BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries Since 1985 September 14, 2026 VOL. 42 NO. 37
Judge In Price-Fixing Case Denies Motions To Dismiss According to multiple media outlets, a judge has denied motions by several North Ameri- can containerboard producers seeking to dis- miss a price-fixing lawsuit filed against them in July 2025. Defendants in the case include Cascades, Georgia-Pacific, Greif, International Paper, Packaging Corporation of America (PCA), Pratt Industries, Smurfit Kappa and WestRock. Judge Mary M. Rowland conveyed there is enough evidence of a potential conspiracy in the plaintiff’s materials to warrant further ex- ploration in a lawsuit. She rejected arguments that plaintiff Artuso Pastry had failed to state a sufficient claim. The ruling allows discovery in the case to move forward. Defendants have until September 29 to answer the complaint. “Considered as a whole, Plaintiff’s allega- tions are sufficient to make the inference of a conspiracy plausible,” Rowland said. “Plain- tiff’s well-pleaded allegations regarding six lockstep or nearly lockstep price increases are sufficient on their face to show parallel conduct.” The defendants have argued there were “obvious, nonconspiratorial explanations” for
Découpage Leverages Youth, Technology For Success BY LEN PRAZYCH What would you say if I told you about a small sheet plant based in Montreal named Découpage MPS, (Découpage is French for die cut- ting) founded in 1991 and sold in 2021 to a brother and sister in their late twenties who thought they could carve a slice of sheet plant suc- cess, during the Covid pandemic, no less? You might likely say it was, well, unlikely. But not only have Cory Dell’Olio, now 33, and Kaylee Dell’Olio, 30, managed to thrive at time when businesses were closing their doors, they have succeeded in tripling revenue.
I had many questions for who may be the youngest owners of an independent sheet plant in North America, among them: What made you think you could succeed in the box making business when you had only had experience in die making? Why form a partnership when one of the partners, Kaylee, was still in university? Was the process as challenging as you imagined? How have you managed to succeed as a small independent sheet plant in a geographical area dominated by the integrateds? And lastly, what was the machinery you relied on to get you from there to here? As it turns out, the gene for business success was in Cory and Kaylee’s DNA all along. “My grandfather, my father and my uncles were all business owners, as were a lot of our friends and their families, but not necessarily in CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 Kaylee Dell ’ Olio, left, and Cory, Dell ’ Olio, right, owners of Découpage, with their father, Elio.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
WHAT’S INSIDE 3 Fastmarkets Proposes Box Cost Index For Corrugated 12 Graco Inc. Completes Valco Melton Acquisition 16 Domtar Saves Over 2.3B Gallons Of Water 20 A.G. Stacker To Debut Bundle Breaker At CorrWeek 2026
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Fastmarkets Proposes Box Cost Index For Corrugated
Price Fixing (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
concurrent price increases, including increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic and input cost changes. The judge didn’t feel as though the timing of these factors aligned perfectly with that of the price increases.
Fastmarkets has proposed the launch of a Corrugated Cost Benchmark (CCB) for North America, a calculated benchmark measuring changes in the principal costs as- sociated with manufacturing and delivering corrugated boxes in North America, effective October 19, 2026. The proposed CCB is intended to provide great- er transparency into changes in the underlying costs of manufacturing and delivering corrugated boxes in North America and respond to market demand for a robust and consistent measure of those changes. The proposed CCB would combine Fastmarkets’ virgin and recycled fiber price data with third-party economic and cost indicators covering labor, energy, chemicals, mainte- nance, other manufacturing costs and transportation. The CCB is a calculated benchmark expressed in in- dex points that measures changes in values to the inputs over time. The January 2019 price provides a baseline of 100, against which subsequent changes are measured. It would measure changes in a modelled industry-average cost basket and would not represent the absolute cost or market price of a corrugated box. To see all Fastmarkets pricing methodology and spec- ification documents, visit www.fastmarkets.com/method- ology .
