BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 37 years March 29, 2021 VOL. 37, NO. 13
GBP Begins Production At New Recycled Paper Mill Green Bay, Wisconsin based Green Bay Pack- aging Inc. (GBP) announced that the first reel of paper was produced at its new paper mill on March 11, 2021. This milestone comes two and a half years after breaking ground. This success is the first step to reaching full pro- duction capacity. The $500+ million invest- ment has had a positive impact on Northeast Wisconsin’s economy and the environment. The new mill is in Green Bay at the mouth of the Fox River south of the Leo Frigo Bridge. “These are exciting times at Green Bay Packaging as we ramp up production on our new paper machine,” said Will Kress, Chair- man and CEO of Green Bay Packaging. “This is the single biggest project in our company’s history, and it certainly would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our in- ternal people and our many partners and sup- pliers working together to turn this dream into reality. Not to be overlooked are the many great customers we have, without whom this project would not have been necessary or feasible.” The construction and startup of the new Green Bay Mill will preserve more than 1,100
Rusken Packaging Continues Growth Through Consolidation BY LEN PRAZYCH Any boxmaker who has undertaken a plant consolidation project knows the level of communication, complexity and logistical precision that needs to happen for a successful outcome. Greg Rusk, owner of Cullman, Alabama based Rusken Packaging, an independent company founded in 1974 by Greg’s father, Bobby, knows the process well.
Having grown the Rusken brand to 14 facilities in seven southeast- ern states by a combination of deft acquisition and astute consolida- tion, it is the largest independent in the southeast, aside from Pratt Industries in Conyers, Georgia, where not coincidentally, Rusken’s lat- est consolidation project came to fruition in the midst of a pandemic, no less. Cameron Bailey, Rusken Packaging’s Project Engineer, assumed the monumental task of facilitating the move of the machinery and as- sets of Conyers, Georgia based E. Smith Box, which Rusken acquired in 2018, and Canton, Georgia based Mullen & Company, which Rusken acquired in 2019, to a 550,000-square-foot facility at 1475 Highway 138 NE occupied by its partner, Corrugated Supplies Company (CSC), which operates a pair of 110-inch BHS corrugators that provide all the containerboard a new sheet plant could possibly convert. (This model CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 The leadership team at Rusken Conyers: from left, Margaret Schlumper, Quality Manager; Steve Ingram, General Manager; and Susan Bracket, Cus- tomer Service Manager.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 12
WHAT’S INSIDE
6 x x 8 x x 12 x x 26 x x 4 The BoxMaker Breaks Ground On New Production Plant In AR Brunton’s ConneXion Wins Best Digital Exhibition Award 0 ICG Elects Keva Sonderen To Its Board Of Directors 1 FBA Cancels Spring Meeting, Offers Virtual Event In May
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 $955.00-960.00 $970.00-980.00 $970.00-980.00 $970.00-980.00 $1000.00-1010.00 $973.00-982.00
26# Semi-Chem. Medium
Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del. Short Ton Del.
$890.00-940.00 $905.00-925.00 $905.00-925.00 $905.00-925.00 $925.00-945.00 $908.00-928.00
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
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
P E R F O R M A N C E D E L I V E R E D • HEAVY, DENSE BALES • RELIABLE AUTOMATIC TIER • LOW OPERATING COST PER TON AMERICAN BALER TAKES PERFORMANCE TO NEW HEIGHTS! 800.843.7512 AmericanBaler.com I N T E G R I T Y I Q U A L I T Y I R E L I A B I L I T Y I VA L U E
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.
42# Kraft Liner 26#
Semi-Chem Medium
East West
$970.00
$960.00 $995.00
$1,015.00
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March 29, 2021
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The BoxMaker Breaks Ground On New Production Plant In AR
Core Competency
The BoxMaker, an all-in-one supplier of custom corrugated boxes, full-color packaging, retail displays, custom prod- uct labels, foam converting, fulfillment, and packaging supplies, has broken ground on a new production plant in Lowell, Arkansas, as part of a multi-million-dollar invest- ment to effectively address growing demand across the country for digitally produced packaging and displays. The 60,000-square-foot facility will produce full-color custom corrugated boxes and retail displays using indus- try-leading digital production equipment, including an HP PageWide C500 printing press and a fleet of high-speed tool-less digital cutting machines. The BoxMaker will be the first company in the U.S. to operate two C500 ma- chines, the first having been installed and operated in their Seattle, Washington plant since 2018. “The future of packaging is digital,” said Richard Brown, President and Co-Owner of The BoxMaker. “We are proud to be a leader in this space, having invested in digital print and finishing equipment for the past decade. Our ex- pansion into Arkansas will allow The BoxMaker and our e-commerce web-to-print platform, Fantastapack.com, to more effectively serve companies across the country in need of custom printed packaging with cost-effective CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
BloApCo Floor Shredders easily handle Cores and Sheet Waste
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© Blower Application Company, Inc., Germantown, WI 2020
IT HAS ARRIVED
We’re proud to announce the new Moviroll MRE XS battery roll pusher is now available. The MRE XS is compact and handy, yet heavy-duty and easy to use. The free wheeling design make it the best solution for separating rolls. Equipped with a full-color LED display that provides instant feedback of power efficiency and battery usage.
www.cstsystems.net | 770-425-3353 Scan here to see a video of the product in action.
