BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 39 years April 3, 2023 VOL. 39, NO. 14
Southern Carton Co. Thrives On Integrity, Quality & Service BY STEVE YOUNG Jim Kennedy knew nothing about the corrugated box business when, in 1977, he and his wife, Kate, founded Southern Carton Co. in Lewisburg, Tennessee. At the time, he was general manager of the Heil-Quaker plant there, overseeing 1,300 people manufacturing commercial and residential heating and air conditioning systems. Yet, as successful as
Volk Packaging Installs Rooftop Solar Panels
Biddeford, Maine based Volk Packaging has taken a big step towards sustainability by in- stalling 2,388 solar modules on the rooftops of its warehouses. The already-energized system is expected to produce approximate- ly 1,000 MWh of electricity annually, reducing the company’s reliance on grid electricity and decreasing its carbon footprint. The solar project, which was developed and installed by Dynamic Energy Solutions, LLC, will be owned by Madison Energy Invest- ments (MEI), a leading solar energy solutions provider. The project covers a total area of approximately 55,000-square-feet across the Volk Packaging’s warehouse rooftops. Since being energized, the system has produced an average of 2,759 kWh per day, generating clean and renewable energy to power the company’s operations. “We are happy to have taken this addition- al step toward sustainability by investing in solar energy,” said Volk Packaging CEO Der- ek Volk. “Not only will this reduce our carbon footprint and reliance on grid electricity, but it also makes good business sense by helping us control our energy costs in the long run.”
he was at Heil-Quaker, Kennedy’s entrepreneurial instinct told him an opportunity to sell small quantities of corrugated boxes to customers had been long overlooked by the bigger integrateds. “He always wanted to start his own business, and wherever he worked, he excelled,” explains his son David Kennedy, now CEO of the company. “He’s getting to the end of his career; he’s 56, 57 years old, and he saw a niche here where if you wanted 500 or 1,000 boxes, you couldn’t get them from the big guys, let alone 250 or 300.” This, as Da- vid tells it, was the genesis of Southern Carton, a story that reads like that of many independent sheet plants in AICC’s membership today. “He started with a Rite-Size boxmaker,” David continues. “He, my mother, and brother Rick started cranking out orders for 100, 200 box- es at a time. They rolled the cert stamp by hand with a little stamp pad and then glued or taped them shut.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Southern Carton’s management team: from left, Angie Norman, Plant Man- ager; Eugene Peek, Digital Print Manager; Diane Sharp, Customer Service Manager; Angela Newman, Customer Service Representative; David Kenne- dy; Connor Kennedy; and Zoe, seated front, Director of Plant Security.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
WHAT’S INSIDE 8 Three EPR Packaging Bills Proposed In New York 10 eProductivity Software Acquires Tharsten Group 14 EAM-Mosca’s Randy Wright To Retire After 30 Years 16 Colbert Packaging: STEM Students See ‘Jobs In Action’
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AVERAGE CONTAINERBOARD PRICES The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout the United States the week previous to issue. Prices in some areas of the country may be higher or lower than the tabulated average. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser.
REGION E. Coast Midwest Southeast Southwest
42# Kraft liner $ 9 55.00-960.00 $ 9 70.00-980.00 $ 9 70.00-980.00 $ 970.00-980.00 $ 1000.00-1 010.00 $ 9 73.00-983.00
26# Semi-Chem. Medium
Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del.
$ 890 .00-9 4 0.00 $9 0 5.00-9 2 5.00 $9 0 5.00-9 2 5.00 $9 0 5.00-9 2 5.00 $9 2 5.00-9 4 5.00 $9 0 8.00-9 2 8.00
West Coast U.S. Average
SHEET PRICES BY REGION (AVERAGE) Per 1MSF, local delivery included, 50MSF single item order, truckload delivery. Sheets
E. Coast Midwest South-SW S. CA N.CA/WA-OR US Aver.
200# 275#
$62.26
$72.05
$62.69 $82.80
$85.35 119.54
$73.13 101.29
97.32
99.89
90.86
113.65
More box makers, brokers and end users are relying on the containerboard pricing in Board Converting News to negotiate their contracts than ever before.