Rowland emphasized that weighing competing expla- nations for the allegations would be inappropriate at the motion-to-dismiss stage and could instead be examined as the case proceeds. PCA and Pratt separately argued that there was insuffi- cient evidence tying them to the alleged collusion, howev- er Rowland found that “the Complaint contains sufficient specific allegations against Pratt and PCA to plausibly tie them to the conspiracy.” Graphic Packaging International and Smurfit Westrock were dismissed from the case last year. The court did not provide reasons for those dismissals.
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FOLDING SECTION UPGRADES THAT MOVE THE INDUSTRY FORWARD
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AICC Announces Winners Of 2026 Student Design Competition AICC, the Independent Packaging Association, is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Student Packaging De- sign Competition, recognizing students who demonstrat- ed outstanding creativity, structural design, and graphic design skills while solving a real-world packaging chal- lenge. The annual Student Packaging Design Competition gives students from colleges, universities, and technical schools the opportunity to apply their classroom knowl- edge to real-world corrugated packaging challenges. By competing, students develop their portfolios, strengthen their design skills, and gain valuable exposure to the pack- aging industry.
This year’s competi- tion partnered with Gibs Grooming to challenge students to design a com- pact, retail-ready counter- top display for the compa- ny’s 3.25-ounce travel-size products. The displays were designed for retail stores serving the beauty industry. The structural design winners were: • First Place: University of
Texas at Arlington; “GIBS Tiered Tabletop Display” by Jesus Vargas, Emily Pfefferkorn, Kathy Le
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•Second Place: Cal Poly; “GIBS Gym Es- sentials” by Ainsley Gavin, Grace Gunther, Aden Pierson, Tyler Fieux •Third Place: Cal Poly; “GIBS Rebel Refuel Station” by Ava Cheung, Shree Lankipalli, Andrew Klarich The graphic design winners were: •First Place: Cal Poly; “One Stop Shop” by Kiana Honma, Brandon Britt, Elle Burgos, Casey Copeland •Second Place: Cal Poly; “Barrel Aged Re- served” by Robert Cadena, Jesse Resnick, Bode Popp •Third Place: Cal Poly; “The Showroom” by Logan Ruby, Mira Shupe, Jordan Hopp
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Congratulations to all the Student Pack- aging Design Competition winners and participants for their creativity, innovation, and hard work. Their designs demonstrate the talent and potential of the next genera- tion of packaging professionals.
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We fold complexity into simplicity Our proven solutions optimize every step of your corrugating and converting production lines, so you can achieve smarter, more ecient results with confidence. One partner from Starch to Finish.
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Graco Inc. Completes Valco Melton Acquisition
technologies with Graco’s global scale and manufacturing expertise,” said Sheahan. “We look forward to building on their legacy with a shared commitment to innovation, qual- ity and customer success.” Valco Melton will become part of Graco’s Industrial seg- ment. This acquisition reinforces Graco’s disciplined ap- proach to capital allocation and M&A, driving growth by expanding its participation in attractive end markets, en- hancing and leveraging its global capabilities, and adding technologies that support both original equipment and af- termarket demand. USPS Announces Temporary Price Change For 2026 Holiday Season The U.S. Postal Service has filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) regarding a temporary price change for some package products for the 2026 peak hol- iday season. This temporary price adjustment is to help cover extra handling costs. Pending favorable review by the PRC, the temporary rates would be effective October 4 through January 17, 2027. This seasonal adjustment will bring prices for the Post- al Service’s retail and commercial customers in line with competitive practices. More details can be found at www. usps.com .