CST Systems is the exclusive distributor of Renova products in the US.
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March 29, 2021
A Century of Innovation In Every Machine Celebrating 100 Years: 1920-2020
FALCON 2-minute run-to-run times and world-class production @ 21K/HR
IBIS 2-minute run-to-run times and total product flexibility @ 15K/HR
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Vaccinating Your Employees BY MARY DRAIN
The BoxMaker (CONT’D FROM PAGE 4)
shipping and exceptional lead times.” In 2020, The BoxMaker announced their acquisition of Tango Press, an all-digital production plant for corrugated packaging and displays located in Springdale, Arkansas. Equipment and staff from the Springdale plant will begin working and operating out of the new facility being built in Lowell later this year. John Ballentine, former Owner of Tango Press and cur- rent Director of Trade Business for The BoxMaker adds, “It’s an exciting time to be a part of The BoxMaker. This new facility will greatly enhance our capacity to rapidly print and convert high graphics packaging for our clients and trade partners across the country, allowing us to be a powerfully adaptive part of their packaging supply chain.” Full production is expected to begin in Lowell on Sep- tember 1, 2021.
Over two million Americans are being vaccinated every day. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been in full effect since mid-December, but each state has different guide-
lines and the CDC’s recommended staggered approach limits eligibility so far. This makes it even more im- portant for your company to have a vaccination plan in place. There are two aspects to this: first, providing resources for those employees who want to get the vac-
Mary Drain
cine and second, educating workers about this prevention tool. If you haven’t done so already, I would encourage you to create an essential worker verification letter for the
COVID-19 vaccine. Click shrm.org for a sam- ple letter that you can customize for your employees. You can also make COVID-19 vaccina- tion part of your workplace wellness pro- gram. Consider implementing a workplace COVID-19 vaccination program by offering vaccinations onsite. Contact the health de- partment in your jurisdiction for guidance. By offering the vaccination onsite during work hours, it will encourage employees who may otherwise be undecided. And it emphasizes your support for your employ- ees and for how they’ve stepped up as es- sential workers to keep our nation’s supply chains moving during this pandemic. Additional considerations for hosting a vaccination clinic can be found in CDC’s Guidance for Planning Vaccination Clinics Held at Satellite, Temporary, or Off-Site Lo- cations and Resources for Hosting a Vacci- nation Clinic. If you aren’t able to offer vaccinations onsite, you can still educate employees about the benefits of vaccination and ad- dress common questions and concerns. The CDC has put together a toolkit specif- ically for this purpose. The toolkit has great resources including template letters to intro- duce COVID-19 vaccine educational activi- ties, free posters and factsheets that can be downloaded and printed. Most companies aren’t expected to make vaccinations mandatory for employees, but there are many ways to make it easier for your workers to get their shots. Manage- ment, human resources and labor represen- tatives should all be informed, so they can be part of the effort.
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March 29, 2021
40 ft of paper travel from preheater to hot plates 3 seconds of heat, glue and bonding 1 chance to get it right! the ZONE
Design & Production
Chicago Electric offers 10 technology solutions to control ‘the Zone’ CORRUGATOR Sectoral preheating plate
Our sectoral preheating plates provide direct heat by means of a double steam circuit, allowing for efficient heating in hard-to-access locations, as well as to act as a steam shower to open the paper’s fibre, making it receptive to absorbing the heat and the glue.
This translates into increased speed and improved quality of the cardboard sheet finish.
The system’s main advantages are as follows:
• The plate may only be used to heat, only to humidify, or both options at the same time. • The plate is sectored, which allows for applying humidity to the sections. • It provides temperature in previously inaccessible locations and near the location needed. • It compensates the loss of temperature dissipated due to distance, speed or limitations of the exiting preheaters. • Quick transferring of heat to the paper. • The combination of the hot plate and steam shower allows for providing heat even to the hardest papers to heat. • Does not dry out the paper. • Possibility of operating as a humidifier and pre-conditioner. • Maintains and improves the fibre’s elasticity. • Acts according to the operator’s needs. • Facilitates the paper’s hygroscopy to absorb the glue and improve rubberising.
