BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries for 37 years May 3, 2021 VOL. 37, NO. 18
President Container Breaks Ground On $40M Expansion BY LEN PRAZYCH Middletown, New York based President Container Group (PCG), a lead- ing Northeast manufacturer of corrugated containers and point-of-pur- chase displays, broke ground on a $40 million expansion of its already immense super plant on Wednesday, April 21st. The investment is ex- pected to create 50 additional jobs upon the project’s completion in December 2021.
AICC Hosts Successful, Safe In-Person Spring Meeting More than 250 AICC members, spouses, fam- ily members and guests attended the 2021 AICC Spring Meeting at the luxurious and safe (COVID-free) Omni Amelia Island Resort in Amelia Island, Florida, from Sunday, April 25, to Thursday, April 29. The 2020 Spring Meeting was canceled due to the pandemic. AICC President Mike D’Angelo opened the corrugated industry’s first large, in-person gathering with emotional words of gratitude for all of the industry professionals that were gathered in a room together. The meeting started as all AICC meetings start, with the playing of the U.S. and Canadi- an National Anthems. For many in attendance, it was the first time in more than a year that they experienced the emotion of tradition, which was articulated by AICC Chairman, Jay Carman, CEO of StandFast Packaging Group. “I’m excited to see so many friends and colleagues here today. It’s really good to be back,” he said. “When I assumed the position of Chairman in the Fall of 2019, I said that I wanted to focus on helping Independent com- panies grow, either organically, new product offerings, increased sales or acquisitions of
Mask-wearing and social-distancing protocols were observed during the outdoor ceremony, a dedication to safety that mirrors PCG’s stringent cleaning and sanitization procedures at the super plant. The 100,000-square-foot expansion will house PCG’s second state- of-the-art Fosber corrugator, plus additional converting equipment and conveyors. This will result in a significant increase in the company’s manufacturing capacity and will enhance the overall quality of service to its valued customers. Upon its completion, the expanded super plant will be 622,000- square-feet, making it one of the largest corrugated manufacturing plants in North America. PCG was designated as an essential manufacturer by the federal Department of Homeland Security and the State of New York. Its man- ufacturing supercenter at 290 Ballard Road has been operating at full CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Owners and employees of President Container Group (PCG), along with public officials and community business leaders, ‘broke ground’ on the com- pany’s $40 million expansion in Middletown, New York.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 14
WHAT’S INSIDE
5 LDI Acquires
Southern Container 1O AICC Associates Meet In FL, Recognize ACM’s Szany 28 FBA Announces Speakers For Virtual Annual Meeting 32 Helios Uses Data Science To Take Guesswork Out Of Uptime
T H A C K E R I N D U S T R I A L S E R V I C E C O M P A N Y
O P E R A T O R T R A I N I N G T A I L O R E D T O Y O U R G O A L S Before any training star ts, we need to know your goals. We’ l l help you identi f y them, customize them, measure them and help achieve the expectations set by your team. Our intensive training wi l l encompass two ful l days at your faci l ity for al l par ticipants, during the week or on a weekend. Al l you need is a room for training your group and the machine you want to train on.
O U R T E A M
Our Training team consists of three corrugated industry exper ts with nearly 100 years of combined experience. Their backgrounds are in both integrated and independent companies with roles ranging from Machine Operator to Director of Operations. Making them more than qual i f ied to tackle any machine and training issue. Cal l today to learn how your team can benef it from the industry ’s premier training program.
