BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 39 years October 16, 2023 VOL. 39, NO. 42
AICC Panel Discussion: Automation Vs Semi-Automation BY SUSAN RILEY Automation was a hot topic at the AICC Annual Meeting last month and an ongoing issue that all modern box plants wrestle with to some degree or another. What level of automation is best for your plant and how do you evaluate what that would be? Tim Connell, Director of Sales at A.G. Stacker, moderated a panel session focusing on automation versus semi-automation in the plant. When his customers are considering whether to automation certain processes, Connell said he poses three questions:
GHK Capital Partners LP Acquires JohnsByrne
Greenwich, Connecticut based GHK Capital Partners LP, a middle-market private equity firm, announced that it completed the acqui- sition of JohnsByrne, based in Niles, Illinois. Founded in 1959, JohnsByrne is a provid- er of premium folding carton packaging and specialty print solutions serving a diverse set of consumer end markets. Terms of the acquisition were not dis- closed. GHK’s acquisition of JohnsByrne will em- power the company to continue its pursuit of future organic and inorganic growth endeav- ors, while also advancing and diversifying its product portfolio and customer-centric sales strategy. “We highly value our relationship with, and the trust of, the Gustafson family as we embark on our partnership with JohnsByrne,” said Gil Klemann, Managing Partner of GHK. “We are honored to continue the Compa- ny’s legacy of quality, innovation, and custom- er service in the premium packaging market and believe JohnsByrne is an exciting plat- form well-equipped for substantial organic growth.”
“How fast do you want to go? How good do you want to be? And what are you willing to spend to get there? When you have those an- swers, you will know what level of automation to pursue,” he said. In the past few years at his plant, Connell said they have installed several new CNC machines and cobot welders that have improved ef- ficiency and safety as well as a tube cutting laser that cuts structural steel. Most recently, A.G. Stacker implemented a digital workflow plat- form to automate their internal processes. “Regardless of the level of automation pursued by any and all of us, I think it’s important that we understand that we still need people managing and owning that process,” Connell said. “As we like to say in our shop, we want owners, not renters.” Three seasoned panelists shared their experiences and some of the lessons they have learned along the way. Dennis Wood, Director of CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 Tim Connell, Director of Sales, A.G. Stacker, moderates the session.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
WHAT’S INSIDE
5 AICC Carbon Neutrality Program Starts January 8 Pamarco Completes TLS Anilox Acquisition 12 Geo. M. Martin Names New West Region Sales Manager 14 Manufacturing Labor Shortage Could Cost Trillions
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GHK Acquires (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
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.
JohnsByrne CEO Corey Gustafson said they are thrilled to enter into a partnership with GHK, an organization that aligns with their vision for the future expansion of the com- pany as well as its dedication to customers, employees, and suppliers. “During the past 64 years, we have been fortunate to build a client list that includes some of the most presti- gious corporate brands in the country, creating memora- ble and distinctive packaging solutions that elevate their brand presence,” said Gustafson. “Now, our new partnership with GHK will bring exciting new strategic and financial capabilities to our business. “Together with GHK, we will be able to further strength- en our ability to deliver even more on our promise to ‘press the limits’ of packaging innovation and performance.” JohnsByrne was advised by Deloitte Corporate Fi- nance LLC and represented by Vedder Price PC. GHK was advised by Mesirow Financial, Inc. and repre- sented by Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. JohnsByrne sells to a diverse set of health and beau- ty, consumer, entertainment, spirits, and financial services customers throughout North America. GHK is focused on making control investments in in- dustrial companies across North America. For more information, visit www.johnsbyrne.com or www.ghk.com .
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 $973.00-983.00
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
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.
