teamdelfort

where passion meets paper: how Joe Kofler shaped delfort

Meet Joe Kofler

From Europe to across the USA, Joe Kofler has lived the delfort story around the world – and helped write some of its most defining chapters.

In this interview, the President of the delfort US office reflects on more than two decades of building brands, shaping values, and revolutionizing specialty paper. Joe shares how creativity, empathy, and collaboration have guided his journey – and why delfort has always been driven by passion.

Let’s discover what 20 years. 20 locations. One team. truly means through Joe’s perspective.

Name

Joe Kofler

Position

President of US office

Location

Charlottesville, Virginia

studies

packaging technology

team delfort since

23 years

Kitchen rule

homemade first

How did your delfort journey start, and where is it heading?

Honestly, it feels like it was yesterday! In true delfort style we are working at such an incredible speed, there's been little time to reflect. It’s been a beautiful 23 years. When I learned about the family owning Wattens Papier, I was hooked as my ancestors worked there, which seemed not only a coincidence, but a calling. Looking at past, present, and future, we've been based in Finland, Austria, Atlanta - USA, and now Charlottesville, Virginia.
We're literally revolutionizing paper. We are now the prominent force in grease proof papers for QSR, and baking. I’m also the President for a non-profit, GreenBlue / Sustainable Packaging Coalition. The plan is to keep growing, inspire our young leaders, and continue our legacy. Our work feels more like an act of passion rather than a job.

What inspired each step of your journey?

I’ve always loved art, for its storytelling, and ability to inspire. Thankfully my passion for both business and art naturally converged into a creative career path of packaging technology:

The delfort ownership team approached me about a Marketing Director position in Tervakoski, Finland.
After creating the award‑winning Paper is Better campaign, I was later promoted to our Austrian headquarters to work on our new corporate founding and marketing strategy.
After several successful years, I was asked to move to the New World – the USA.

I’ve been very fortunate to live and breathe my delfort work in several of its global locations. Over the years, my passion for our products, the relationships we’ve established, and the belief I have in our vision has only strengthened.

Joe in former delfort headquarters in Austria
Joe with thinprint in Austria

What was your role in bringing the delfort brand to life?

Ironically, the year we founded delfort in 2006 was also the year we welcomed our daughter, Aspen, into the world. At the time, I had just been appointed Marketing Director. The board and I had been shaping the mission for more than a year – it was absolutely surreal, as if we were about to conquer the world (which we ultimately did). My role was essentially to collaborate with our internal team and agency through a series of workshops defining our core values, corporate identity, and design. The rest is history.

What values shaped delfort – and how did you live them?

Great question, we identified 4 core values as:

Performance: You might expect me to talk about our technical capabilities and our paper, and yes, it’s a fact that we have superior-performing papers. However, what truly sets us apart is our US team. They are, without question, the best group I’ve ever worked with. Sure, we’re a bunch of misfits, but somehow the magic always comes together!
Empathy: One of the most remarkable experiences came together as a result of the unfortunate and tragic event when Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico. We have a close connection to the island as a prominent supplier, and essential items were so desperately needed since they were off the grid for months. Our local team, including my wife, Adele, and her friend, Gisela, launched the “C’ville for Puerto Rico” initiative. In no time, we had an entire 40-foot container loaded with donations! The care, empathy, and sense of making a huge difference in critical moments felt incredibly rewarding, and we were grateful for the support of HQ in making that happen.
Creativity: As a self-proclaimed artist, marketer, and sustainability enthusiast, I have many creative achievements. The ones I’m most proud of include the branding of delfort, leading our paperisbetter… and ThinkThin campaigns, and being a founding member of our packaging division. Watching our paper family grow from a business under €400 million to over €1 billion has been astonishing. Anyone who has ever worked with delfort knows that creativity is something we truly own!
Collaboration: We’ve had many collaborative successes however, our breakthrough moment came at the height of the pandemic. Not only did we launch ThinBarrier ECO FIT, but we also won several awards for our collaboration with Tim Hortons and McNairn. At the time, Canada had implemented a Single-Use Plastic Directive (SUPD). We took their existing three-layer paper/polyethylene bag, and replaced it with our bespoke 30gsm monolayer bag. This change removed 450 metric tons of polyethylene from the market and reduced their usage by 17%. As a result, they received not one, but two sustainability awards, and their customer satisfaction soared!

At delfort, loyalty and commitment are paramount, and those values are central to how I work and lead.

What is your favorite delfort product, and why?

That’s a challenging one – we have so many great innovations! I’d have to choose the one we regularly use at home namely, thinbake™ Pro Natural 21.5lb / 35gsm. We’re a real foodie family, and we prefer cooking and baking at home rather than eating out.
thinbake™ Pro Natural is incredibly robust, has phenomenal release properties, significantly reduces the need for water and soap, and can be reused up to seven times. And it goes straight into our compost!

What’s your secret sauce – and your advice for the next generation?

The first rule is simple: show up! Always bring energy and put a smile on your face – even on phone calls people can hear it in your voice. Go the extra mile, be creative, and find ways to stand out. Listen more and find the customer pain points that you can help with. Attention to detail is paramount. You’ll often hear older generations advising young people to “follow your passion”. I say, find something that genuinely interests you, and then turn it into your passion through hard work and curiosity. A lot of people assume the paper industry is boring. Believe me, it’s far from that. It’s fast-moving, innovative, and full of exciting challenges. When you dive in with the right attitude, even something that seems ordinary on the surface can become deeply rewarding and dynamic.

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