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C u r r e n t O p e r a t o r E x p e r i e n c e
S T E P 1
M a c h i n e t y p e G o a l s / E x p e c t a t i o n s
I s s u e s
Q U E S T I O N N A I R E
P l a n 2 d a y s w i t h i n y o u r s c h e d u l e
S T E P 2
1 d a y c l a s s r o o m a n d 1 d a y a t m a c h i n e
S C H E D U L E
1 - B o x S e t u p C a l i b r a t i o n T o o l i n g
S T E P 3
T R A I N I N G
T r o u b l e s h o o t i n g
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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
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
LDI Acquires Southern Container
Liberty Diversified International (LDI) has confirmed it has acquired Southern Container, a Houston based packaging company. Southern Container, to be named Liberty Pack- aging Houston, will become part of Liberty Packaging, a business unit in the LDI family of companies. Matt Homan, LDI’s President and CEO, said, “We are excited to add Southern Container to our Packaging team and rebrand the business as Liberty Packaging Houston. We will continue manufacturing from the current site in northwest Houston and we have offered their 50 employ- ees jobs with Liberty Packaging.” Southern Container owner Brook Wiggins, Sr., who will retain a consultative role with the company, said, “When we decided to sell the company, Liberty Packaging was a natural choice. They share similar values, including ex- traordinary care for customers and employees.” Homan said that Southern Container, with its wide array of corrugated box manufacturing equipment and capabil- ities, will be an excellent regional complement to Liberty Packaging’s Dallas/Fort Worth operations. “We’re continuing to expand our reach throughout the Southwestern United States and this acquisition adds ca- pacity and talent for us to continue to grow and be a lead- er in the Texas market,” said Homan.
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SupplyOne Opens Packaging Demo Facility In Northeast
Newtown Square, Pennsylvania based SupplyOne has announced the opening of its new packaging equipment demonstration facility in Edgewood, New York. The newly designed demo room is part of SupplyOne’s new, state-of-the-art Long Island facility. It provides man- ufacturers, food processors and e-commerce companies within 100 miles of New York City live demonstrations of primary and secondary packaging machinery and mate- rials. Visitors can get hands-on experience with various types of automatic and semi-automatic case erectors, case sealers, vacuum packaging, skin packaging, and shrink wrapping machinery, flow wrappers, conveyors, and strap- ping equipment. Virtual demonstrations are also available. “Packaging automation solutions can mitigate labor challenges, provide needed flexibility to respond to cus- tomer requirements and new formats, and increase speed to market,” said Chip Reavley, SVP Packaging Automation at SupplyOne. The right equipment solution can have a tremendous impact on an operation’s efficiency, produc- tivity and cash flow.” “As distributors of a wide range of best in class machin- ery our goal is to make sure each customer gets the right packaging equipment and consumables for their unique applications,” said Keith Stanton, VP Packaging Systems.
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May 3, 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
Chicago TAPPI To Award Three Scholarships
Box Shipments ( U.S. Corrugated Product Shipments) Industry Shipments In Billions of Square Feet Month December 2020
Chicago TAPPI announced that it is awarding three schol- arships to support eligible men and woman with their col- lege education in a big way. Through their scholarship pro- gram, the organization will award one $4,000 scholarship and two $2,000 scholarships toward college expenses. Students whose parent, grandparent or legal guardian is a member of Chicago TAPPI in good standing are invit- ed to apply for the $4,000 scholarship. The two $2,000 scholarships are available to any full- or part-time workers in the corrugated industry who are attending day or night school for an undergraduate degree, as well as technical or trade school programs. The scholarship application form, all eligibility require- ments, entry details and guidelines are available online at tappi.org/chicagotappi . All applications and additional documentation must be received on or before Wednes- day, June 30, 2021 and should be addressed to: Chicago TAPPI Scholarship, Mr. Keith Carman, Scholarship Chair- man, 710 Kimberly Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188 Direct any and all questions to Keith Carman, the Schol- arship Committee Chairman at (630) 600-0941 or by email to keith@standfastgroup.com. For additional scholarships offered by TAPPI for students in packaging curriculums, visit the main scholarship page at tappi.org .
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
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AICC Associates Meet In Florida, Recognize Outgoing Chair Szany AICC’s Associate Members met under the big tent and so- cially distant at the Omni Amelia Island Resort in Amelia Island, Florida on Monday, April 26, the first time the group as met in person since the pandemic forced meetings over the phone and on Zoom. The last in-person meeting was at the AICC 2019 Fall Meeting in Toronto, when Joe Morelli of Huston Patterson gave a report of the declining atten- dance at Regional Summit Meetings. The recent South- east Summit in Greensboro, North Carolina, last month, however, saw an increase in the number of box makers (customers) in attendance, when 20 members of a total 67 in attendance were from box plants. The previous South- east Summit had only 15 box makers of a total 73 in atten- dance.