42# Kraft Liner 26#
Semi-Chem Medium
East West
$9 2 0.00 $ 96 5.00
$9 1 0.00 $9 4 5.00
3
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October 16, 2023
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AICC Offering 12-Week Carbon Neutrality Program
AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, an- nounced a partnership with The Packaging School to craft a sustainability program that enables AICC member com- panies to develop internal champions who know the dos and don’ts of sustainable packaging. Andrew Hurley, Associate Professor of Packaging Sci- ence, Clemson University, will lead the 12-week Carbon Neutrality Program set for January 15 through April 8, 2024. Customers need to know more than the fact that you provide renewable and recyclable products. They want to know the details and the numbers. That means that you need someone to track the numbers in operations, and someone to explain how your company is sustainable, on multiple fronts to the customer. The online four-phase program will allow members to learn key terminology to speak the language of sustain- ability with colleagues and customers, construct UN-based sustainability targets and goals, develop sustainable sys- tem designs, measure the carbon footprint of packaging and more. AICC is offering a two-person price ($4,000) or one person per member company ($2,500) for the training se- ries. Visit aiccbox.org to register or contact Taryn Pyle at tpyle@aiccbox.org. Complete Design And Packaging Invests in Kolbus MultiNova Gluer Concord, North Carolina based converter, Complete De- sign and Packaging, announced the installation of a Kol- bus MultiNova compact multi-point gluer to aid their busi- ness in providing custom corrugated packaging and displays. The MultiNova gluer set, taking between 5-10 minutes for straight-line or 15-20 minutes for crash-lock, with computerized memory control for repeat glue position jobs. The gluer is designed for batches of a few hundred up to a few thousand. The MultiNova was delivered ahead of schedule, and the Kolbus team installed the machine and completed training within a few days. “The MultiNova is a robust machine with a compact footprint,” said Ryan Clark, Kolbus America. “The quick set-up time, automatic feed, modern gluing technology and the latest safety guarding system made this machine the perfect choice.” specializes in converting small- to large-sized run lengths of straight-line and crash-lock box work. The machine is quick to
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October 16, 2023
BHS Corrugated Launches CF-A Single Facer
Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month June 2023
Weiherhammer, Germany based BHS Corrugated an- nounced the launch of the Cassette Facer CF-A designed for customers who want cassette machines with proven belt technology. “The CF-A is primarily targeted at the markets in Eu- rope, North America and the Middle East,” said Bernhard
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
2023 2022
33.006 34.817
-5.2
7.501 7.913
-5.2
Industry Total
Year-to Date
June 2023
Year
Actual
Percent Change Avg Week Percent Change
Müller, Senior Product Manag- er Equipment. “We can now close a gap in terms of per- formance that falls between the respective requirement profiles of Econo Facer and
2023 2022
189.149 206.082
-8.2
7.447 8.113
-8.2
Industry Total
Containerboard Consumption (Thousands of Tons)
Year
Month
Percent Change Year-to-Date Percent Change
2023 2022
2.7037 2.8541
-5.3
15.5017 16.9061
-8.3
Modul Facer.” The Econo Facer EF-P is a compact machine designed for easy integration and maximum speeds of up to 430 m/ min. The Modul Facer MF-A is designed to combine the quality demands on corrugated board with maximum pro- ductivity and speeds of up to 480 m/min. The basis for the new development was the modular design of the Modul Facer, which is engineered for intelligent integration. The belt technology used in both the MF-A and CF-A helps ensure optimum quality of the corrugated board surface for the production of lighter grammages and the required conditions for printing on the inside of the box as well.
Container Board Inventory - Corrugator Plants (Thousands of Tons)
Corrugator Plants Only
Date
Percent Change Weeks of Supply
Percent Change
June May
2.2422 2.3221
-3.4
3.6 3.9
-7.7
Shipping Days
Year
Month
Year-to-Date
2023 2022
22 22
127 127
SOURCE: Fibre Box Association
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Pamarco Completes Acquisition Of TLS Anilox GmbH, TLS Invest Roselle, New Jersey based Pamarco Global Graphics, Inc., a provider of technology solutions for the global pack- aging, industrial coatings, commercial printing, and orig- inal equipment manufacturing industries, announced the further expansion of its European presence through the acquisition of TLS Anilox GmbH and TLS Invest GmbH, a leading provider of anilox rolls and related equipment headquartered in Salzkotten, Germany. “TLS Anilox, established 10 years ago in the heart of Eu- rope, will bring to Pamarco additional production capacity, while continuing to provide exceptional service and supe- rior quality anilox rollers and sleeves to customers,” said Christopher Wasserman, TLS CEO and Founder/President of TeroLab Surface Holding SA. “As family-owned entrepreneurial companies with strong human values, Pamarco and TLS Anilox are the