OYSTER UP-CHARGE 8.34
8.34
8.34
8.34
8.34
8.34
275# DBL-WALL 350# DBL-WALL
107.46 118.45
114.69 129.32
116.54 137.25 117.82 145.56
141.08 148.46
122.76 131.80
CANADIAN SHEET PRICES (AVERAGE) In Canadian Dollars, per 1MSF, local delivery included, under 50MSF single item order, truckload delivery. 200# 275# Oyster UC 275#DW 350#DW $78.56 $99.18 $9.00 $96.32 $105.83 CANADIAN LINERBOARD & MEDIUM The average prices reported are tabulated from prices PAID by various sources throughout Canada. Prices may be higher or lower in various areas of the country. The prices tabulated here are intended only for purposes of reference. They do not connote any commitment to sell any material at the indicated average. Transactions may be completed at any time at a price agreed upon by seller and purchaser. Prices are Canadian $ and per metric ton.
See the current prices every week right here on Page 3.
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Volk Packaging Installs (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
Volk Packaging has been committed to sustainability for several years, having already implemented various initiatives to reduce its environmental impact, including implementing a recycling program for all its products and packaging materials. MEI is a leading financier, developer, owner, and opera- tor of distributed energy projects for commercial, industri- al, and government facilities throughout the United States. MEI has built a noteworthy portfolio of 400+ MW of ‘owned and exclusive’ clean energy assets. “Multi-site energy users like Volk Packaging need seamless energy solutions that provide immediate sav- ings, budget certainty, and help accomplish ESG goals, said Cameron Bard, Executive VP at MEI. “We enjoyed working with our partner Dynamic Energy and our client Volk Packaging over the last several months to come up with a solution ideal for the environment, its shareholders, and the community of Biddeford. We are beyond excited to be a long-term partner in their journey.”
The installation of solar modules is a significant mile- stone in the Volk Packaging’s sustainability progress, demonstrating its commitment to finding innovative solu- tions to environmental challenges. “We believe that our investment in solar energy will inspire other companies in our industry to explore clean energy solutions,” said Volk. “We are proud to be a part of the clean energy revolution, and we will continue to look for ways to reduce our environmental impact and promote sustainability.” Volk Packaging Corporation is a third-generation, fam- ily-owned and operated designer and manufacturer of corrugated containers, supplying customers from all over New England and into Canada. Founded in 1967, the com- pany occupies a 141,000-square-foot facility and employs close to 100 people. In addition to its rooftop solar, Volk Packaging has also recently upgraded its scrap recycling and heat recapture systems. In 2020 alone, Volk Packag- ing recycled 588.5 tons of corrugated, the equivalent of 14,700 trees. Volk Packaging installed 2,388 solar panels on the rooftops of its warehouses in Biddeford, Maine.
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FBA Honors ‘Lasting Contributions’ Of Former SVP Jim Nolan The Fibre Box Association (FBA) is saddened by the pass- ing of James F. Nolan, retired Senior Vice President of the association, on March 16, 2023.
Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month December 2022
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2022 2021
30.124 34.180
-11.9
7.927 8.545
-7.2
Industry Total
He was 86 years old and passed peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. Jim joined FBA in 1988 and served the corrugated packaging in- dustry for more than 15 years before retiring in 2003. In his role as Senior
Year-to Date
December 2022
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2022 2021
400.520 416.189
-3.8
7.979 8.291
-3.8
Industry Total
Containerboard Consumption (Thousands of Tons)
Jim Nolan
Year
Month
Percent Change Year-to-Date Percent Change
Vice President, Jim shared in the overall management of the association and was directly responsible for the Envi- ronmental, Human Resources, and Government Relations committees. He was instrumental in the development of the Corrugated Packaging Council (CPC), a precursor to the Corrugated Packaging Alliance that championed the benefits of corrugated packaging and the need to recycle boxes. He worked with the CPC to develop the corrugated recycles symbol that can be found on the bottom of most boxes today. Jim made lasting contributions to many of the programs FBA still offers to their members today and he will be dear- ly missed by his friends at FBA. Read the full obituary at friedrichsfh.com .
2022 2021
2.4260 2.7360
-11.3
32.5461 33.8321
-3.8
Container Board Inventory - Corrugator Plants (Thousands of Tons)
Corrugator Plants Only
Date
Percent Change Weeks of Supply
Percent Change
Dec. Nov.