The AICC Associate Members’ Board of Directors, from left, Greg Jones, Joe Morelli, Pat Szany, Tim Connell and Dave Bur- gess. Pat Szany received a 12-pack of Miller Light and a new driver in recognition for his efforts as a two-year chairman.
Morelli said AICC has been providing solid content at meetings and urged his fel- low associates to continue urging their box making customers to attend. Outgoing Chairman Pat Szany’s initia- tive over the past two years had been to communicate with box makers, understand their problems and to understand what they need. In the course of his communications, Szany conducted a survey, the results of which Morelli reported at the meeting: 90 percent of boxmakers are experiencing pa- per shortages, 80 percent of those are fac- ing delays in other materials, 92 percent of box makers see their business growing in 2021, 46 percent of box makers are inter- ested in making new equipment purchases in 2021, and 92 percent of box makers are still not allowing visits into their plants. Morelli added some additional facts pulled from a recent AICC “Think Tank”: 70-80 percent of business-to-business buyers are NOT comfortable going back to in-person sales. They are more comfort- able staying “virtual,” even though the pan- demic is slowing. In addition, 70 percent of business-to-business decision-makers feel comfortable making purchases up to $50,000 without ever meeting their sales rep. Thirty percent of business-to-business decision-makers feel comfortable making purchases up to $500,000 without ever seeing a sales rep. And finally, 90 percent of decison makers believe that virtual inter- actions will continue in some way. “We’d be doing ourselves a disservice if we don’t look into blending virtual sales into our face-to-face relationship selling,” said Morelli.
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Kolbus Appoints Brettschneider Senior Project Manager Kalamazoo, Michigan based Kolbus America, Inc. has announced the addition of Daniel Brettschneider as its
In addition to Brettschneider, Kolbus America Inc. also announced they are strengthening the sales and service departments with the addition of Ryan Clark, new Techni- cal Sales Manager for the Mid-Atlantic & Northeast region. For over 200 years, Kolbus has been delivering ad- vanced equipment solutions for the print and packaging industries. The company continues to be a leader in the development of top print technology. Its equipment is sup- ported by a large local network of North American based service personnel, along with a local parts inventory. Amtech 2022 User Conference Slated For May 15-17 In Orlando Fort Washington, Pennsylvania based Amtech Software has announced that its 2020 User Conference has offi- cally been rescheduled. Amtech’s 2022 User Conference will take place May 15-17, 2022, in Orlando, Florida. Mark your calendars for you and your team now and stay tuned for more exciting information to come in the near future. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and services from Amtech Software, receive exclusive training, and network with other Amtech users. To top off the event, attendees will enjoy an evening at Disney with a front-row fireworks viewing experience. For questions regarding the 2022 User Conference, contact Tracy Rowland at trowland@amtechsoftware.com.
new Senior Project Manager. Brettschneider started in his new role on April 19th and will report to Ken Carlile, Kolbus America Direc- tor of Service Operations. Brettschneider was previously VP of Operations for CST, a com- ponent and services provider for
Daniel Brettschneider
the corrugated and web handling industries. “It gives me great pleasure to share that we are welcom- ing Daniel Brettschneider to the Kolbus family,” said Carl- ile. “Daniel joins us in the role of Senior Project Manager, where he will work closely connecting the commercial and technical resources to improve the customer experience. He brings significant experience in the corrugated indus- try, benefiting both our internal team and our customers.” “Kolbus is a strong company with a long history of success and a clear vision for a future of growth,” said Brettschneider. “I’m excited to be joining a team so full of enthusiasm and energy. I’m looking forward to doing more of what I love: interacting with customers and creating an easy, satisfying experience from day one.”
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AICC Hosts (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 )
other companies. Never did I anticipate the year that lay ahead or that growth would be defined, not by a carefully implemented strategy, but by frenzy of marketplace demand that has framed our ability to keep up.”