ide- al strategic partners.” TLS provides laser engraved anilox rolls for a diverse set of customers in the flexographic, corrugated, and other end markets, all of which complement Pamarco’s existing offerings. The acquisition includes the sale of TLS’s patented Ter- oLux carbide coating process that offers improvements over ceramic coatings of anilox rollers. “For Pamarco, this acquisition represents a key strate- gic objective of ours to have a full service anilox producer in the heart of the European market to better service the converting and OEM customer base,” said Pamarco Presi- dent John Burgess. “TLS has an excellent quality and service reputation and a world-class sales and distribution network, which we will combine with our own to give us unsurpassed cover- age in Europe and beyond. “We also intend to continue to take advantage of some of the unique products created by TLS, such as TeroLux, and expand sales of these products worldwide.” Allan Li, CEO of Pamarco, said that they are extremely excited to welcome TLS, its employees, and its customers to the Pamarco family. “The TLS deal exemplifies Pamar- co’s acquisition strategy — growth of Pamarco’s global footprint, the addition of blue-chip clients in the growing flexographic end market, and expansion of Pamarco’s portfolio of leading technologies. “We look forward to strengthening our position as the trusted supplier to our customers by providing value add- ed products and services to both new and existing cus- tomers globally,” he said. Mazzone & Associates acted as investment banking advisor to Pamarco, with Rödl & Partner acting as legal ad- visor. Gleiss Lutz acted as legal advisor to TLS. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. For more information, visit www.pamarco.com or www. tlsanilox.com.
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Registration Open For PACK EXPO East 2024
ogies designed for 40+ vertical markets, connect with suppliers, and find the solutions needed to adapt and compete in a changing marketplace. With 400 exhibitors, attendees gain the best of both worlds — the ability to see a comprehensive range of packaging and processing technologies while still hav- ing time for productive, in-depth discussions with ven- dors to solve pain points and address challenges. “PACK EXPO East will be one of the most compre- hensive shows on the East Coast in 2024 with solutions available for a variety of markets,” says Laura Thomp- son, VP trade shows, PMMI. PACK EXPO East also offers a myriad of free educa- tional sessions and networking opportunities. Registration is $30 through Feb. 23, $130 thereafter. For more information and to register, visit packexpoe- ast.com . AICC Urges Members To Weigh In On OT Rule
Attendee registration for PACK EXPO East 2024, set for March 18-20 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is officially open, according to the show producer, PMMI, The Associ- ation for Packaging and Processing Technologies. Now in its sixth edition, the three-day event comes on the heels of a successful PACK EXPO Las Vegas. PACK EXPO East returns to Philadelphia after a record-breaking 2021 that featured its largest show floor to date. The 2024 event has expanded to an additional hall to accommodate the increasing number of solutions on display. The Northeast location provides a convenient opportu- nity for consumer-packaged goods (CPG) and life sciences companies to explore packaging and processing technol-
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AICC, The Independent Packaging As- sociation, announced its support for the Partnership to Protect Workplace Oppor- tunity (PPWO) in opposition to the Depart- ment of Labor’s Proposed new Overtime Rule. PPWO created a grassroots toolkit for AICC members to respond to the over- time proposed rule. The grassroots portal at protectingopportunity.org allows you to send model comments directly to DOL as well as a model letter to your senators and representative in Congress. Also included is a model grassroots alert that can be sent to your members encouraging them to use the grassroots portal. The alert educates your members about the issue with the proposed rule and directs them to the portal to submit their comments and letters. AICC compiled model survey ques- tions, available at aiccbox.org, to gather input from your members on the impact the overtime rule-making will have on their operations and workforce. Users are to modify the survey questions. As a reminder, PPWO will be submit- ting comments as a coalition, and the AICC urges members to sign onto those comments. The more groups and employers send letters and comments, the more the de- partment and congress will be forced to consider the regulated community’s con- cerns.
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10 October 16, 2023
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Baker-Flynn Joins Geo. M. Martin As Western Regional Sales Manager Emeryville, California based Geo. M. Martin Company, an industry supplier of rotary die cutter stackers and nicked
Be Social, Stay Current !
bundle line components, announc- es the promotion of Dylan Bak- er-Flynn to the position of Western Regional Sales Manager. He will assume the responsibil- ities and territories for the western portion of the United States as well as British Columbia and Alberta, Canada.