2.2603 2.2586
0.1
3.5 3.6
-2.8
Shipping Days
Year
Month
Year-to-Date
2022 2021
19 20
251 251
SOURCE: Fibre Box Association
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Three EPR Packaging Bills Proposed In New York
to achieve post-consumer recovery and recycling rates. Senate Bill 4246 would require companies with a net income of more than $1 million that sell or distribute cer- tain materials and products to reduce packaging, improve recycling and recycling infrastructure, financially support municipal recycling programs, and reduce toxins in pack- aging. Chase Kammerer, Technical Services Manager of the Fibre Box Association, reported recently that corrugated packaging is not included in most of the bills passed re- cently in other states (Washington, California, Colorado, Oregon, and Maine) with the OCC recycling rate being near 90 percent for the past decade. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) has stressed that EPR programs need to be implemented with care and has urged lawmakers to understand that these programs work for products that are difficult to collect or process or have low recycling rates — none of which ap- plies to paper or paper-based packaging. “Our industry creates sustainable paper products used every day by millions of people making paper one of the most widely recycled materials in the world,” the AF&PA has said. “EPR programs should not be a singular, comprehen- sive answer, but part of a broad-based solution. A solution where the responsibilities of all the stakeholders are prop- erly attributed and fulfilled, and all material types bear a fair share.”
Several states have adopted legislation in support of ex- tended producer responsibility (EPR) in recent years and New York is now positioning to become the sixth state to do so in the US. EPR is an environmental policy that places responsibility on producers to manage products, includ- ing packaging and paper, in the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle. As reported in resource-recycling.com , New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has introduced EPR as part of the state bud- get under the Waste Reduction and Recycling Infrastruc- ture Act and two senate bills have been introduced that are under consideration with the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee. In her 2023 State of the State, Gov. Kathy Hochul says, “When producers are required to move away from dis- posal and instead consider the total life cycle of a prod- uct, they are incentivized to innovate products to reduce waste, reuse products and materials, and design products to be recycled instead of thrown away.” Senate Bill 1064 includes several requirements placed on packaging material producers to implement a produc- er responsibility program including a list of the types and brands of packaging products; a funding mechanism for implementation; and the methods the producer would use
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AICC Webinar To Focus On Recruiting And Retaining Shop Floor Operators AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, an- nounced a new webinar on April 13 focusing on “Recruit- ing and Retaining Shop Floor Operators.”
up their offerings in recent months with the competition for hourly and salaried leadership talent remaining fierce in 2023. Leading the session will be AICC Technical Advisor, Tom Weber, who will review some of the innovative ben- efits trends that he has witnessed recently that can act as powerful differentiators for companies that want to main- tain an edge in recruiting and retention. Weber has 39 years of diverse packaging experience and is recognized by industry peers to be knowledgeable and well informed in all sales, marketing, and production processes, various types of plastic and paperboard converting equipment, and technically proficient in Leadership Training and Six Sigma/LEAN methodologies. The webinar is free to AICC members and starts at 2:00 p.m. EST. Register at aiccbox.org before April 13. For more information, contact Taryn Pyle, tpyle@aiccbox.org, at (703) 836-2422. eProductivity Software Acquires Tharstern Group
Approximately 4 million Ameri- cans have left their jobs each month since April of 2021 in what is coined The Great Resignation. This trend has persisted even during the ques- tionable and unsustainable economy of 2022, with the onset of a techni- cal recession doing little to stop the
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WestRock Touts Sustainable Value Of Pizza Boxes
stream or 2.2 percent of the OCC and mixed paper stream combined. • Pizza boxes currently found in the recycling stream have an average grease content of approximately one to two percent by weight level. • Grease is hydrophobic and when pizza boxes approach a 20 wt% concentration of the furnish, grease interfer- ence with inter-fiber bonding begins to result in signifi- cant paper strength loss (~5 percent). At pizza box con- centrations under 10 percent paper strength loss is low. • The strength loss as a function of “greasy” fiber and pre-consumer board was almost linear in the 0-20 wt% blend level. • Cheese, comprised of fats and proteins, is hydrophilic and does not hinder hydrogen inter-fiber bonding of fibers. Cheese tends to solidify and get screened out during the pulping process. The study concludes that there is no significant techni- cal reason to prohibit post-consumer pizza boxes from the recycle stream. An estimated 73 percent of the US population has ac- cess to recycling programs that include pizza boxes. The Paper and Packaging Board (P+PB) recently recognized “powerhouse” states that make it easy for citizens to recy- cle their pizza boxes. According to their analysis produced by Resource Recycling Systems, at least 90 percent of res- idents in 10 states and the District of Columbia can recycle their pizza boxes.
