The Key To Attracting Top Talent In The Corrugated Industry BY ROY OBERG As a young guy starting out in my career, my value proposi- tion to the corrugated industry was energy and eagerness. I was motivated, hard-working, and blissfully clueless. Les-
to take risks. Who can remember Roger Stone, Bill Swee- ney, Marvin Pomerantz, Dave Levy, Steve Klinger, Dennis Meheil, or Pat Maley? The industry today is different; not better or worse, just different. Part of that difference can be attributed to tech- nology. Automation and electronics are woven into virtually every part of the industry. Corrugators widths are up to 132 inches; flexos and die cutters now run at speeds and preci- sion that were unthinkable to earlier generations. Comput- erized data points and spreadsheets now influence virtu- ally every function in the facility. Box plants today produce corrugated packaging in volumes that more than doubled over the last 30 years with lower headcounts, better safety records, and better quality. Progress, indeed. Now, 40 years later, I’m the old guy. My role at Oberg and Associates, LLC has evolved into training, mentoring, and counselling my team. However, my value proposition to the corrugated industry has not changed. It has evolved, just as the industry has evolved. This evolution keeps me humble and grateful to participate. That said, I believe that there are some components in this corrugated landscape that have remained the same. From my desk, I believe that the biggest opportunity for any company success is its’ ability to attract and retain high value people. People, like companies, are motivated to act in their own best interests. A company’s focus on stability, profitability, and market share allows them to fi- CONTINUED ON PAGE 46
sons were learned through con- tinuous effort, successes and fail- ures, mentoring, and perspective. Show up early, stay late, go the extra mile, bring value to everyone you interact with. Talk to everyone. Learn from everyone. Keep your eyes on the horizon. Stay humble and grind out results.
Roy Oberg
Back then, the industry was full of companies that no longer exist. There was Gaylord Container, Temple Inland, Macmillan Bloedel, Weyerhaeuser, Willamette, Stone Con- tainer, and Jefferson Smurfit. Those plants were full of 87-inch corrugators, letter press printing, and hand stacking sheets. There were no computers to create samples, to schedule the corrugator, to maintain roll stock inventories, or calculate waste fig- ures. Everything was done manually with legacy experi- ence that existed in the plant. These plants and corpora- tions had leadership that was entrepreneurial and willing
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99 PROBLEMS. FINDING TALENT SHOULDN'T BE ONE. Let Oberg and Associates, LLC do that for you.
DISCREET + CONFIDENTIAL Your next move doesn't need an audience. RELATIONSHIP-FOCUSED You're worth more than a transaction. EVERYTHING CORRUGATED Serving the full corrugated industry — from Converters to OEMs.
INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED Over 30 years will do that to you. BREATHE EASY Move forward with certainty of outcome.
WE PROVIDE THE TALENT THAT FUELS THE CORRUGATED INDUSTRY. LET'S TALK TALENT.
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44 September 28, 2026
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