Dylan Baker-Flynn
Baker-Flynn holds a degree in mechanical engineering. He joined Geo. Martin’s engineering team in 2021 as a me- chanical engineer. In his previous role with the company, he worked closely with Geo. Martin’s customers planning installations and liaising between engineering, sales, and customers. “We look forward to having Dylan as part of our sales team,” said Jason Smith, VP Sales at Geo. M. Martin. “His proven experience, knowledge and dedication to our cus- tomer base are assets that will significantly benefit our customers as well as the Geo. M. Martin Company.” Baker-Flynn can be reached at (510) 612-2788 or via email at dbakerflynn@geomartin.com.
Follow Board Converting News on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to get the most current news and information for the corrugated and folding carton industries.
Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com
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Now Is The Time To Address The Manufacturing Labor Shortage BY TROY WILSON
In recent years, companies of all sizes have faced considerable challenges in recruiting and retaining employees. The manufacturing sector has not been immune to these difficulties.
Manufacturing job projections for the coming years are staggering. The Manufacturing Institute (MI), the nonprofit workforce development and ed- ucation arm of the National Association of Manufac- turers (NAM), has projected that 4 million U.S. manu- facturing jobs will need to be filled by 2030. Of those openings, it is anticipated that 2.1 million could potentially remain unfilled if hiring trends do not change.
Troy Wilson
This shortage, according to MI, could cost the U.S. economy $1 trillion in 2030 alone. To help address these employment difficulties, we must moti- vate more people to embark on manufacturing careers. MI is leading these efforts through initiatives such as MFG (Manufactur- ing) Day. Held annually on the first Friday in October, it is a day when man- ufacturing leaders across the country strive to inspire future generations of our workforce. Today’s manufacturing jobs are not the dangerous, dirty, low-paying and laborious careers of previous generations. At Domtar — and numerous oth- er manufacturing facilities throughout our country — employees engage in jobs that are innovative, high-tech, creative, collaborative, sustainable and safe. One way we can reset long-lasting, misguided perceptions about the manufacturing industry is by connecting with our communities, particular- ly high school and college students and educators. In recent years, the manufacturing sector has witnessed a declining interest in STEM careers and vocations among students. This trend underscores the importance of raising awareness of high-paying and gratifying careers in manufacturing. At Domtar’s Kingsport Mill, we are committed to doing our part to ad- dress this need. Recently, we welcomed engineering students from East Tennessee State University and a group of Virginia teachers to our facility. Through guided tours and question-and-answer sessions, we increased awareness of career options available at Domtar, and we laid the groundwork for on- going dialogue with students and educators. Company-wide, Domtar recruiters attend college fairs to find talent to fill full-time, intern and co-op positions. Both co-op and intern opportunities can lead to full-time employment upon graduation. We offer scholarships to assist students seeking a dual degree (chemical/pulp paper), and we part- ner with several institutions, including NC State University, Miami University (Ohio), Western Michigan University, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and Michigan Technological University. Manufacturers should extend their outreach beyond students and edu- cators, however. We also need to include those who have traditionally been underrepresented in manufacturing, particularly women. Currently, less than one-third of all manufacturing jobs are held by fe- males, and once in the industry, they are almost twice as likely to leave than their male counterparts. Encouraging STEM education interest in CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
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October 16, 2023
Labor Shortage (CONT’D FROM PAGE 14)
Suppliers: Leverage Our Reach
young women is vital, but we must also make efforts to retain female employees by addressing issues that lead to their exits. Diversity, equity and inclusion are equally vital factors to addressing the workforce challenge and ensuring em- ployees operate in settings that offer opportunities for advancement. Having a diverse workforce is an important first step, but we must also cultivate work environments that welcome all individuals. I am confident that manufacturers can solve our work- force issues — both today and in the coming decade — by engaging our next generation and demonstrating that all people have a place in manufacturing. Similar to many Domtar facilities throughout North America, the Kingsport Mill is one of the largest employers in our region. We are also home to the second-largest 100 percent recycled containerboard machine in North Ameri- ca, and we are proud to be the largest recycled manufac- turer in Tennessee. We do not take those distinctions lightly, and that is why we consistently seek to hire talented individuals look- ing for opportunities to grow in careers that are skilled, tech-driven, collaborative and make a difference in our area.
Board Converting News is read by more independent AND integrated decision-makers than any other industry publication.