The WestRock Company was recently in Las Vegas for the International Pizza Expo, which was billed as the largest pizza show in the world. The Atlanta, Georgia based company attended not only to deliver their packaging solutions and merchandiz- ing displays, but to educate the masses on the sustainable benefits of corrugated pizza boxes. Most importantly, they would answer the oft asked question, “Are pizza boxes re- cyclable?” That would be a ‘yes’ and they have the science to prove it. In 2020, WestRock commissioned a study that exam- ined what affect residual cheese and grease might have on the recyclability of a pizza box. High concentrations of grease can interfere with “inter-fiber bonding” which can result in paper loss strength. Their findings were endorsed by the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA). Here is a summary: • The number of pizza boxes placed on the market in the U.S. annually is estimated to be 3 billion boxes, equat- ing to 600,000 tons of corrugated board. Pizza boxes represent 1.7 percent of the 35.9 million tons of cor- rugated containerboard produced in the U.S. annually. • If all pizza boxes were recovered for recycling, they would represent approximately 2.6 percent of the OCC
12 April 3, 2023
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EAM-Mosca’s Randy Wright To Retire After 30 Years
After devoting more than three decades of his career to EAM-Mosca, Ran- dy Wright, Vice President of Corrugated Industry Sales, announced that he will be transitioning into retirement over the next year. As he reflects
on time spent with the company, he ac- knowledges that his career has been highly rewarding.
Retracing his journey over these past 30+ years also highlights significant mo- ments of achievement for the company since its inception occurred only a few years prior to bringing Wright on board. Over the past 30 years, Wright served in a handful of roles, promoting from Re- gional Sales Manager and National Sales Manager to Vice President of Corrugated Industry Sales. During this time, Wright stepped up to challenges and addressed the growing pains of a company that initially only manufactured inline and offline bundlers. The limited product offering may seem unusual for a company that has grown into a global supplier of strapping equipment. However, upon EAM’s inception, the founders had no plans for offering bundlers or any other type of strapping equipment. Instead, Dierk Wessel, Bob Leighton, and Hart- mut Boellmann planned to run a marketing service, supporting European companies as they entered U.S. markets. But their indelible, positive rep- utations amongst both consumers and suppliers in the strapping industry quickly pulled them back in. In July 1992, EAM-Mosca hired Wright, who had already spent ten years in the industry, as a Regional Sales Manager to help manage its rapidly scaling operations and burgeoning demand. Both sides knew right away that this was a great fit. By 2002, Wright had received a promotion to National Sales Manager as the company continued to expand. Throughout his time at the company, there’s always been “a dedication at Mosca to innovate and be the very best, and sometimes that costs more, so we seldom are the lowest cost solution from the initial investment, but we offer the best value.” This is what makes EAM-Mosca unique. As a privately-owned company, it did not need to contend with bottom-line pressures from shareholders, as is often the case for publicly owned companies. Because of that freedom, Wright explains that “the attitude that came from the ownership was always customer-focused and included the support to solve problems and to come up with great solutions.” For this reason, Wright found his work especially rewarding, and as a re- sult, he never gave attention to opportunities outside the company. When it became clear that his role as National Sales Manager would be better served by moving to company headquarters, staying with EAM was never in question. Three years after his promotion, he relocated to Pennsylvania. Less than ten years after promoting to National Sales Manager, Wright was asked to serve as Vice President of Corrugated Industry Sales, mark- ing another milestone for the company, which had grown from operations that dabbled in strapping systems in the 1990s to a globally recognized and trusted strapping systems supplier by 2010. CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 Randy Wright
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“Randy’s long term involvement with the corrugated industry made him an invaluable resource in the compa- ny’s effort to develop industry leading solutions for end of line process automation” says Dierk Wessel, founder of EAM-Mosca. As he tapers down over the next year, Wright will miss the people he’s worked with for years. He’ll miss the walls within the company headquarters and colleagues who made his job “much easier than it could have been.” He will also miss the clients with whom he developed close relationships over several decades. While change is inevi- table, he’s working hard to reassure clients that those rela- tionships couldn’t be left in more competent hands. Jimmy Dodd and Michael Murphy are transitioning into Wright’s role with shared responsibilities as Directors of National Accounts - Corrugated. Both Dodd and Murphy have a long history at EAM-Mosca and understand the company, the industry, and the product line. Dan Covert, who has been with the company for 28+ years, most re- cently as Product Manager for all unitizers, will also be tak- ing on more responsibilities handling all larger corrugated bundling systems in addition to all unitizers as Director of Capital Projects - Corrugated. Wright will continue taking on special projects as needed. Wright is now envisioning a retirement full of both do- mestic and international travel, and he’s looking forward EAM-Mosca’s Randy Wright (CONT’D FROM PAGE 14)
