Mr Connor was the founder of Stirling Fibre, Scotland's largest independent paper and plastics recycling business, which was formed in 1977 for the Inveresk Paper Co which needed waste paper for its Scottish mills. Prior to this Mr Connor worked in the Merchant Navy.
In 1995 the company was sold to Bridgewater Paper Co at Ellesmere Port, and it developed the procurement of up to 7,000 tonnes per week of newspapers and magazines for the newsprint mill in Ellesmere Port.
Mr Connor remained as managing director of Stirling Fibre and, in 1999, he purchased parts of the business back and the company was relocated to Croy near Kilsyth. The company has been run in recent years by Mr Connor with two other co-directors, his son Forbes and finance director, Stephen Nicol.
Community
In Scotland he was known for his involvement in the community having put £150,000 into local youth awards known as the John Connor Awards and he was also a strong supporter and funder of local rugby.
Mr Nicol at Stirling Fibre, said: “John will be sadly missed at work and for his involvement in the community. His death leaves us with a massive hole that has to be filled and we have the experience within the company to build on his legacy and to develop further.”
Generosity
Ron Humphreys, managing director of AbitibiBowater Recycling Europe (which is part of the Bridgewater Paper Co), said: “John was one of the leading lights of the industry, well-know in the recycling business not only for his knowlege and expertise, but also for his generosity. He was generous in his help in giving advice to people and was very much a philanthropist in Scotland.”
Mr Humphreys added: “John will be missed both in the industry and to many more and to me as a valued and dear friend.”
Mr Connor was also a long-serving member of the recycling council of the Confederation of Paper Industries.
Chris White, president of the CPI Recovered Paper Sector and a close friend, said: “The recycling industry has lost one of its great characters. John lived life to the full in every sense, a clever, hard but fair business man; an exceptionally generous person who gave without expecting favour; great company socially; an infectious dry sense of humour; and most of all a good friend. I know that he will be greatly missed by all of his colleagues in the industry and I would like to join with them in expressing our thanks for John's life and work. Recycling and particularly recycling in Scotland will be much poorer without him.”
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