includes regional
California law firm Hopkins & Carley and three-plus decades with international law firm
Morrison and Foerster LLP, where he served as lead counsel on over 200 venture
financings, 100 acquisitions, 25 public stock offerings, and numerous joint venture and
strategic alliance relationships. His distinguished career included advising sustainable
packaging companies such as CalSheets, which was one of California’s largest
corrugated sheet producers. Recently, Mike transitioned from full-time law practice to
consult for early-stage technology companies, including Central Valley Circular. A Bay
Area resident, he also volunteers as a board member of Life Services Alternatives of
San Jose, California.
Rick Goddard
Chief Executive Officer
After a successful career in the United States Marine Corps, Rick has since gained over 30 years of experience in Operations, Sales and General Management in the corrugated papers and packaging industry for both the nation’s leading paper companies and independent operators. He managed the building and start-up of several corrugated paper packaging facilities in California primarily in the Central Valley. The former CEO of Cal Sheets, Rick led what was, at the time, one of the largest corrugating sheet producers in California.
Tony Downs
Chief Commercial Officer
Tony comes to Central Valley Circular with over 30 years of experience in the paper industry. Tony has been involved in building several sustainable paper mill projects in both Australia and the USA, with key responsibilities in the commercial aspects of each mill’s construction and operations. Previously Tony led all paper sales, over 800,000 tons per year, globally for Visy Industries, a member of the Pratt Industries family of companies.
Rick Goddard
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