Minneapolis, Minnesota based Graco Inc., a global leader in fluid and powder handling technologies, has announced it has completed its acquisition of Cincinnati, Ohio based Valco Melton, a global provider of adhesive application and quality assurance systems, for $447 million in cash. “Today marks an exciting milestone as we official- ly welcome Valco Melton to Graco,” said Mark Sheahan, President and CEO, Graco. “Valco Melton expands our capabilities in precision adhesive dispensing and quality assurance technologies while strengthening our ability to help manufacturers improve productivity, product quali- ty and operational efficiency. Together, we are well posi- tioned to deliver greater value to customers around the world.” Valco Melton designs, manufactures and supports in- dustrial systems that precisely apply adhesives and verify quality during production. Its solutions are used primarily in packaging and other industrial manufacturing applica- tions. It has approximately 650 employees, serves cus- tomers in more than 80 countries and generated approxi- mately $145 million in revenue in 2025. “With the acquisition complete, we are focused on realizing the opportunities created by combining Val- co Melton’s leading adhesive dispensing and inspection
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President Container Group Launches New Website
Additional features include an expanded resources area with news, blog content, and a project gallery; a sur- plus inventory section; and current employment opportu- nities across the organization. The PACK Act Clears Key Hurdle In Its Journey To Congress According to multiple sources, the Packaging and Claims Knowledge (PACK) Act took a step forward September 1 as the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Com- merce, Manufacturing, and Trade advanced the bill to the full committee, building momentum for federal packaging sustainability labeling claims. The bipartisan legislation would establish a uniform federal framework for recyclable, compostable, and reus- able claims on consumer product packaging, replacing the growing patchwork of conflicting state requirements. “Whether you’re making a product, stocking a grocery store, or trying to figure out what in the world a label even means, you shouldn’t need 50 different rulebooks,” said Texas Representative Randy Weber in a statement. “The PACK Act cuts through the confusion and brings some good old-fashioned common sense back to the process. If a business chooses to make a recyclable, compostable, or reusable claim, they should have one clear, voluntary federal framework to follow.”
Moonachie, New Jersey based President Container Group (PCG), a leading manufacturer of custom corrugated pack- aging and point-of-purchase displays, has announced the launch of its newly redesigned corporate website, Presi- dentContainerGroup.com . The new site consolidates the capabilities of the PCG family of companies into a single, easy-to-navigate digital destination for customers, part- ners, and prospective employees. The redesigned website presents, for the first time in one unified experience, the full scope of PCG’s four op- erating divisions: President Container (custom box design and manufacturing), President Industrial Products (ready- to-ship shipping boxes, moving supplies, and industrial products), Artisan Display & Packaging (retail display de- sign and manufacturing), and Tech-Pak (assembly, pack- out, and fulfillment services). Visitors can explore each division’s products and ser- vices, review production capabilities, and submit detailed quote requests directly through the site. The new site also highlights PCG’s manufacturing strength, including 625,000 square feet of production space equipped with two high-capacity corrugators, integrated automation, and just-in-time delivery programs coordinated with custom- ers’ warehouse inventory forecasts.
