Porter Reflects (CONT’D FROM PAGE 14)
BCN
says,
part of, was able to grow that company to $18 billion. I am extraordinarily proud of that. Those things are not done just with engineering. It comes back to relationships and building strong cultures and strategies and relentless ex- ecution.”
to the sponsors of our 2021 calendar!
Thinking about why companies like Menasha, South- ern Container, RockTenn and WestRock are successful, he says they all possess a culture and core values that inspire excellence and loyalty, a winning competitive strategy, lofty goals and relentless execution. With family business- es like Menasha and Southern Container, he says success is inherent in the ability to balance family with profession- al management. “The execution of a successful business needs talent and professional leadership and sometimes you find that in the family and sometimes not. It’s a jug- gling match.” Present Day Dynamics Turning to present-day issues, Porter says the global pandemic and the booming e-commerce market will have significant long-term impact on the corrugated industry. “There is no question that life will never be the same, very much like 9/11. As a culture and a global society we’re learning about the risks of contagious disease and the fact that we have to be careful.” He says the pandemic is forcing new behaviors in the workplace, with companies becoming more flexible about where employees work and teleconferencing programs reducing the need to travel. “I’ve been able to commu- nicate globally with many different locations much more crisply than scheduling a meeting two months from now and flying to Brazil or Mexico City or wherever. The indus- try will drive productivity levels at a much faster pace than the old way of 100 percent face-to-face meetings.” Shopping habits are also shifting with more people placing e-commerce orders from the comfort of their homes. “Every day I’m carrying four or five boxes up the stairs. I love to turn them over and cheer when I see they’re CONTINUED ON PAGE 36 From left, Jim Porter, Tom Stigers and David Chrismer. All three worked together at Solvay, RockTenn and WestRock.
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