Flexo’s Future
Katie Graham Marketing and Communications Manager Pamarco As the marketing manager for a major supplier within the packaging industry, I’m on the front lines of what’s happen- ing now and what will be happening soon.It’s my job to help bring us into the
future and I’m here to tell you: the outlook is bright for those who commit to this industry.The horizon is full of advancements in technology and capital spending, not to mention the consumer purchasing habits; these are just a few of the things happening right now that fuel change. Our industry is a bustling, steadily growing market where opportunities abound. Yet, there is a reality that must be addressed: The current core of industry lead- ership is looking to retirement; this means that finding, training and empowering the next generation is critical to provide the human resources to sustain growth.While leaders within the industry today are well-experienced, there is a widening gap that leaves the door wide open for beginners and for workers already in the field. With the promise of a great future, long term job stability, and a clear career path for personal growth, there is potential to spare for a motivated individual. Because of the widening gap between experience and newcomers, however, those in positions of leadership must aggressively focus on developing the next gener- ation of production professionals, skilled machine oper- ators, plant managers, etc. In other words, in order to continue our current course of stable growth and to take hold of the ever-increasing promise for the expanding flexo industry,we need to bridge that gap — technology and capital spending alone won’t get us there. But how can we affect that change?The most important ways that I see this happening are education, collaboration, and in- formation sharing. In terms of education,we can provide details about open positions and general industry infor- mation to local schools as a way to alert potential em- ployees to the wealth of possibilities within our industry. But word of mouth is still the greatest form of support we have to offer — real people sharing real stories with their coworkers, friends and family. This is a close-knit community, so invitations in are a big deal. Collaboration needs to happen through things like conventions or other workforce events that promote bringing together people from all areas of the industry. And we need to increase the opportunities for continued education and information sharing that energize work- place momentum.Our trade torch is burning brightly, but the expertise and experience that lies with the core of its people needs to be handed down to the next generation. Who are you sharing your story with?
Flexo Market News May 27, 2019 7
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