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Domtar Saves Over 2.3B Gallons Of Water With Employee-Led Projects Since 2023, employee-led projects at ten Domtar mills have reduced the company’s water use by more than 2.3 billion gallons a year — enough to fill 3,480 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Twenty-four projects, designed and driv- en by the people who know the mills best, are helping Domtar’s paper and packaging mills reach the company’s water target: a 20 percent reduction in water-use intensity by 2030, compared to 2020 levels. A Fund With One Goal The program works like a competition. Through the Water Reduction Capex Fund, Domtar sets aside a portion of capital spending solely for water-reduction projects, and mill teams submit proposals for a share of it. There’s one unusual rule. “The projects didn’t need to provide a financial return. The priority was saving water,” says Brian Kozlowski, se- nior director of environment and sustainability for Dom- tar’s Paper and Packaging business unit. “That gave our employees the chance to think beyond the bottom line — and they really did.” Ideas From The Mill Floor The best water-saving ideas didn’t come from head- quarters. They came from operators, engineers and main- tenance teams who saw where water could work harder
— often in places most people never think about. Some projects put used water back to work. When a new sheet of paper is made, the white water that drains away can be captured and put back to use instead of being replaced with fresh water. Same for cooling water, which carries heat away from equipment: instead of running it through once and letting it go, teams rerouted it to cooling towers, where it sheds heat and goes back to work again. Other projects stop the draw before it starts. Many in- dustrial pumps run a constant trickle of seal water to keep their moving parts cool and sealed tight. A trickle running around the clock adds up to millions of gallons; swapping older-style pump packing for modern mechanical seals cuts that trickle to nearly nothing. The first year of the competition alone produced ten projects at seven mills, saving more than 1 billion gallons annually. The program has since grown to 24 completed projects at ten mills; the healthy competition between mills that leaders hoped for is real. This spring, Domtar’s Ne- koosa Mill in Wisconsin earned the company’s internal Wa- ter Reduction Award for a series of conservation initiatives projected to save more than 129 million gallons. According to Domtar’s Q2 2026 sustainability strategy update, the Water Reduction Capex Fund has now com- pleted its third year of projects, and water use across the Paper & Packaging business unit is down 10 percent from 2020 levels through the first quarter of 2026, halfway to the 2030 target.
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AICC Launches CEO Advisory Group, Eichmann To Facilitate
workforce development, marketing, innovation, profitabili- ty, leadership, and succession. Eichmann’s approach is particularly well suited to younger CEOs and next-generation leaders who are tak- ing on increasingly complex leadership roles within inde- pendent, often family owned, manufacturing business- es. With more than 25 years of experience in executive coaching, financial expertise, operational experience, and boardroom leadership allows him to approach challenges from both a business and leadership perspective. “Matt brings a fresh energy and perspective to the CEO Advisory experience,” said Rebecca Rendon, AICC Direc- tor of Education and Leadership Development. “His busi- ness experience and coaching background, combined with his ability to connect with the next generation of pack- aging leaders, make him an excellent addition to AICC’s leadership development offerings.” Take the Next Step Participation is open to AICC members in good stand- ing, including CEOs, presidents, senior executives, and second-generation family plant owners of independent corrugated box manufacturing companies. The annual fee is $3,500 per member and includes an approved facilitator and three plant-based meetings per year. AICC offers additional CEO Advisory Groups led by other AICC-approved facilitators. For more information on CEO Groups, contact Rebecca Rendon at rrendon@aic- cbox.org.
AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, is launch- ing a new CEO Advisory Group facilitated by Matt Eich- mann, an ICF-certified executive coach and former U.S.
Marine officer. Designed for CEOs, pres- idents, senior executives, and emerg- ing family-business leaders, the group provides a confidential environment for peer learning, candid discussion, and ac- countability. Eichmann brings a fresh, modern ap-
Matt Eichmann
proach to executive leadership backed by more than 25 years of experience in P&L management, finance, and boardroom leadership. His perspective is particularly rele- vant to recently appointed CEOs and executives, who are navigating changing workforce expectations, technology, leadership challenges, and evolving business environ- ments. A Fresh Perspective for the Next Generation of CEOs AICC CEO Advisory Groups connect independent pa- per-based packaging leaders with peers who understand the unique challenges of running a manufacturing busi- ness. Through confidential, peer-driven discussions and meetings at member plants throughout the year, partici- pants tackle real-world challenges such as operations,
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A.G. Stacker To Debut Bundle Breaker At CorrWeek 2026
Weyers Cave, Virginia based A.G. Stacker will exhibit at Corrugated Week 2026 at Booth 507, showcasing its lat- est innovations in bundle breaking, digital technology, and collaborative manufacturing solutions. Making their trade show debut, A.G. will showcase two new additions to its patented bundle breaker product line: the eBREAK-eXTENDER™, providing bundle breaking ca- pabilities up to 65 inches, and the new 100-inch eBREAK- XL™, designed for wider sheet sizes while maintaining the flexibility to process straight, nested, and offset bundle patterns. These new technologies expand A.G.’s all-elec- tric eSERIES™ and give converters greater flexibility across a wider range of applications.
