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.
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20 October 16, 2023
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