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Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com
Troy Wilson is the Kingsport Mill Manager for Domtar.
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NAM: How Manufacturers Can Strengthen Supply Chains’ Resilience Since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, supply chains have faced extraordinary challenges around the world. In the midst of shortages and disruptions, as well as global con- flicts, how can manufacturers ensure that they receive the materials they need and deliver their products on time? At a recent NAM event, Supply Chain Insights Founder Lora Cecere addressed the question of how the industry can build resiliency into the supply chain of the future. As Cecere noted, in many cases manufacturers may have different ideas about what resilience represents — and it’s important to settle on a clear definition. “I define resilience as the ability to have the same cost quality and customer service given the level of demand and supply variability,” she said. While most manufacturers talk about the supply chain as a unified system, Cecere encouraged participants to differentiate various kinds of supply chains from one an- other. “We have responsive supply chains that are all about time — things like flu vaccines and bathing suits,” which must be shipped during certain seasons, Cecere said. “And then there’s the agile supply chain, which is very low volume and not predictable. We can’t measure that in the same way we measure the efficient supply chain, but we
need to manage flow. We don’t have just one supply chain. We have multiple supply chains.” As businesses design and adjust their supply chains, customers can get lost in the equation. In one exercise, she asks participants to draw a supply chain — and the results she’s received show how many manufacturers are leaving out an important piece of the puzzle. “Most people will start with a truck, smokestack, then a factory, a mill,” said Cecere. “But isn’t the supply chain really about the customer? And how do we align the cus- tomer from the customer’s customer to the supplier’s sup- plier? The role of the supply chain is the delivery to the customer.” According to Cecere, about 80 percent of supply chain data is not used. She encourages manufacturers to look creatively at the wide range of data available to generate useful insights. “We’re not looking at all the data we have, and we’re not thinking hard enough about how we use it,” she said. Cecere encouraged participants to develop teams of “purple unicorns” — people with strong supply chain do- main knowledge who can also innovate — and allow them to test new ideas and learn from failure. “Supply chain excellence is not functional excellence — it is the ability to drive outcomes,” said Cecere. “This cannot be about the lowest cost; this has to be about the best potential of flow for cost, quality, customer service and inventory.”
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18 October 16, 2023
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Automation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
Keith Thomas is Director of Strategic Initiatives and Business Development at Michigan City Paper Box, a rigid box company that focuses primarily on packaging for the jewelry industry. Thomas, an electrical engineer, has been selling rigid boxes for more than 20 years and has con- tributed to significant developments with automation in his years with the company. The following Q&A was edited for clarity and space. Connell: We've been hearing a lot this week about labor costs being up and productivity not being up. With consis- tent labor issues plaguing us all, what should our goal be with automation? Wood: In a little broader context, whether you're an equip- ment supplier, whether you're a converter or whether you're an IT person, we all went through the labor issues — getting enough people to keep machines running. A couple of years ago, we started tracking a number I never thought I would ever track which was the percent of time that a machine ran or conversely, was down. Productivity is zero when there's no one there to run it. That really was the genesis of some of the recent stuff we looked at. It was not as much labor cost, but how do we get better asset utilization by having it able to run even when the person doesn't necessarily show up.
Manufacturing at Premier Packaging, has been involved in eight acquisitions and the construction of three greenfield plants while helping numerous other plants with their pro- cesses. Premier Packaging operates six sheet plants and they have installed six new production lines over the past couple of years.
Tim Connell (left) and Dennis Wood.
Jeremy Cohen of Acme Corrugated Box, has spent the last 22 years working in the family business and has held nearly every job in the company from machine operator to purchasing to wrench turner. Today, he’s the General Manager and Vice President.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 22
20 October 16, 2023
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Automation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 20)
Wood: How about well onboarded people. There's a say- ing that culture trumps strategy every time. You can have a great strategy to train, but if you don't have a great strate- gy or a great ability to inculcate someone in a culture and create a proper culture, you're still going to be in trouble. Connell: Which do you think is more realistic goal? Is it to be more productive with a similar number of people or more productive with fewer value people? Thomas: I would say the latter, but fewer value people, meaning more competent, capable people that are able to work on a machine as opposed to being the machine, as I heard it a recent previous AICC conference. With us, we're doing a project we're calling Project 521. We’ve done the first stage of it where we've taken five people down to four. We're trying to now eliminate three other positions. One of the big differences with us, with a rigid box com- pany, we're putting our graphics on when the boxes are in three-dimensional format, so between that and packing three-dimensional products, it's a lot of human interven- tion. Connell: When you replace those people with automation are they repurposed or do they usually disappear?