to the possibility of trips spanning several weeks at a time. “As much as we all at EAM-Mosca wish Randy a long, happy, well-deserved retirement, we will miss having him as a key member of our team immensely. Our great suc- cess and growth as a supplier to the corrugated industry are directly correlated to the significant and countless
number of contributions that Randy has made to our busi- ness,” says Edward Martin, EVP of Sales and Marketing. “I believe most of us want a career where we can look back and say that we made a meaningful difference in what we did. Suffice it to say that Randy made a big difference at EAM-Mosca and has been instrumental in helping us con- tribute to the success of our customer base.” From left, Mike Murphy, Jimmy Dodd, and Dan Covert
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STEM Students See Manufacturing ‘Jobs In Action’ At Colbert Packaging Colbert Packaging Corporation, announced its hosting of 40 students and faculty from LakeView Technology Acad- emy (LTA) at its Kenosha, Wisconsin facility recently. LTA is a choice school that specializes in Science, Technology,
complete manufacturing process of a folding carton des- tined to protect the primary packaging of a pharmaceuti- cal or consumer product. After a presentation about the company and printing technology, tour stops began with design, prepress and printing, and continued through the multiple manufacturing steps. Upon visiting the maintenance shop, students learned how maintaining the strictest standards for quality, safety and cleanliness is required to serve Colbert’s pharmaceu- tical, healthcare, and consumer packaging customers. All Colbert operations are 100 percent vision inspection capa- ble, enabling potential defect detection without disrupting the production run — an important distinction for pharma and consumer packaging brand managers. “Colbert Packaging has been a great industry partner to work with,” LakeView’s Technology and Engineering Education Instructor Eric Sutkay said. “Not only have they employed several students through the Youth Appren- ticeship program, they also recently provided a first-hand look into the packaging industry for 40 LakeView students. These opportunities provide our students with the infor- mation needed to make an educated decision about ca- reer pathways they may be interested in pursuing.” Most of the LTA students are taking classes in robot- ics, 3D printing, CNC manufacturing and metal work (fabri- cating, machining, etc.), and they benefit from seeing real world applications of equipment in a manufacturing set- ting, as well as manufacturing jobs in action.
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, which operates within the Kenosha Unified School District. Led by Director of HR and Corporate Compliance, Jeff MacDougall, Colbert employees conducted tours of the Jeff MacDougall, Colbert Director of HR, Corporate Safety and Compliance, provides an overview of Colbert’s products and services.
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P+PB: The Packaging Industry’s Take On ‘Biscuits With The Boss’ America’s favorite wholesome soccer coach, or football (depending on where you’re from), is back this month. In anticipation of Ted Lasso’s return for a third season, the Paper & Packaging Board (P+PB) wanted to hear the paper and packaging industry’s take on Ted’s famous ritual to woo over his steel wall of a boss, Rebecca, with home- made buttery, sweet shortbread. These scenes, appropriately named, “Biscuits with the Boss,” shows Ted’s endearing efforts to crack Rebecca’s walls as he’s done with every member of his team (includ- ing us viewers). This pop culture reference isn’t just about the biscuits, but the familiar pink paperboard box they come in. So, with innovations in paper food packaging happening every
Clearwater’s custom design for their take on ‘Biscuits with the Boss.’
day, we’ve tapped our paper and packag- ing makers to share what they would use to package these homemade biscuits. Clearwater Paper – ReMagine® Premium Paperboard If Ted is looking for both sustainability and printability, this premium paperboard with its smooth white print surface is one way to score. Clearwater Paper’s ReMag- ine® paperboard box is made with up to 30 percent post-consumer recycled fiber and FDA compliant for food contact. This packaging is perfect for delicate shortbread biscuits, and it is unmatched for vibrant branding opportunities. Graphic Packaging International (GPI) – Boardio™ Pitching another packaging solution is GPI with their sleek Boardio™ paper contain- er. Designed for recyclability, this rigid pa-
per container supports sustainability goals and enables strong brand positioning with creative shapes and many convenient fea- tures. This food packaging is an ideal solution for a wide range of dry products like sweets and biscuits! GPI’s unique packaging solution for delivering Rebecca’s biscuits.