Carman, the only AICC Chairman to serve for two years, noted the growth of the industry, despite the global pandemic. Box shipments increased a phenomenal 5.5 percent between June and July of 2020, following a year of essentially flat growth in 2019 and a 1.7 percent decrease in growth in 2018. “We’re concerned due to the sup- ply chain constraints everywhere in our system – from paper, to glue, to
Jay Carman
inks, and our lead times are stretching out further than we’d like to see. We’ll be focusing on all of that here at this year’s spring meeting.” Carman said the pandemic caused converters and businesses to create new ways of doing things. “In the plant and office, we’ve had to raise technology in the form of plant automation and working from home when possible. We’ve had to rely on virtual meetings and discus- sions and although it was certainly not ideal, we successfully navigated through it,” he said. “We’ve learned from each other, we’ve leaned on each other and we’ve maintained our focus, primarily through our partic- ipation through AICC activities. Although the AICC COVID calls and converter ‘Think Tanks’ were very successful, Carman noted that he hopes this does not become the new normal. “I am optimistic that because of what we’ve learned in the past year and how we’ve grown in the past year, that our industry can return to a semblance of normal person-to-person interactions with our employees and suppliers.” Carman closed his opening remarks, comparing this year’s meeting to the AICC meeting following the September 11th attacks, nearly 20 years ago. “You’ll remember back then that many people were fearful to fly,” said Carman. “AICC did not cancel their meeting, as a lot of other associations did at the time. Those that wanted to attend were thankful we made the decision. There was an increased camaraderie among us, almost like kindred spirits that have shared a difficult experience togeth- er. We appreciated each other’s presence and we were glad to be there. I feel the same way today, in the face of this pandemic, as I felt then.” AICC President Mike D’Angelo pro- vided an update on the status of the Association. “The staff and the board and the committees of AICC did a tre- mendous job keeping AICC program- ming relevant and successful and vital to our members’ interest. I’m so proud of the work that they’ve done in the past year. We will continue to do some of the things we’ve pivoted to, but we will also fall back into the in-person meetings and the things that are most important to this organization. AICC is projecting revenue to be a little under $3 million, which is Mike D’Angelo
Cosmo DeNicola Chairman, Amtech Software
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
600 + Plants 60,000 Users North America Latin America
CONTINUED ON PAGE 16
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AICC Hosts (CONT’D FROM PAGE 14)
“You’ve got to have that agreement with WestRock in advance. These are a signal of the importance of the inde- pendent sector, to the mills that execute these agreements with us,” said Ausburn. “The mills slowed production in the first few months of the pandemic and they have struggled to catch up. Box demand has increased, as have cyber- attacks and weather issues. All of these have resulted in supply issues. Price increases are expected to follow, and that’s what’s happening now. Ausburn noted the continual price increase and said that they will be providing members with information on this in
a decline from last year. Expenses have been reduced to keep pace with the decrease in revenue. The drop in revenue from the previous year was due to the lost pro- gramming from the canceled 2020 Spring meeting and its additional programming. “AICC was the recipient of a PPP loan, which was for- given,” said D’Angelo. “We still had a challenge, but we are in good shape. The association is financially sound, the reserves are very strong, and the state of the association, financially, remains in a good place.” AICC met their retention goals and added 25 newmem- bers. The association also created several new programs, including the COVID update calls, daily COVID updates, the All Access program, and virtual plant tour series. It has also launched the Foundation for Packaging Association – a 501 c3 charitable organization – and has matched the $1 million in pledges it received from donor companies. Kevin Ausburn of SMC Packaging, provided an update from the Paperboard Regulation and Sheetboard commit- tee on the supply chain issues and the set-aside agree- ment with WestRock to provide 1.2 million tons to AICC member buyers. The set-aside agreement also provides one million tons of paperboard to buyers on a similar ba- sis. Ausburn said the agreement is set to expire December 31st of this year and some changes will be made to the agreement to make it more beneficial to independents.
the coming weeks. “The economy is very strong right now,” he said. The manufacturing and pur- chasing managers index rose to 60.1 percent in April. This is the highest that it’s been since 2007. In April of last year, the index was 36.1 percent. The unfilled order index is the highest its been in
Kevin Ausburn
17 years, the order back logs are the highest since 2004 and 16 out of 18 manufacturing sectors have shown growth in February. All of these are indicators of how strong the economy is and particularly, how strong the manufacturing sector is.”