CONTROLLABILITY
1. Wrap Arm - Position & Temperature 2. Preheater Direct Drive
DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT
3. Steam Plate 4. Contact Roll 5. Glue Machine Direct Drive Touch Productivity Issue—Glue Unit Many glue units run with a rider roll or a guiding bar system. The rider roll with paper gap allows a precise glue application, but requires frequent Contact Roll
PRODUCTIVITY
C/ Orfeó Català 13-15 · 08440 Cardedeu (Barcelona) telf: +34 93 846 01 06 · comercial@al-gar.com WWW.AL-GAR.COM
DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT
calibrations and settings. Bar systems avoid this, but compensate this with the risk of exces- sive glue application. The system contains many wearing parts. Solution The contact roll combines the ad antage of both systems and ensures minimum contact between board and applicator roll. The system uses small pneumatic cylinders in order to achieve a “soft touch.”
6. Gap Control 7. Curved Plate 8. Roller Shoe Press When it comes to a short-term increas of web tension, spring loaded systems with shoes or airpressure activated system have problems in compensating these. The system is lifted for a short time. This may result in de-lamination and in the ‘double kiss’ effect. Solution For a defined and exact bonding point of the web fiv weight rollers will be installed usually over the first flat hotplate of the heating section. The rolls are mounted into a frame, which is actuated by means of two pneumatic cylinders. P oductivity Issu —Double Kiss Bonding
PRODUCTIVITY
PRODUCTIVITY
DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT
Roller Shoe
DOUBLEBACKER IMPROVEMENT
9. Thin Wall Hot Plates 10. Pressure System Benefits —Exact glue application due to defined contact of applicator roll to web. Web is in contact to less flute tips compared to bar systems. • High precision glue application • Less moisture applied to web —No wear of shoes and springs —No adjustment of shoes or paper gap —Uniform glue application over entire working width for all flutes by use of pneumatic cylinders instead of springs — Less contamination by paper dust and glue remains —No jam of board because of web breaks caused by splice joints going through 630-784-0800 Benefits —Rollers secure exact defined first point of contact of liner and single-faced board - No double kiss —Frame design avoids unintended lifting of roller shoe (compared to spring or air loaded systems) - No double kiss —Pressure can be increased or released for special grades or products 490 Tower Blvd., Carol Stream, IL Contact Chicago Electric to GET IT RIGHT 630-784-0800 info@chicagoelectric.com chicagoelectric.com Solution The ProPress system ensures an optimum heat transfer to the board. It offers a wide range of set- tings. The loadi g pressure can be varied, the number of shoes can be lifted in accordance t the line speed. The outer shoes can be lifted in accordance to the paper width. The shoe bars will be delivered pre-assembled for a short installation time. —Liftable for easy paper infeed and for cleaning of the machine —Position adjustable in paper direction to avoid grooves in hotplate Press Productivity Issue—Poor Heat Transfer Rollers are usually limiting the heat transfer, since they often have contact mainly on the edges of the plates due to wear or bent plates. They also cause often loss of caliper and bearing need to be replaced frequently. Airpressure actuated systems can only supply a limited pressure and have com- pared to shoe systems a closed surface. Pressure Shoe
Plate vity Issue—Poor Heat Control l hotplates are slow to react to pressure due to high steam volume and massive y also have high heat radiation and heat profile. Worn plates can damage crease edge crush.
Thin-Wall Hot Plates
t by peripheral drilled hot plates. anufactured out of special wear and nt steel, through which a continuous is drilled, with one inlet and one outlet. ecured by a massive steel frame.
CORR24usa.com
ance from steam to paper surface results in fast heat flow n higher plate surface temperature
Benefits
Brunton’s ConneXion Wins 2020 Best Digital Exhibition Award ConneXion, the packaging industry community launched by Brunton Business Publications Ltd last summer, was announced as the winner of Best Digital Exhibition 2020. The event was held virtually on Thursday, March 18. ConneXion had been “shortlisted” in the Best Digital Exhibition category, alongside a dozen leading on-line events that had been hosted in 2020. It was lined up against virtual events organized in many different sectors of industry from around the world to award “best-in-class” for webinars, product launches, podcasts and exhibitions. “We are delighted to have been recognized for our ground-breaking approach to bringing converters and suppliers closer together, especially at a time when peo- ple couldn’t travel,” said Dan Brunton, Managing Direc- tor, Brunton Business Publications Ltd. “It also adds mo- mentum to the next event, which will be held June 1-8. This second event will be open to corrugated and folding carton converters all over the world, enabling visitors to engage with suppliers in an easy-to-use, browser-based experience. But the most important thanks go to the part- ner exhibitors for their support of this novel event and of course, the many thousands of box makers from around the world who took the time to attend.”
Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month December 2020
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2020 2019
34.916 31.332
11.4
8.729 7.833
11.4
Industry Total
Year-to Date
December 2020
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2020 2019
406.776 393.483
3.4
8.071 7.838
3.0
Industry Total
Containerboard Consumption (Thousands of Tons)
Year
Month
Percent Change Year-to-Date Percent Change
2020 2019
2.7727 2.5660
8.1
33.0739 32.3005
2.4
Container Board Inventory - Corrugator Plants (Thousands of Tons)
Corrugator Plants Only
Date
Percent Change Weeks of Supply
Percent Change
Dec. Nov.
1.8921 1.7912
5.6
2.7 2.5
8.0
Shipping Days
Year
Month
Year-to-Date
2020 2019
20 20
252 251
SOURCE: Fibre Box Association
Puhl custom designs systems to meet your needs. • Moving to a new facility? Puhl has experience moving entire plant systems all while minimizing down time in BOTH plants during the transition. • Below roof AND above roof systems custom designed to meet your needs. • New and Remanufactured Equipment (balers, blowers, separators, filters and more). Our Remanufactured equipment includes a warranty and offers significant savings. • NFPA and OSHA compliant systems designed by our NFPA trained engineering team. • Dust Briquetters, Certified Explosion Isolation Valves, Flame Front Diverters and more to control dust and meet NFPA requirements. • PLC Touch Screen Controls with Real Time Pressure Balancing and Real Time Remote Monitoring available on your smart phone or computer.
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March 29, 2021
ICG Elects Keva Sonderen To Its Board Of Directors
the ICG not only survive but thrive, and I am excited to learn from the other board members.” The next generation of ICG leadership rests in the ca- pable hands of brother-sister team of Kim Pearce, Assis- tant to the Executive Director, and Jay Willie, Executive Di- rector. Their father, Andrew Willie, was a founding member of the ICG and its Executive Director for 21 years. Kim Pearce reflects, “Keva will be a wonderful liaison for the ICG member companies and will bring a fresh, en- ergetic, and forward-thinking perspective to the organiza- tion.” Pearce encouraged Keva to run for the board and has given excellent guidance and support throughout the process. Jay Willie sees how Keva has positively impacted the growth of Sonderen Packaging and goes on to say, “the Sonderen family and its team have been supporters of all aspects of the ICG since 2003. I look forward to Keva having a role in the ICG leadership and leveraging her skills and experience that have contributed to Sonderen Packaging’s continued growth and success.” Sonderen was mentored over the years by two ICG women who were “daughters” taking over for their “found- ing fathers.” Jan Steiner paved the way for women in the folding carton industry when she took over for her father in the early 1980s and pressed for her company, Thoro Packaging, to become an early member of the ICG. Jan was an inspiration and mentor to Keva. She was famous for encouraging Keva to “Make Dust,” which refers to her
The Independent Carton Group (ICG), an association of 19 independently owned and operated folding carton manu-
facturers, has elected Keva Son- deren of Spokane, Washington, to the ICG Board of Directors, on March 4, 2021. Sondere will take the place of packaging leg- end and founding member of the ICG, Bob Zumbiel. “To acknowledge Women’s History Month, we are proud to announce that Keva Sonderen,
Keva Sonderen
of Sonderen Packaging recently made history as the first woman to be elected to the Independent Carton Group Board (ICG),” said Jay Willie, ICG’s Executive Director. “Keva began attending ICG meetings in 2005 with her fa- ther, Mark, when it was common to enter a room with a sea full of suits and balding heads. The actual meeting room was usually frigid because the men wore suit jackets.The ICG was founded in 1982, just one year before Keva was born. In 2020, Keva was nominated for a board seat. “It seemed like the right time for me to make this com- mitment,” said Sonderen. “I believe in the ICG and its mis- sion. It is imperative for the stability of the members that
CONTINUED ON PAGE 41
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THE NEW RD115/135S
The NEW KOLBUS Hycorr RD115/135S Flexo Rotary Die Cutter represents years of investment by the KOLBUS engineering team in Rahden, Germany and the Hycorr technical team in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This cooperation, combined with the input from our customers, has resulted in the ultimate blend of quality, performance, and value. Designed with all corrugated markets in mind, the RD115/135S is well equipped for high throughput, quick make-ready, and high graphics print production. With a complement of new features and benefits to accompany.
