ATA President Lauds Industry’s Efforts In Pandemic, Other Issues In his annual State of the Industry and Association Ad- dress, American Trucking Associations (ATA) President and CEO Chris Spear praised the industry’s efforts to keep the country moving through the Covid-19 pandemic and continued work to address issues critical to trucking. “Throughout this pandemic, truckers proved how we make a difference. There was no playbook. Yet our driv- ers are once again this industry’s most valuable players. You’re among an elite list of professionals that include sci- entists, first responders and healthcare providers,” Spear said. “When many in this nation sheltered in place, you maintained composure and answered the call.” Spear said ATA’s ability to remain aligned on key issues was critical to being at the table as key decisions are being made in Washington and around the country. “Despite playground politics, there’s reason to be opti- mistic. In the wake of it all, America responded… thanking truckers in every state, Congressional district and commu- nity in the country, he said. “Our image is what we make of it it’s who we are and how we want to be perceived. We need to ride the crest of this wave, steering each chal- lenge toward a favorable outcome.” A favorable outcome Spear called out as imminent was passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill in the House. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is an example of what’s possible when we tell our story,” he said, calling the bill a “historic” investment not just in our roads and bridges, but in developing the industry’s future workforce. Victories like the infrastructure bill are key to establishing ATA’s value to the industry, Spear said, but said the next step was growing the association and its influence. “Five years ago, ATA faced several challenges, most notably representing members on the issues that mat- tered most. We responded, creating new policy commit- tees and platforms that shape our story and strategies on Capitol Hill, before regulatory agencies and, in every state house in the country. “Alignment was key, and today we understand why. The weight placed on the supply chain expands well be- yond our shores, where container displacement, weeks of backlog as ships wait to be unloaded, chassis and chronic worker shortages, layered with pipeline hacks, a shrinking supply of chips and sensors, natural disasters and, of course, COVID itself. It makes one question how much more weight can the supply chain withstand before it starts to crack or even crumble. “ATA is not, nor ever will be, the association of ‘No.’ We’re not complacent obstructionists. When confronting an issue, an opinion different from our own, we double down our effort to improve that outcome,” he said. “We don’t complain. And we don’t quit. And our persistence and dedication to any challenge, no matter how hard, is why we win.”
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
SAUER SYSTEM www.sauersystem.com
Sauer provides intelligent solutions for scoring, slitting, slit-scoring, and perforating on corrugators and floor slitters; and glue tab cutting, creasing, slotting, trimming and scrap chopping on presses. New, featured offerings include FRX Adjustable Folding Rail System and G3 Scoring System: the latest proven creasing technology on the market.
STAFFORD GROUP www.go2stafford.com
Interactive website for Stafford Corrugated Products and Stafford Cutting Dies. Featuring online ordering of replace- ment parts. Also, visitors can automatically calculate sheet size for most die-cut standards.
SUN AUTOMATION GROUP ® www.sunautomation.com
SUN Automation Group is the global leader in providing innovative solutions to the corrugated industry. SUN engi- neers and builds the SUN625 Rotary Die Cutter, provides sales, service and support in North and Central America for Latitude Machinery Corporation, manufacturer of Mini to Jumbo FFG and RDCs. Additionally, SUN is the North Amer- ican, UK and Ireland sales and service provider for Para Machinery’s line of equipment, and is the North American sales provider for Highcon. SUN also powers the corrugat- ed industry’s premier IIoT platform, Helios, and is the OEM source for Langston/Staley equipment parts and service. THACKER INDUSTRIAL SERVICE COMPANY www.thackerindustrial.com Specializing in corrugated machinery, T.I.S.CO. offers quali- ty-made products, support services, and more. T.I.S.CO. has a reputation of dependability, not only in the product, but in service and support. With more than 25 years’ experience, T.I.S.CO. installs equipment and machinery, moves or sets up entire plants, rewires and rebuilds - all over the world. VT GROUP www.vtgrouponl ine.com VT offers prepress services for the POP display and corru- gated shipping container industry including graphic design, optimized digitally imaged printing plates and innovative pre-mounting solutions. Our large-format digital printing fa- cility (Digital Impact) is a leading short-run manufacturer of distinctive POP displays and signage where litho-like graph-
ics are preferred. WPR SERVICES www.wprservices.net
WPR Services was established in 2016. What originally start- ed as a technical services company expanded its product offerings to include a machine center learning platform POWtalk™. Our analysis of video, audio, machine metrics, employee ergometrics, and person to person conversation provides a way to identify safety and process inefficiencies.
40
www.boardconvertingnews.com
November 1, 2021
Made with FlippingBook - Online catalogs