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Read the articles in Board Converting News every week to learn about the people, places and machinery that will open the doors to new or repeat business.
Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com
20 September 14, 2026
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Découpage (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
the former owners involved also helped the Dell’Olio sib- lings learn about the equipment, some of which was older, underutilized, redundant or not suited for the new diverse work Découpage was aiming to produce.
the corrugated world, so it felt like buying Découpage was the right thing to do,” says Cory. “We always had some- one with whom we could bounce ideas off and get wise business advice. It made the leap from being an employ- ee at another company to a business owner a bit easier than someone who had no help at all, but I can't say that it wasn’t without its challenges.” The first challenge was how to begin generating reve- nue making boxes in a business that had largely focused on subcontracting work and taking overflow projects from the bigger industry players around Montreal and Quebec, all while scaling a learning curve and becoming familiar with new clients and old machinery. The solution? The Dell’Olios have strategically “flipped the script” and tran- sitioned to niche business-to-business work while diversi- fying into the areas of traditional die-cut, brown box and print packaging, all while keeping the subcontracting work inherited from the former owners, Yvon Dagenais and Viv- ianne Jean, who stayed on during a monthslong transition period. Cory and Kaylee’s father, Elio Dell’Olio, had been in the die making business for a large part of his sales career and many of his contacts were helpful in enhancing the Découpage customer base. He’s worked with his daugh- ter and son for the past few years and continues to serve as the company’s Technical Sales Representative. Having
“We took out quite a few pieces of equipment and ‘stripped things down’ to become leaner while creating more floor space for storage and new equipment,” says Cory, who listed the machines that have been critical to Découpage’s success: a Ward 3-color rotary die cutter; a “legacy” Jagenberg folder gluer reconfigured to run cor- rugated; a semi-automatic hot melt folder gluer, which is used for oversized work or small volume projects; an Au- The "legacy" Jagenberg folder gluer was reconfigured to run corrugated, and has been critical to the plant's success.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
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Why switch to a Marumatsu?
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Découpage (CONT’D FROM PAGE 22)
for a couple of years already, which was that the controls on the machine were old, its capacity was limited, and we should begin to think about upgrading to something new- er before the inevitable occurred,” says Cory. “Ryan had a great relationship with the previous owners, Yvon and Viv- ianne, and Hitek was always available and reliable for ser- vice and support on their machinery, so it was a ‘no-brain- er’ for us to move forward with Hitek to see what a new machine could do for us.” Ryan educated Cory and Kaylee on the improvements in Mikawa’s technology over decades and helped them choose the machine that was right for Découpage’s prod- uct mix. One key point, for example, was the difference between Marumatsu’s Diamond and Vantage models: the Diamond is like Découpage’s old Supermax in that it used a pusher-type system to move board through the machine and then used vibration as the primary method of stripping scrap. The Vantage, however, uses a gripper bar system that pulls the sheet through different sections of the ma- chine and has the option of having male-female stripping to get 100 percent stripping. From the feeder to the hopper, everything is computer controlled, even the thickness of the board. The only thing that is adjusted manually is how much distance the opera- tor wants to have on the gripper, which is usually very sim- ilar or virtually the same as previous orders. A repeat order can be set up and running within five minutes, which may CONTINUED ON PAGE 28
tomatan EM litholaminator, that has recently undergone a major electrical upgrade so it can keep up with the speed of the Découpage’s newest and most significant invest- ment: a Marumatsu Vantage flatbed die cutter by Japa- nese manufacturer Mikawa, represented in North America by Hitek Equipment Inc. A Relationship With Marumatsu And Hitek The new “jewel” of Découpage’s machine family re- placed what Dell’Olio says was the most reliable piece of equipment in the plant he purchased five years ago. It was a 38-year-old Marumatsu Super Max 88 with a 39-inch by 54-inch platen that ran for a full-shift or more since the ear- ly 2000’s when it was purchased by the previous owners. The machine was as well-maintained as it could have been but it was just a matter of time before a major breakdown would have crippled production just as it was beginning to boom. Kenosha, Wisconsin based Hitek has been selling and servicing Marumatsu machinery for decades, including the one that served Découpage so durably. Hitek’s sales representative, Ryan Ashley, now a co-owner of Hitek Equipment Inc., introduced himself to the Dell’Olios when they assumed ownership and to maintain the supplier re- lationship while being available for service and support, as needed. “Ryan told us what already was in the back of our minds