KOLBUS America Inc. | 216-931-5100 | sales@kolbus.com
GBP Begins Production (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 )
Green Bay Packaging jobs across Brown County and over 1,500 jobs in the state of Wisconsin. This investment positions the company to continue to grow its Wisconsin workforce while significantly increasing production capacity and product quality. In addition, the new mill will benefit the entire regional supply chain while operating as one of the most environmentally sustainable paper mills in the world.
Packaging ERP Algorithmic Scheduling Web-Based Access Online Customer Portals
Paperless Workflows Mobile Sales Systems Digital Signage Production Monitoring Mobile Logistics Management Analytics & Reporting Cloud Hosting IT Management Services Cyber Security Management
“The team, led by Matt Szymanski, has done an outstanding job bring- ing this project in on-time,” said Bryan Hollenbach, Executive Vice Presi- dent of Green Bay Packaging. “This complex and intense project was com- pleted on time and will play a significant role in the future of Green Bay Packaging. The entire team did an outstanding job.” Green Bay Packaging furthered its long-term commitment to Northeast Wisconsin and Green Bay and partnered with local companies to design and construct the facility, driving a significant regional economic impact. Green Bay Packaging’s new 451,000-square-foot mill sits at the mouth of the Fox River, south of the Leo Frigo Bridge in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
600 + Plants 60,000 Users North America Latin America
Neenah-based Miron Construction served as the general contractor for the construction of the new mill. At the height of the project, there were over 1,150 workers on site daily. Through the end of February 2021, over 2.4 million labor hours had been worked to complete the project. Voith Paper was chosen as the full-line equipment supplier for this proj- ect. Voith Paper’s North American headquarters are located in Appleton, CONTINUED ON PAGE 14 Green Bay Packaging’s production team stand proudly in front of the first rolls of paper produced on machinery by Voith Paper.
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March 29, 2021
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GBP Begins Production (CONT’D FROM PAGE 12)
Mill Operations. “I am very proud of our team and the part- nerships we forged during this project. The chemistry that was developed allowed us to meet our startup schedule in light of a global pandemic. Voith, Miron, and our other major equipment suppliers have proven to be great part- ners that were committed to the success of this project, delivering a world-class paper mill.” PCMC Names Blakney President Of Global Operations Green Bay, Wisconsin based Paper Converting Machine Company (PCMC), a division of Barry-Wehmiller and a sup-
Wisconsin. Green Bay Packaging’s partnership with Voith includes cutting-edge papermaking and fiber recycling technology.
plier of converting machinery, has announced that Stan Blakney has accepted the position of President of its global operations. In addition to leading the company’s U.S. busi- ness, as he has since February 2019, Blakney now will assume leadership in Italy and Serbia as well.
Since Blakney joined PCMC, he has led the company’s expansion in flexographic-printing, bag-converting and hy- giene solutions, while continuing to drive growth in tissue converting and packaging. Visit pcmc.com for more information about PCMC and its range of converting equipment. Stan Blakney
“Every member of the Green Bay Packaging Mill team worked tirelessly over the past several years to bring this vision to reality,” said Matt Szymanski, Vice President of
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March 29, 2021
FBA Cancels Spring Meeting, To Offer Virtual Event In May
Instead, of the in-person meeting FBA has pivoted to planning for a virtual Annual Meeting to be held Monday, May 3, and Tuesday, May 4, from 9:00 – 11:00 am CST. The FBA’s Executive Committee has identified six topic areas to be covered during the event including: State of the Corrugated Industry : Each year, FBA asks a leader in the corrugated industry to share their compa- ny’s perspective on the corrugated industry. Coming off of record-setting box shipments in 2020, what are the economic headwinds/ tailwinds the industry can expect. Boxes are the backbone of the American supply chain, but what challenges lie ahead? What role will innovation, sustainability, and the changing marketplace play in the industry this year and beyond? Cybersecurity : With more than one company in our in- dustry recently impacted by a cybersecurity attack, how can you protect your business from hacking, phishing, malware, and ransomware? These attacks can leave em-
Fibre Box Association (FBA) has announced the cancella- tion of its in-person 2021 FBA Annual Meeting which was to be held May 2-4, 2021, at Montage Laguna Beach in California. The Executive Committee of FBA’s Board of Directors made the difficult decision based on continuing COVID-19 restrictions in Orange County, CA. “While we are saddened to not be together with our members again this year, the health and safety of FBA members at our events remains our greatest priority,” said FBA Vice President, Rachel Kenyon. “We believe there is great value in the information shared during the Annual Meeting, which allows attendees to step away from their everyday operations to explore and consider broader trends impacting the corrugated packaging industry.”