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May 3, 2021 CCS HlfPgBCN.indd 1
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BW Packaging Systems Adds Mitchell As Operational Excellence Director St. Louis, Missouri based BW Packaging Systems an- nounced that J Alexander Mitchell has joined as the Op- erational Excellence Director for its operations in North America. As a critical member of the BW Packaging Sys-
AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION is a recognized leader in the industry of Pneumatic Conveying Systems and has been in business since 1968. As an equipment manufacturer rather than simply a sales organization, we have complete control over the quality of material and products which make up your proposed system. Our equipment is found in Printing, Folding Carton and Corrugated plants throughout the country and the world.
tems leadership team, Mitchell will drive site-level operational efficiency improvements to prod- ucts, processes and practices for the Barry-Wehmiller packaging platform. With a strong background in lean manufacturing methods
J Alexander Mitchell
(known as L3 at Barry-Wehmiller), Mitchell brings to his new role 20 years of experience working with teams to im- prove their performance. He has deep expertise in the im- plementation of lean business system concepts and tools, and has demonstrated operational excellence capabilities in an array of environments. “I am confident that J will serve BW Packaging Systems in many ways to enhance both business results and L3 culture for our North American sites,” said Bruce Williams, Vice President of Operational Excellence, BW Packaging Systems. “I’m really excited about the opportunity to work with J to help our teams further their cultural journey.”
AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION PH: 901-454-5016 FAX: 901-324-7979 e-mail: sales@accfilter.com • www.accfilter.com
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The (In)famous Combustible Dust Hazard BY MARY DRAIN
ers against combustible dust hazard risks, the Fibre Box Association (FBA) Safety & Health Committee created “Guidelines for Developing a Combustible Dust Mainte- nance Program at Your Facility.” The document is specific to corrugated box plants and plant issues. The recommen- dations in it are effective and reasonably easy to imple- ment. And it offers practical guidance for a box plant main- tenance protocol. According to the 2009 Status Report on Combustible Dust NEP, almost half the citations (47 percent) were for vi- olations of Haz Com and Housekeeping. Employers have largely been cited for tolerating recognized hazards in their facilities. See the FBA Safety & Health Committee’s Combustible Dust Guidelines for dust control and management, train- ing and informing employees, and the corrugated material Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Videos of combustible dust ex- plosions can be compelling training/hazard-communica- tion tools, see USCSB’s. The Combustible Dust Guidelines document is free to FBA members on the FBA website and it’s available to non-members at the FBA Store here. A timely article on this topic also recently appeared in EHS Today. Following the Committee’s Guidelines and developing a maintenance program for combustible dust can keep your employees, building and equipment safe. Let’s leave the ignition of combustible dust where it belongs - in the game.
Combustible dust is having its fifteen minutes of pop-cul- ture fame. Last month, the science behind combustible
dust became more mainstream with the release of the “Bust the Dust” add-on kit for the popular simulation game The Sims 4. The download- able content challenges players to combat ever-growing dust piles and dust bunny creatures in Sims’ dwell- ings with vacuums. Letting the dust
Mary Drain
settle too long in the game, can cause the combustible dust to ignite. While not realistic, the game does bring up a topic worth a redux in our industry: combustible dust. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program (NEP) was effective in 2008 and reissued in 2015. And while there isn’t a standard that addresses combustible dust, OSHA has the authority to inspect facilities with pos- sible combustible dust hazards. They cite violations based on the existing OSHA standards, using industry consensus standards such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Combustible Dust standards as references. To help prepare corrugated packaging manufactur-
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Mesirow Advises El Dorado On Its Sale To ProAmpac
Mesirow Financial reported that it acted as exclusive finan- cial advisor to El Dorado Packaging Holdings, LLC, a port- folio company of Industrial Opportunity Partners (IOP), on its sale to ProAmpac, a leading global flexible packaging company and portfolio company of Pritzker Private Capital. El Dorado manufactures customized paper-based packaging and printing solutions for retail and industrial markets. With three plant locations in Arkansas, Minneso- ta and Nebraska, El Dorado produces paper self-opening sacks, rollstock for consumer packaging and industrial multi-wall bags for food service, seed, animal health and chemical markets. Equipped with nimble operations and best-in-class leadership, the company has established it- self as a manufacturer of quality products for a base of blue-chip customers. The partnership between ProAmpac and El Dorado will bolster ProAmpac’s operating platform within the flexible packaging industry while enabling El Do- rado to pursue numerous near-term growth opportunities. “Mesirow provided unwavering support from start to finish, utilizing their expertise and relationships within the industry to secure the ideal outcome for El Dorado’s em- ployees, shareholders and customers,” said Chris Willis, Managing Director of IOP. “We valued our partnership with the company and look forward to its continued success.”