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Découpage (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
two operators, as well as Cory Dell’Olio himself, who’d al- ways been “hands-on” when it came to machinery. “I wanted to understand how the machine worked and what was going on so I could step in and help, if needed,” he says. “Since we had extensive experience with our old- er machine, the learning curve on the new Vantage was
be further reduced as Découpage’s operators become more familiar with the machine. “We decided on the Vantage because it would allow us to have the greatest amount of growth and greater con- trol over the sheet for the type of work we’re doing,” says Cory. “I think we would have been satisfied with the Dia- mond also, but the Vantage is a bit faster and will bring us to the next level in terms of capabilities. It’s been a really positive decision for us.” A Path Forward Découpage made the decision to purchase the Maru- matsu in mid-2025, after which preparations began: a foundation for the new machine was built and new elec- trical accommodations were added while the 38-year-old Marumatsu continued normal production. Hitek employ- ees and technicians from Mikawa installed the new Van- tage in about two weeks. “We were still working on the old press as the new one was being delivered and installed, so there were a lot of things going on in the plant for those couple of days,” says Cory. “Start-up was as close to perfect as a new machine installation could get. After three days of testing, set-up and adjustments, we started production orders. The first order was virtually flawless. And communication with Hitek from day one was excellent.” The Mikawa personnel stayed on to train Découpage’s
much shorter. A big change was the switch from pushers to a gripper bar system, but the machine is ‘super simple’ to operate and it's very user-friendly.” And of course, there is the significant update in tech- nology. The old machine was set up manually, with very little electronic calibration; the new Vantage boasts au- tomatic setup and is completely servo-driven. More cost savings: Découpage was able to modify its existing dies Découpage began running its new Marumatsu Vantage press in May 2026.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
MARK NEELY Training and Consulting Services
■ Mark has over 25 years experience delivering Sales and Negotiation Training to the Corrugated Packaging Industry ■ Using a 360º approach to developing both External as well as Internal relationships, Mark will help your whole team work together to expand your customer base, create closer ties between departments and build profits ■ Mark specializes in Customized Training Programs and Consulting Services that are created by matching your company’s capabilities to the goals you have set
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28 September 14, 2026
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Découpage (CONT’D FROM PAGE 28)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
to use them on the new machine instead of having to buy new ones. The Marumatsu Vantage started up early May of this year but because it’s so fast, it is not yet at full ca- pacity.
ADVANTZWARE www.advantzware.com
Advantzware provides a comprehensive system to address the business management needs of the independent box business, as well as the ERP requirements of full scale pack-
aging plants and integrated companies. AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION www.accfilter.com
Air Conveying Corporation is a leader in the industry of Pneumatic Conveying Systems and has been in business since 1968. As an equipment manufacturer rather than sim- ply a sales organization, we have complete control over the quality of material and products which make up your pro- posed system. Our equipment is found in printing, folding carton and corrugated plants throughout the world. We've been designing, manufacturing and engineering pneumatic conveying systems since 1984. We partner with our customers to ensure they operate efficiently and guar- antee our systems meet or exceed their specifications. ASDI specializes in full pull-through systems trim separators, and NFPA compliant systems with full electronic controls. AMTECH SOFTWARE www.amtechsoftware.com AIR SYSTEMS DESIGN, INC. www.airsystemsdesign.com Amtech offers the industry’s most innovative and com- prehensive corrugated and packaging ERP, integrated scheduling software, and engineered automation technol- ogy. For over 30 years, Amtech has kept our customers competitive in an ever-changing economy with customer digital storefronts and workflows, business intelligence, automated scheduling for corrugators, converting and shipping, proactive roll stock and inventory management. APEX INTERNATIONAL www.apexinternational.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.