ployees, customers, and company informa- tion vulnerable. Learn about security risks and how to spot them, best practices, and a view to the latest technology for preventing cyberattacks. Next Generation Workforce : Where will the manufacturing workforce of the future come from? As the number of manufacturing workers aged 55 and older continues to in- crease, the ability of manufacturing employ- ers to fill open positions becomes more chal- lenging. How do you attract Generation Z to the manufacturing workforce? Learn about what drives Gen Z’s career choices – you may be more aligned than you think! Hear how recruiting changes may be the answer to attracting the next generation workforce. The Biden Administration’s Impact on Manufacturing : The previous Administration was largely viewed as a friend of business and manufacturing. How will the policies of the Biden Administration impact business and manufacturing? Should manufacturers expect increased regulations, tax changes, a boost to the minimum wage, immigration reform, and/or climate change legislation? Learn from a speaker on the front lines who is seeing change take place daily and can give you the insight needed to prepare for the next four years. E-Commerce : Aided by the pandemic, e-commerce saw record growth in 2020 and that growth led to record-setting box ship- ments. Where is e-commerce headed next? Have consumer shopping habits changed forever? How will the increased move to on- line shopping impact the supply chain? What role does packaging continue to play in an
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CONTINUED ON PAGE 18
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March 29, 2021
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sales@amtechautomation.com | 215.639.9540 | www.amtechautomation.com
FBA Cancels (CONT’D FROM PAGE 16)
interest in graphic arts and flexographic industries. This year’s program will be held virtually for the second time to continue the program in safe and productive way. Reg- istration is open for any high school program students to sign-up. The competition brings 30-40 high school students from across North America together for a two and half-day skill-based competition with hands-on and comprehension testing in operating a flexo press, prepress, plate-making and overall flexo knowledge. Students are evaluated in proving their skills in a team setting showcasing the vari- ous disciplines for flexo print production including mathe- matics and written skills. With a virtual format, a few things will be revised but the key academic skills and knowledge will be tested by eager students. Winners are eligible for scholarships funded by the PCF. The Phoenix Challenge College Competition is a school year long event in which an industry problem is presented to the students and requires both market and manufactur- ing research. Students then present to a panel of industry judges which grade them in four different categories: re- search, concept, graphics and execution. Prizes are awarded by earning the highest combined scores in the competition. Along with the First Place award the team will each receive a $1,000 Phoenix Challenge Foundation Scholarship and they will take home the Harp- er Flexo High School of the Year trophy cup, for display at the school. Visit www.phoenixchallenge.org for more.
e-commerce world? Learn from a retailer living the e-com- merce boom. What’s their perspective on packaging and the supply chain. What is next and how can you secure your position in this ever-evolving marketplace? Sustainability : How has the plastics crisis and the pan- demic impacted consumer packaged goods manufactur- ers and consumers’ views and goals around sustainabil- ity? How does a focus on individual health impact the view of planet health? And how do both impact shopping behaviors and packaging choices? Learn from an indus- try organization working to understand the commitments to sustainability and how industry can meet their fast-ap- proaching goals. “We are very excited to bring this program to you,” said Kenyon. “Look for registration information and more de- tailed information about our esteemed speakers coming soon. We can’t wait to see you virtually in May!” PCF Slates Virtual High School Flexo Skills Competition The Phoenix Challenge Foundation (PCF) has announced that the 24th annual Phoenix Challenge High School Skills Competition April 14-16 via Zoom. The tradition continues with this premier event that continues to breed talent and
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Money making machine
Domino X630i digital aqueous inkjet corrugated press
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AICC’s D’Angelo Elected To SBLC Board Of Directors
The Perfect Combo Get Peak Performance From Your Equipment with Matched Component Sets
During its Annual Meeting on March 16, the Small Business Legislative Council (SBLC) elected AICC President Michael M. D’Angelo to its Board of Directors. “Small businesses are the heartbeat of the American economy, and trade associations are instrumental in cre- ating a favorable policy environment to support business,” said Corey Rosenbusch, President & CEO, The Fertilizer Institute, and Chair of the SBLC Nominating Committee. “Michael has contributed a strong voice on behalf of his packaging members. SBLC is fortunate to have his leader- ship on the board,” The SBLC is an independent, permanent coalition of trade and professional associations who share a common concern for the future of small business. The purpose of SBLC is twofold: to consolidate the strength and maximize the influence of business on legislative and Federal policy issues of importance to the entire small business commu- nity; and secondly, to disseminate information on the im- pact of public policy on small business. “AICC does not have government affairs staff,” said D’Angelo. “The SBLC provides valuable information and influence on the goings-on in Washington. Covid, stimulus, the change in the majority party and what it means. We dutifully share this information with AICC members, and it is very helpful to them. It’s an honor for me and for AICC to serve on the SBLC Board.” Visit www.aiccbox.org for more information. Fantastapack Introduces Collection Of Custom Boxes For Ecommerce Seattle, Washington based Fantastapack, an online web- to-print custom packaging manufacturer, has launched the ASAP Mailer collection, a new line of tape sealed custom boxes designed for efficient ecommerce shipping. As one of the leading web-to-print providers in the industry, Fanta- stapack is committed to investing in digitally printed pack- aging innovations to support ecommerce businesses. The ASAP Mailer collection includes four different box styles. Each style features one or two built-in tape strips for secure closure and/or customer returns, and a tear strip for easy opening. “Ecommerce is seeing unprecedented growth,” says Justin Stacey, Vice President of Ecommerce Solutions at Fantastapack. “We designed the ASAP Mailer™ to respond to the challenges that ecommerce businesses face — from supporting customer returns, reducing material and labor costs, and speeding up packing and assembly.” The ASAP Mailer collection became available on March 3, 2021. Customers can purchase on the company’s web- site at fantastapack.com with no minimum order require- ments.