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Paper Industry’s Take (CONT’D FROM PAGE 20)
AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION is a recognized leader in the industry of Pneumatic Conveying Systems and has been in business since 1968. As an equipment manufacturer rather than simply a sales organization, we have complete control over the quality of material and products which make up your proposed system. Our equipment is found in Printing, Folding Carton and Corrugated plants throughout the country and the world.
Metsä Board – MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB If a buttery biscuit ever gets a little too buttery, MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB paperboard can handle it. Its medium barrier coating helps protect against grease and moisture.
The packaging’s lightweight nature makes it perfect for carrying sweet treats easily and safely from home to the field – even on a crowded Tube ride! Sappi – Proto Ted’s daily biscuits are made from natural ingredients just like this beautiful paperboard box printed on Proto from Sappi. It’s made from one of earth’s most renewable materials – wood fiber. Metsä Board’s prime paperboard is perfect for all types of baked goods.
AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION PH: 901-454-5016 FAX: 901-324-7979 e-mail: sales@accfilter.com • www.accfilter.com
SPECIALTY FOLDER GLUERS • Operator Training • Rebuilds and Relocations • Reconditioning in Racine • Parts & Machine Reviews • GUARANTEED IMPROVEMENT TOROSIAN TECH SERVICES INC. Training and Reconditioning Center 930 Tenth Street • Racine, WI 53403 (800) 555-5876 (U.S. only) Phone: (262) 633-5133 • Fax: (262) 633-5176
This packaging is 100 percent recyclable and provides safety for food contact. Renewable, recyclable, remark- able. Choosing paperboard is something you can Believe in! Visit howlifeunfolds.com for more information. Sappi’s printable and recyclable is something you can believe in.
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Southern Carton Co. (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
“Everybody here is so focused on the customer, what- ever the customer needs,” David says. “Our unwritten motto is underpromise and overdeliver. Once a customer comes on board with us, they seldom leave.” Connor adds that Southern Carton’s service ethos is grounded in what he calls a “servant” mentality. “We have a great sales team, and they’re all servants at heart,” he says. “They have a job to do, it’s true, but at the same time, they really just enjoy helping people. And I would say that about all our employees.” The geographic reach of Southern Carton’s servant philosophy extends in a 130-mile arc from southern Ken- tucky in the north to northern Alabama in the south. Lo- cated about 45 miles south of Nashville off Interstate 65, Southern Carton’s central Tennessee location makes all these market areas an easy reach. Historically, David says, the pencil business dominated the local economies in the 1970s. “There were, like, nine pencil companies because cedar is so plentiful here and that’s what they were made of; there were pencil factories everywhere. Now, there are two,” he says. The biggest economic shift to occur in the mid-South states since that time is the arrival of the auto industry. Be- ginning in the early 2000s, the region saw more than $10 billion in direct investment not only from legacy carmakers such as Ford and GM but also newcomers such as Toyota, Hyundai, Volkswagen, and BMW. More recently, the region
David explains that the little company’s immediate suc- cess soon forced the acquisition of faster equipment. “Like everybody in this business, one thing leads to another, and soon he says, ‘I need to find a taper or a gluer or a slitter.’ That leads to printer slotters, which leads to flexos, which leads to rotary die cutters—all of which we now have.” Expansion, Extension, Equipment Today, Southern Carton is a $20 million company pro- ducing 200-million-square-feet of product annually. Its 55 employees work a single shift in an 85,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with an additional 53,000 square feet of off-site finished-goods warehousing. A family enterprise from the start, Southern Carton is now in its third generation of ownership. Barbara Kenne- dy, David’s wife of 35 years, has been an integral part of the company’s growth and history as confidante, sounding board, and cheerleader. “Barbara and I discussed South- ern Carton business almost nightly at the dinner table,” says David, adding that because of those discussions, two of the Kennedy sons—Connor and Sean—said, “I want to do that,” and they now work in the business, with Connor serving as president and Sean in production. (The Kenne- dys’ daughter, Meredith, is a nurse practitioner, and their other son, Patrick, is an engineer.) The company’s values, as described by all the Kenned- ys, are “best in integrity, quality, and service.”