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Where Less is More LBX & SBX Stackers with Scrubber ® Technology
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ROTARY DIE CUTTER STACKERS & PERIPHERALS
President Container (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1 )
BCN
says,
speed, 24 hours a day, before and during the entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic. Larry Grossbard, Co-President of President Contain- er Group said the project was undertaken due to the in- crease in the incredible demand for its products, as well as President Container’s commitment to the future growth of the company.
to the sponsors of our 2021 calendar!
®
Larry Grossbard, Co-President of PCG
“We are extremely proud to break ground on our 100,000-square-foot expansion at our state-of-the-art su- per plant in Wallkill,” said Grossbard. “Our theme is “Man- ufacturing For The Next Generation” and we are proud to be part of this community. We are extremely grateful for all of our essential partners. Our deep thanks goes out to those great teams for being accessible and helpful. We ap- preciate everyone’s support and expertise every day. It’s great to run a business in this community when you have this level of support.”
JB MACHINERY
Richard Goldberg, VP of Operations at PCG
Richard Goldberg, PCG’s VP of Operations, echoed Grossbard’s sentiments, especially when it came to ac- knowledging the commitment shown by the Town of Wallkill. Many of the same people that were involved with the construction of PCG’s 522,000-square-foot facility in 2008 were also involved in this latest expansion.
Please visit www.nvpublications.com to view the 2021 industry events and links to our sponsors’ websites where you can learn more about their products and services.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 26
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President Container (CONT’D FROM PAGE 24)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
“The support and teamwork of everyone involved with this project has been nothing less than outstanding every step of the way,” said Goldberg. “This will be a world class facility and something that we and everyone in the com- munity will be proud of.”
ADVANTZWARE www.advantzware.com
Advantzware provides a flexible and comprehensive sys- tem to address the business management needs of the in- dependent box business, as well as the ERP requirements of full scale packaging plants and integrated companies. With modules for estimating, scheduling, production, inven- tory and accounting, this scalable system supports packag- ing plants that produce corrugated boxes, folding cartons, point of purchase displays, assembled partitions, paper- board products, foam fabrication, as well as distribution of packaging supplies. Advantzware has been in operation for over 30 years and continually enhances our system to ad- dress the needs of the industry. AIR CONVEYING CORPORATION www.accfi lter.com Air Conveying Corporation is a recognized leader in the in- dustry of Pneumatic Conveying Systems and has been in business since 1968. As an equipment manufacturer rather than simply a sales organization, we have complete control over the quality of material and products which make up your proposed system. Our equipment is found in Printing, Folding Carton and Corrugated plants throughout the coun- try and the world. Let us build you the best Trim Removal System you ever had. Contact us today. Amtech offers the industry’s most innovative and compre- hensive corrugated and packaging ERP, integrated sched- uling software, and engineered automation technology. For over 30 years, Amtech has remained at the backbone of successful businesses from the independent box makers to the largest integrateds. We keep our customers competitive in an ever-changing economy with options such as custom- er digital storefronts and workflows, business intelligence, automated scheduling for corrugators, converting and ship- ping, proactive roll stock and inventory management, and so much more in an integrated, single vendor environment. APEX INTERNATIONAL www.apex-groupofcompanies.com AMTECH SOFTWARE www.amtechsoftware.com World’s largest Anilox and Glue & Metering roll manufac- turer, providing the widest selection of corrugated engrav- ings and complementary services. Anilox engraving options available from our North American manufacturing facility include elongated 75°, 60°, 45°, plus Apex’s patented GTT technology. Glue rolls are produced with Hardened Stain- less Steel and a max TIR of 10 µ for Single, Double Facers.