Nothing’s more rewarding than a couple made
for each other. That’s why the engineers at ARC International have focused their skills and talents on crafting perfect matches between the components that must work in tandem on your exo folder gluers and die-cutters: • Anilox Rollers and Ink Chambers • Anilox andWiper Rollers • Feed and Pull Rollers • Glue andMeter Rollers You can achieve the press speeds and print quality you need to ll your most demanding orders by pairing your team with The ARChitects of Flexo. Contact ARC today to learn how these engineered matches of exo folder gluer and die-cutter components (new or reconditioned)
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ARC.5pBCN_AnlxChmbr.indd 1
2/4/21 2:13 PM
Where Less is More LBX & SBX Stackers with Scrubber ® Technology
Á Less Downtime By eliminating jams Á More Sheet Control Sheets are fully guided throughout Á Less Scrap Exclusive Scrubber ® technology Á More Production Able to operate at the highest die cutter speeds
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ROTARY DIE CUTTER STACKERS & PERIPHERALS
Rusken Packaging (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 )
of having a sheet plant located conveniently next to a CSC corrugator operation is one Rusken has incorporated in its Cullman, Alabama, and Harrisburg, Arkansas, locations.) Having all operations under one roof would improve effi- ciencies and reduce transportation costs: instead of mov- ing sheets across town, they would be moved across a facility. “The real challenge was running two plants simultane- ously (E. Smith Box and Mullen) while moving several piec- es of equipment from those locations to the new facility (Rusken Conyers) and not ‘dropping the ball’ while several were in the air at the same time,” said Bailey, who began his work by getting bids from electrical contractors who would install a 2500-amp service to power several piec- es of converting equipment. Between summer storms and outages, Georgia Power, the Atlanta based utility compa-
A Bobst FFG 8.20 Discovery Flexo Folder Gluer was the first new piece of machinery installed at Rusken Conyers.
ny, installed a powerful new transformer that would bring electrical service to the facility. Bailey then negotiated more bids and retained construction contractors who would build out office areas, plumbing contractors who would install new plumbing, and concrete contrac- tors, who would prepare the facility’s produc- tion floors for most of the machinery that would soon be moved there.
The first new piece of machinery pur- chased and installed at Rusken Conyers was a Bobst FFG 8.20 Discovery Flexo Folder Gluer. It was joined by the first machine moved from E. Smith Box, a Martin 1228 4-color Flexo Fold- Rusken’s Project Engineer, Cameron Bailey
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
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Rusken Packaging (CONT’D FROM PAGE 22)
er Gluer with die cut section, on which Bobst performed some upgrades to get it ready for action. Next came a Martin DRO die cutter, followed by a McKinley die cutter, a Jumbo Printer Slotter, and finally, two folder gluers, one a
J&L and the other a Bobst Pacific, along with the requisite stitchers, slotters and strappers. Bailey and his team re- moved from E. Smith Box what conveyors that could be re- used, taking care not to affect the plant’s operations and service to its customers during the transition. As the move A J&L Folder Gluer is one of two at Rusken Conyers. A Bobst Pacific is the other.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
Do you need printed sheets? We have your answer.. Introducing Heartland’s ColorCorr. This is “flexo-printing in the round”. On our corrugator we can print up to 109” wide. The advantage is that we can print the equivalent of ½ roll at a time and not be required to keep several rolls of very expensive preprinted paper on the floor. Much less waste and risk. In continual print mode, we use either laser-engraved rubber rolls or solid rubber rolls to print a “flood coat” or a repeating pattern. If we are printing a repeating pattern, we can run a two-color design on the paper. Customers have found that running sheets we print can allow them to run a lighter-grade due to reduced caliper loss, and in some cases eliminate one or more machine passes.