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Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries Since 1985
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Southern Carton Co. (CONT’D FROM PAGE 24)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
has seen a renewed investment wave to support produc- tion of electric vehicles—upward of $33 billion across the Southeast, according to online publication Electrek. Southern Carton has been a beneficiary of this shift be- cause with automotive manufacturing come the parts and systems suppliers that support it. “The economy here has changed so much that it’s probably one-third automotive,” says Connor, “and of our top 10 customers, four are auto- motive.” The balance of Southern Carton’s business mix is made up of smaller yet thriving industry segments such as re- tail packaging firms, consumer and commercial cookware manufacturers, and food and beverage companies. Serving this demanding market mix has required con- stant reinvestment in the production capability of the plant. Southern Carton’s equipment roster upgrades in 2022 alone totaled more than $8 million, and in 2023 and 2024, the Kennedy family is expected to invest an additional $4 million to $5 million. Before the 2022–2023 upgrades, Southern Carton’s equipment list was that of a typical service-oriented sheet plant: a Ward 66-inch by 125-inch two-color flexo folder gluer, a Ward 66-inch by 115-inch ro- tary die cutter, a Lian Tee 26-inch by 78-inch two-color mini flexo, and a Marumatsu 86-inch by 205-inch jumbo printer slotter. In addition, the company has an Automatan labeler, a Fuji X3 digital printer, and a Zünd sample table. The 2022 retooling of the company’s converting and finishing capability saw the addition of an Apstar 66-inch by 110-inch two-color rotary die cutter with an Alliance pre-feeder and A.G. Stacker, a J&L specialty gluer, a Bay- sek 170 die cutter with load turner, two Mosca unitizers, and three Mosca strappers. The upgrades went beyond converting and finishing operations to include such plant infrastructure as 400 feet of new conveyer from Bay Ma- chinery, two Bay Machinery load formers, a new Balemas- ter baler, and new cyclone. This March, Southern will take delivery of a new Apstar 66-inch by 126-inch two-color flexo folder gluer with an Alliance pre-feeder. “We have basically retooled the plant with new or up- dated equipment in the past year so we are poised for growth,” David says. “Our region is growing; industry is moving to business-friendly Tennessee, and we now have a lot of firepower to meet new customers’ needs.” Scott Fray, Southern Caron’s General Manager, agrees. “We now have a broader capability to supply many types of business segments—digital wide-format labels, flexo print—and we can run small boxes up to jumbo in-house.” Fray came to Southern Carton seven years ago after spending 24 years in the industry, mostly at WestRock and Menasha. ‘Servants At Heart’ The box industry being a service business, all of the mechanical capability in the world will not sell a single item. Southern Carton’s market approach recognizes this;
ADVANTZWARE www.advantzware.com
Advantzware provides a flexible and comprehensive system to address the business management needs of the independent box business, as well as the ERP re- quirements of full scale packaging plants and integrat- ed companies. With modules for estimating, scheduling, production, inventory and accounting, this scalable sys- tem supports packaging plants that produce corrugat- ed boxes, folding cartons, point of purchase displays, assembled partitions, paperboard products, foam fab- rication, as well as distribution of packaging supplies. AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION www.accfilter.com Air Conveying Corporation is a recognized leader in the in- dustry of Pneumatic Conveying Systems and has been in business since 1968. As an equipment manufacturer rather than simply a sales organization, we have complete control over the quality of material and products which make up your proposed system. Our equipment is found in Printing, Folding Carton and Corrugated plants throughout the coun- try and the world. Let us build you the best Trim Removal System you ever had. Contact us today. Amtech offers the industry’s most innovative and compre- hensive corrugated and packaging ERP, integrated sched- uling software, and engineered automation technology. For over 30 years, Amtech has remained at the backbone of successful businesses from the independent box makers to the largest integrateds. We keep our customers competitive in an ever-changing economy with options such as custom- er digital storefronts and workflows, business intelligence, automated scheduling for corrugators, converting and shipping, proactive roll stock and inventory management. APEX INTERNATIONAL www.apexinternational.com AMTECH SOFTWARE www.amtechsoftware.com World’s largest Anilox and Glue & Metering roll manufac- turer, providing the widest selection of corrugated engrav- ings and complementary services. Anilox engraving options available from our North American manufacturing facility include elongated 75°, 60°, 45°, plus Apex’s patented GTT technology. Glue rolls are produced with Hardened Stain- less Steel and a max TIR of 10 µ for Single, Double Facers.
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL www.albint.com
Albany International has a corrugator belt for every appli- cation. Our reputation for durable performance is the trade- mark of the most dependable belts in service today.