Richard Grossbard, Co-President of PCG
Trailer trucks with machinery for the expansion were rumbling through the parking lot during the celebration. The Fosber corrugator will arrive in October and Goldberg promised PCG would start making boxes in January of 2022. Numerous public officials lauded President Container Group’s investment and commitment to the region. Eric Gertler, Empire State Development Acting Com- missioner and President & CEO-designate, said, “The ex- pansion of PCG’s manufacturing facility in Orange County represents a $40 million investment in the region and will ensure that job retention and creation in the region are maintained in the manufacturing sector, which is an inte- gral part of the region’s economic strategy.” U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer noted President Contain- er Group’s vital contributions while praising the company’s expansion. “We should all be very proud that one of the nation’s leading manufacturers of the packaging we see and use every day is operating and expanding in Orange County,” he said. Maureen Halahan, President and CEO of the Orange County Partnership, was one of several key partners in helping the project become reality. “Having participated in the initial discussions about this expansion with the President Container team, I am especially proud to see this project move forward,” she said. “When construction is completed at the end of this year, we’ll have another shining example of the collaborative, visionary work being done in Orange County.” President Container Group prides itself on sustainabil- ity, recycling and other efficiencies that preserve natural resources – all while producing clean, safe products relied upon by some of the most well-known brands and corpo- rations across the nation. Visit www.presidentcontainergroup.com for more.
ALBANY INTERNATIONAL www.albint.com
Albany International has a corrugator belt for every appli- cation. Our reputation for durable performance is the trade- mark of the most dependable belts in service today.
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FBA Announces Speakers For Virtual Annual Meeting
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
The Fibre Box Association (FBA) has announced the full list of extraordinary speakers planned for the upcoming Virtu- al Annual Meeting. The event, to be held over two days, Monday, May 3rd from 9:00-11:00 a.m. CDT and Tuesday, May 4th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. CDT, will cover six important topics impacting the corrugated packaging industry. Monday’s program includes: • A State of the Corrugated Industry presentation by Bob McIlvaine, President and CEO of The Royal Group and member of the FBA Board of Directors. Bob will share his insights on the current state of the industry while at the same time reflecting back to the industry’s last record-setting year and what box manufacturers did to achieve record-high shipments in 2020. • Thoughts on the Biden Administration’s Impact on Manufacturing from Senator Rob Portman (R-OH). First elected to the Senate in 2010, Senator Portman is now working with his third presidential administration and will share his thoughts on how the changes be- ing made by the Biden Administration may impact U.S. manufacturing. • A view of sustainability from the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry’s perspective. Dan Felton, Exec- utive Director of AMERIPEN, will share his member’s thoughts on sustainability. Are the goals being set to- day achievable? How will packaging changes being made for sustainability impact the corrugated industry? Tuesday’s presentations will explore: • How hacking, phishing, malware and ransomware can be a threat to the corrugated industry. Cybersecurity expert, Barry Hensley, Senior Vice President and Chief Threat Intelligence Officer at Secureworks, will share security risks and how to spot them, best practices, and the latest technology for preventing cyberattacks. • Where to find the next generation workforce. Scott Zimmer, a generational expert at BridgeWorks, will use generational values and cultural cues to show box manufactures how to position jobs to attract Genera- tion Z workers. • What’s next in e-commerce. The pandemic acceler- ated the move to e-commerce and may have forever changed consumers’ shopping habits. How will this im- pact supply chains and packaging needs in the future? One retailer will share where their company is head- ed and how box manufacturers can plan for what’s to come. In addition, there will be an association update, record- ed comments from Senator Marsha Blackburn and a few other extras to round out the Fibre Box Association’s first Virtual Annual Meeting. Visit fibrebox.org for more information and to register for the event.
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.
AMERICAN CORRUGATED MACHINE www.acm-corp.com
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; hhs systems ensure efficiency and precision. With hhs Xcam Box Monitoring and non-contact flap gluing of corrugated board, hhs offers every option for quality assurance in the production of corrugated boxes with flexo folder gluers. 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.
CIMEX CORP. www.cimexcorp.com
Cimex writes affordable yet powerful CAD/CAM software for the packaging and diemaking industries. We also offer numerous samplemakers, etc., to fit all needs and budgets.
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.
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.
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