For more information contact: Charlie Freeman | 816-500-8889 | cfreeman@heartlandsheets.com Tim Kramer | 816-841-8317 | color@heartlandsheets.com
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Rusken Packaging (CONT’D FROM PAGE 24)
year-long consolidation project. “Logistically, it was a huge challenge but we didn’t miss a beat. We didn’t sacrifice
progressed, Rusken partnered with ACS Conveyor on new conveyor and Rustburg, Virginia based SeeMotionUSA to helped with the installation of Rusken Conyers’ main line, including an automated strapping section. While no converting equipment was moved from Mul- len & Company in Canton, its “book of business” was, as was some tooling and office equipment. The company’s Amtech operating system was coordinated with the oper- ations at E. Smith and Conyers. CSC owns, operates and maintains the two 110-inch BHS corrugators; a 2001 vintage singlewall machine pro- duces B, C and E flute and a 2011 vintage doublewall ma- chine produces BC and EB. Not including existing CSC employees operating the two BHS corrugators running two shifts, Rusken has 70 employees in its newly consoli- dated facilities. Only a few new hires to the maintenance team were needed. All other machine operators and office staff, including the customer service team, remains intact, as does the management team that continues to oper- ate E. Smith Box. Steve Ingram is the General Manager at Rusken Conyers. “There were a lot of details involved in fulfilling an or- der when half our machines and tooling were in one place and the other half were in another, but our team pulled together and got the job done,” said Andy Bell, Sales and Marketing Project Manager at Rusken Packaging of the
any capacity and made it a point to maintain communica- tions with our customers throughout.” Two 110-inch BHS corrugators owned and operated by Corru- gated Supplies Company (CSC) provides Rusken Conyers with an ample supply of containerboard.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
Our Story is Much Bigger Than The Symbol.
Corrugated Supplies Corp. LLC Rick Van Horne Director of Creative Marketing srvan614@me.com www.corrugatedsuppliescompany.com
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Rusken Packaging (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
Rusken Conyers is currently running one shift but is al- ready “experimenting” with running a second. The com- pany’s customers in the automotive, food, beverage, and manufacturing segments have been growing concurrent- ly; its e-commerce has been booming, partially due to the high-volume prowess of the Bobst Discovery and to a less- er degree, the two Martin machines. “We don’t need any additional machinery now. We’re in this building, we have everything we need and we want to see how much we can grow here,” said Bell. “Our focus now is on one-box setups, customization, reducing set up times, and other ‘internal optimization’ initiatives.” Rusken Conyers is now well invested, well equipped and ready to continue servicing its customers in and around Atlanta with the highest quality and service and as part of its ongoing growth initiative, Rusken Packaging
Boxes coming off the Bobst Discovery are strapped and con- veyored to the shipping area.
purchased a warehouse in Charlotte, NC, its first facility in that state, from which it will be- gin growing its footprint. Can some BHS cor- rugators operated by CSC and an acquisition or two by Rusken be far behind? OSHA Launches A COVID-19 National Emphasis Program Effective March 12, 2021, OSHA issued a di- rective National Emphasis Program (NEP) – Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The NEP is in response to the Executive Order (EO) from President Biden in January 2021. The EO was reported to Fibre Box Associa- tion members, along with recommendations from the FBA Safety and Health Committee. The agency also updated its Interim Enforce- ment Response Plan for COVID-19 to con- form to the priorities in the NEP. This NEP advises that OSHA will use tar- geted inspections, outreach, and compliance assistance to identify and reduce or elimi- nate COVID-19 exposures in the workplace. The NEP provides a formalized structure for OSHA to implement inspections, including unprogrammed, programmed, and follow-up inspections, in workplaces where employees have a high frequency of potential COVID-19 exposures. Since the start of the pandemic, OSHA has handled most enforcement work remotely, without in-person inspections. Un- der the NEP, more inspections will involve on- site visits. “The NEP targets establishments that have workers with increased potential expo- sure to this hazard, and that puts the largest
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
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SETTING STANDARDS in Corrugated Solutions
YOUR PARTNER OF CHOICE
INSPIRE AUTOMATION IS A TURNKEY SOLUTION PROVIDER FOR YOUR MATERIAL HANDLING AND CONVERTING NEEDS. We are proud to offer the products, services and partnerships needed to grow our customers’ business. Inspire Automation specializes in providing the highest quality material handling, litho labeling, load handling, converting and aftermarket products to corrugated converters.
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