Connell: Is that a training or retention issue? Wood: Retention, availability of people to hire, I don't think anyone in this room in the last two years was able to fill every position they wanted to fill.
Jeremy Cohen (left) and Keith Thomas.
Connell: Do you think well trained people tend to hang around longer than those that weren't really given a fight- ing chance?
Thomas: I think the disappearance will be through normal
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Automation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 22)
Cohen: I think that's really on an individual basis. We have a high rack storage system. It goes from the corrugator to a high rack storage system — automatic delivery without being touched by a person. The forklifts were eliminated, we have those people operating in the high rack system. One of those guys sat on the forklift for 15 years and he's embraced it completely. On the flip side, we have automat- ic top sheet insertion, automatic pallet insertion, automatic unit doubling, automatic stretch wrapping, and we've had some old timers who used to operate an old school con- sole with push buttons, and they found it very difficult to embrace. Connell: What are the first steps when you want to decide and prioritize which tasks or processes require additional automation? Thomas: I think the first step is to look at your process and determine which of those functions you don't see people wanting to do anymore. We used to have people taking three-dimensional boxes and spotting them to a glued wrap before they go into a graphing machine. If we hadn't automated that process 20 years ago, we would need 32 of those people, and we still have a couple machines that operate in that manner and we're having trouble finding two people who can do that, so I think it's about survivabili- ty. We don’t want people to be the machine, we want them
attrition. We're certainly not any place near getting rid of people. We will need to upskill people. We'll find places for those people for sure. Connell: Are employees threatened by automation or can it be used as a recruitment and retention tool? Cohen: I would say a little bit of both. I think when you roll out automation, and we've rolled out a boatload of it in the last 18 months, it all depends on how you sell it to your people. When you have good people, you want to repurpose them. You want to put them in some other spot and that's what we've done. When you're transparent with people and you tell them a position won't be there, but we think you can do X, Y and Z, I don't think the threat exists and I don't think people are threatened by it. On the flip side, I think it can be a recruiting tool for the young- er generation when you have stuff like touchscreens and computer interfaces as opposed to hand cranks and the old school way of operating a corrugator. Connell: What about the veteran operator who under- stands the process intimately and he knows he's driving the machine. Do you find that those guys are getting scared off by some of the automation you implemented?
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Automation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 24)
to work on the machine.
Connell: What do you think your gain was, was it higher productivity, was it higher quality or was it just making the job that much more tolerable? Thomas: Yes, I mean I think productivity encompasses a couple of those other pieces — quality, reliability, sanity — and I think the idea of automating has really helped all those things. I mean with automation, the neat thing about it, you can kind of dial it in and turn it up; you can only go so far with a person in doing that. When we were having peo- ple that were manually spotting boxes, they were probably in the 1,000 an hour range. With automation, we’re 2,000 an hour range so certainly productivity is a big one. Connell: Dennis what about you, where do you start? Wood: Stay close to people in the industry to see what’s out there. You’ve got to be able to conceptualize what you might do next. Make sure you have good dialogue with the people who are developing stuff. There are brilliant people, hundreds of companies that can supply automa- tion to our industry. Then take the time to watch and listen to what’s happening with your people and process to see what you can do to improve their engagement, reduce their chances of injury or repetitive motion type things and what can be done to improve overall productivity. Cohen: There’s always the growth factor. That’s kind of its own category. The other points we look at consistently are safety. Is there an ergonomic issue at the plant I can rec- tify? Productivity enhancement, quality enhancement — is there something I can buy or make to reduce the amount of rejects? And labor — is there something I can do to re- duce my dependency on labor? So those are the main categories we look at, and those typically come to light because the bottlenecks usually come right out at you. I walk through the plant nearly every day, and they shine at you, and you know where they are over time. Then we always look at data to support it. But those are the main things we look at. Connell: What are the ROI variables most considered and if you had to pick one, other than safety, what would you focus on? Cohen: It has to be justified on sales growth on top line that you can go out and get it. The investment we just made, we're seeing a great return on investment in labor and reduction of labor. But also for us waste is a big factor in payback. In our new system what we're seeing is a re- duction. We measure waste daily by shift — we’re hawks on waste — but we've reduced material handling waste by