“We only need to run one shift and we’ll occasionally do overtime but with the capacity we have with the new Marumatsu, we're gobbling up all the work that in the past added overtime hours, so we’re super satisfied.” Remember, by any measure Découpage can be con- sidered a small company. Thirteen to fourteen employees work in a tidy 20,000-square-foot facility, which includes the production floor and offices. The company’s custom- ers are primarily in the pharmaceutical, food & beverage industries, many from the subcontracting work inherited from the former owners and many more from the new di- The Automatan EM litholaminator has recently undergone a major electrical upgrade so it can keep up with the Marumatsu Vantage flabed die cutter.
AOPACK LTD www.aopackmachine.com
versified customer base on which Découpage is now able to compete. About 90 percent of its output is “local,” that is, to Quebec, Ontario and a little from the Maritimes. Ten percent of its work is exported to the U.S. “We are seeing a lot of word-of-mouth business and we have a mix of people who are selling for us. We use bro- kers, a mix of our own employees and some semi-retired Cory Dell ’ Olio described the startup of the Mikawa press as “close to perfect as a new machine installation could get.”
Aopack is a leading manufacturer of automatic corrugated box making machines for short-run and on-demand pro- duction. 1,200+ machines operate in 60+ countries. The BM2800-Ultra integrates digital printing, slitting, slotting, creasing, and vibrating knife cutting, delivering efficient, flexible solutions for customized corrugated box orders.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
30 September 14, 2026
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EQUIPMENT FOR THE LONG HAUL
An original FEEDMASTER installed in 2002 ,
still running
strong .
One of hundreds of Alliance prefeeders installed in
the 80 '
s 90
' s and early 2000 '
s that are still in operation today
CORRUGATED WEEK -
BOOTH 113 !
Découpage (CONT’D FROM PAGE 30)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
people that have been in the industry for a long time, all of which seems to be working for us,” says Cory. “Growing our sales team is definitely something we see as part of our future growth plans. Right now, we're focused on con- tinuing to expand our production capabilities and building the business strategically, so we're well positioned for that next step. We are taking it one step at a time for the time being. A Partnership For Success Marketing manager Kaylee Dell’Olio also contributes to the company’s sales initiatives and handles the majority of the administrative work, including onboarding new clients, all of which complements Cory’s strengths of being more “hands-on and mechanically inclined.” Together they form an excellent and productive partnership, as evidenced by the success Découpage has enjoyed for the nearly five years since its start. The company’s fiscal year begins Oc- tober 1. “My sister and I saw this as a good opportunity for us and our futures and we’re seeing our vision realized more and more clearly every day,” says Cory. “We’ve success- fully transitioned from being solely a subcontractor to also being a direct supplier and with the addition of our new Vantage we’ve been able to see a significant increase in productivity without having to add more employees.” Beau travail, Découpage, beau travail!
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. 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. AMERICAN CORRUGATED MACHINE www.acm-corp.com 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.
Follow Board Converting News on LinkedIn and Facebook to get the most current news and information for the corrugated and folding carton industries.
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.
Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com
32 September 14, 2026
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Metsä Board Makes Changes To Leadership Team
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
To accelerate the implementation of Metsä Board's strat- egy announced earlier this year and further strengthen its sales and commercial transformation capabilities and future growth, the company has decided to make the fol- lowing changes to its Leadership Team and commercial organization, effective September 4, 2026: Maarten Florizoone, MA (Linguistics), B.Ed., has been appointed SVP, Sales. Florizoone has held various expert and leadership positions in Sales and Supply chain func- tions within Metsä Board since 2006, most recent position being VP, Sales FBB, Europe. In his new role, he will be re- sponsible for leading Metsä Board's global sales organiza- tion and further strengthening customer partnerships and commercial execution in support of the company's growth ambitions. Erja Hyrsky, SVP, Commercial Operations, will contin- ue to lead Metsä Board’s Commercial Operations, with responsibility for strengthening the company's custom- er-centric operating model, value proposition develop- ment, revenue excellence, marketing and strategic growth initiatives in support of the implementation of the compa- ny's strategy. The new Metsä Board Corporation Leadership Team will consist of: Esa Kaikkonen, CEO; Minna Björkman, SVP, Retail Packaging; Maarten Florizoone, SVP, Sales; Erja Hyrsky, SVP, Commercial Operations; Laura Remes, SVP, Production and Supply Chain; Anssi Tammilehto, CFO; and Camilla Wikström, SVP, HR. Metsä Board will maintain its current external reporting structure. Graphic Packaging Appoints New Chief Human Resources Officer Atlanta, Georgia based Graphic Packaging, a leader in sustainable consumer packaging, has appointed Tatiana Berardinelli Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer. She will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Robbert Rietbroek and serve on the Company's Executive Leadership Team. Berardinelli's impact across 25 years of global human resources leadership in packaging, specialty chemicals, coatings and advanced materials uniquely posi- tions her for this role. She joins Graphic Packaging from Multi-Color Corporation (MCC), a global label and packaging solutions company with more than 13,000 employees “Tatiana has led complex global transformations and knows how to attract, retain and develop talent in the packaging industry,” Rietbroek said. Tatiana Berardinelli
CORRUGATED REPLACEMENTS, INC. www.corrugatedparts.com
Corrugated Replacements, Inc. is a production powerhouse that manufactures high quality machine parts and replace- ment parts for the corrugated and paperboard converting industries. CRI can redesign, engineer, and manufacture any part while providing a rapid turn-around rate, keeping machines running at their peak performance and limiting down time.
C.U.E., INC. www.AnvilCovers.com
Makers of single and dual-width Timesaver® Anvil Covers, the premier urethane anvil cover for corrugated die cutting. Timesaver® covers feature construction of solid steel back- ing and solid steel locking components to ensure a precise fit every time. C.U.E., Inc. also offers Dura-Latch and Cor- Lock anvil covers, and urethane Lead Edge Feed Wheels.
EMBA www.embausa.com
The EMBA group supports a complete line of corrugated converting machinery for the worldwide market. EMBA’s Quick Set technology enables the highest productivity across a broad range of converting equipment, from mini to super jumbo. EMBA also includes the McKinley jumbo line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters as well as ser- vice, rebuilds and upgrades for both EMBA and McKinley.
EAGLEWOOD TECHNOLOGIES, LLC www.eaglewoodtech.com
Eaglewood Technologies offers trusted cleaning technolo- gies for the world’s best printers and converters. Solutions include the award winning Sitexco+ Anilox Laser System, the Nanovis Parts Washing System, the Sitexco L10 Label System, the innovative Sanilox™ System or Alphasonics solutions. We also offer Xpress™ mobile cleaning service at your facility or ours. ESKO www.esko.com ArtiosCAD and Kongsberg are the most trusted names in CAD/CAM solutions. Esko’s ArtiosCAD is the most widely used CAD software in the world. Esko’s Kongsberg series of tables brings you reliable, outstanding quality for sample- making and short run production.
DOMINO www.dominodigitalprinting.com
Domino is a leading manufacturer and distributor of digital printing and product identification solutions. Celebrating its 44th year, Domino is headquartered in the UK and North America headquarters are Illinois. Domino has 25 subsid- iaries, representation in over 120 countries, and over 2,900 employees worldwide .
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