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;
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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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26 April 3, 2023
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