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EVOLVE
Southern Carton Co. (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
thus, exemplary customer service is enshrined as a prin- cipal company value. “The whole organization works with a sense of urgency whose only focus is on the customer,” says Fray, echoing Connor’s earlier description of South- ern Carton’s employees as “servants at heart.” “Our strengths have always been in our loyal custom- ers and our loyal employees,” David says. “Many of our customers have been with us for over 20 years, and many of our employees have been with us more than 20. I be- lieve the secret is to never take either for granted. The adage, ‘treat people like you would like to be treated,’ still holds true today.” The roster of Southern Carton’s longtime loyal employ- ees begins with Diane Sharp, who at 43 years of service holds a one-year seniority edge even over David, who just passed the 42-year mark. Sharp speaks of Southern Carton’s customers almost maternally. “It’s nice to be able to take care of customers. We know a lot of them; we’ve been doing business with most of them for lots of years,” she says. “We exchange grandkid photos. We talk about who’s getting married. It’s a lot of fun.” Assisting Sharp is Angela Newman, whose 23 years at Southern Carton have been devoted entirely to serving customers. Yet, she says, she is still motivated by the di- verse nature of the business and the creativity in meeting customers’ needs. “What I find rewarding is being able to take care of the customers,” she says. “When I started, I thought a box was a box. I didn’t realize there were thou- sands of different styles of boxes and partitions. So, for me, it’s always a learning experience because I’m still learning, and I’ve been here 22, 23 years. Every day, there’s some- thing different that goes on.” Eugene Peek is supervisor of Southern Carton’s Fuji X3 digital press, a position he’s held for the past five years. But his experience in the company goes back 26 years beyond that, predominantly in plant supervision. “He’s the jack of all trades,” says David. Peek has been steeped in Southern Carton’s history of growth, and he recognizes that history as a key part of the company’s success today. “I started when I was 18 so I’ve seen all of [the Kennedy] family grow up together,” says Peek. “I’ve seen it from a letter press, and I’ve been here since the first flexo we got. So yeah, I’ve seen every ma- chine coming in as we grew over the years.” Plant manager Angie Norman, like her co-workers, is devoted to the company and to the service of its custom- ers. Even before she was employed there, she under- stood the company’s promise of reliability working in the shipping department for Sanford, then one of Southern Carton’s customers. “I was working part time at Sanford and unloading a truck from Southern,” she recalls. “Rick [Kennedy] asked me, ‘Are you happy here? Do you want a full-time job? Why don’t you come over to Southern Carton and work for us?’”
ARC INTERNATIONAL www.ARCInternational.com
ARC International is a world leader in the manufacturing of roller products for flexography. The latest nano-technology laser engraving in our NC and NV manufacturing facilities ensures superior quality and consistency in anilox rollers.
AES (ADVANCED EQUIPMENT SALES) www.aesales.net
AES is a leading full-service provider of integrated convey- ance systems specializing in scrap, trim, and dust. AES en- gineers custom scrap systems and works as a partner in process improvement to help businesses achieve greater profitability, productivity, and sustainability. Products include balers, shredders/hoggers, core shredders, filters, fans, and specialized dust control and collection systems. AES is the ex- clusive distributor for the AirShark Rotary Material Separator.
AMERICAN CORRUGATED MACHINE www.acm-corp.com
For a wide variety of new and used equipment on to- day’s market, visit our website at www.acm-corp.com.
BAUMER HHS CORPORATION www.baumerhhs.com
hhs is a global leader in advanced gluing, camera verifica- tion and quality assurance systems for the packaging indus- try. Zero-defect quality and elevated production speeds are key parameters in the manufacturing of corrugated boxes. With hhs Xcam Box Monitoring and non-contact flap gluing of corrugated board, hhs offers every option for quality as- surance in the production of boxes with flexo folder gluers. BLOWER APPLICATION COMPANY (BLOAPCO) www.BloApCo.com BloApCo has served the corrugated industry since 1933 with a variety of scrap handling solutions, including Hori- zontal Floor Shredders, Trim Cutters, and Material Handling Fans and Conveying Systems. BloApCo Shredders allow for continuous shredding and pneumatic removal of sheet waste stacks of all sizes, roll slab, cores, and carton scrap.
CORRUGATED MACHINERY SPECIALISTS www.cmsretrofits.com
Leading manufacturer and installer of quality retrofits, up- grades and replacement parts for S&S and Prime Flexo Folder Gluers. Specialists in reconditioning of S&S Flexo Folder Gluers, including ink, air and electrical systems.
CORRUGATOR BELT SERVICE LLC www.corrugator.com
Serving the corrugated box industry since 1991, Chicago- based Corrugator Belt Service LLC maintains corru- gator belts for peak board quality and performance.
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