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Automation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
double our speed again, but it will still be more consistent. Your productivity is more reliable, more consistent. You're not looking at down machine centers. Connell: Anybody else have anything to add to that? Wood: An actual consideration in the last few years has been asset utilization which directly ties to what Jeremy was saying, which is sales growth, more output. Does au- tomation allow us to better utilize the existing asset, not just through increased speed, but through increased up- time because of less demand on total bodies. Those of you that toured the plant — it obviously has significantly fewer people operating in it than it did before we retooled. We went from some very old equipment to some very modern equipment, so that's the payback. I’m with Jeremy, I've never seen a machine line, even a small percentage of it, be paid back in labor savings. It's got to be revenue gen- eration; it’s got to be increased contribution per machine hour or more total hours of asset utilization. Connell: In terms of ROI payback term, Keith you had men- tioned three years. Is that still acceptable? Thomas: I think three years is acceptable. I think it’s being extended again because it’s just a necessary thing. So, if it goes to five years, it’s just something that you can count. CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
about 40 tons a month just by material handling elimina- tion with automation. That's a big cost savings for us. But we don't justify our investment based on that, it'll be justi- fied on growth. If it's a smaller project, let's say $250,000 or less, you can look at probably doing that on cost sav- ings, whether that's labor, waste, productivity enhance- ments, downtime reduction, things like that. But once you get over a certain number, in my opinion, you're going to justify that automation on future business. Connell: Keith what about you? You've got a lot of manual processes, or probably more than these other two, what ROI value variables stand out to you? Thomas: Certainly productivity. One of the integrators we spoke to early on in our process said that it used to be people were looking for a three-year ROI on any kind of investment, now it's about survivability. It's not a matter of when you're going to get paid back, it's a matter of are you going to still be in business. I keep going back to what we did 20 years ago. Had we not done that, we certainly wouldn’t be the same type of business. But productivity, I think when you're looking at ROI, again we were able to double our speed from what we were doing manually with this first phase of our automation. The second phase com- ing up, if it takes three more people off the line, we won't
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Automation (CONT’D FROM PAGE 28)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
Connell: At what point do you start to get disinterested if other paybacks are going to be too long or if it’s going to be good enough? Thomas: It’s a good question. I mean what we're doing is an expensive investment to try to get rid of three people per machine center. The Covid years gave us an interest- ing situation to be in. Our business grew, and everybody in this room had some great years during that time, but if we get that much additional business, how are we going to handle that because we really had trouble getting people to staff that and our lead times were tripling. So, I think that was kind of a preface into the future with more business. We have to find ways to remove the bottlenecks in our manual processes. Cohen: I think what Keith said is important. Our corrugator superintendent always says speed costs money. How fast do you want to go? We had a competitor go out of busi- ness. They hadn’t put a dollar back into that plant in 20 years. So, survivability, right? You have to automate to sur- vive, it’s the only way, especially as an independent, you have to make that investment. And in the near term, if you don't make that investment, your bottom line might look good, right? You won't have that depreciation expense, but at the same time you're losing out to everybody else in this room who's reinvesting in automation and increasing their throughput capabilities. It’s not always about justification, it's about survivability and reinvesting in your business. Wood: For those of you that attend these regularly, I think it was a year and a half ago we were in California. Mitch Klingher stood up and talked about ROI investment. If you remember, he said the days of figuring out your three-year ROI are going to be over for a while. You have got to look at what your business needs to be viable and it’s absolute- ly true. Connell: In this age of digital transformation, what tasks or process in your plant cannot be automated? Cohen: You still need people to manage the process. Any machinery salesperson will tell you it's just going to work. It’s not just going to work. Automation needs tending; it doesn't need operators; it needs tending and those ten- ders need to understand it. You can’t eliminate that. You need that tender to understand what's going on because when automation goes wrong, somebody needs to cor- rect it. To Dennis’ point — you still need box makers. You still need people who understand work quality and how to make a good product coming out. You can’t substitute that with automation.
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