Board Converting News, October 12, 2026

BoardConverting Serving the North American Corrugated and Folding Carton Industries Since 1985 October 12, 2026 VOL. 42 NO. 41

SupplyOne Acquires Packaging Design Corp.

New AICC Chairman, Schaefer: ‘Elevate Leaders, Raise The Bar’ BY MIKE SCHAEFER At Corrugated Week 2026 in Fort Worth, the AICC Chairman gavel was passed. Terri-Lynn Levesque of Royal Containers and Outgoing AICC Chairman, welcomed Mike Schaefer, President of Tavens Packaging and Display Solutions, as the new AICC Chairman. He delivered the following address upon acceptance of his new role: When I was told I'd be standing up here as your incoming chair, my first instinct was to check whether someone had made a clerical error. Because I'm just a guy who used to fix cars for a living.

Newtown Square, Pennsylvania based Sup- plyOne, Inc., a leading distributor of custom corrugated and value-added packaging solu- tions in North America, has announced that it has acquired Packaging Design Corporation, a custom corrugated packaging manufacturer based in Burr Ridge, Illinois. Founded in 1968, Packaging Design Cor- poration will continue under the leadership of owner Scott Jones post-closing. In addition to being a comprehensive provider of custom corrugated and branded packaging, Packag- ing Design Corporation specializes in point- of-purchase displays, e-commerce pack- aging, retail and specialty packaging, and industrial packaging. The company combines innovative structural design with in-house manufacturing capabilities to deliver creative, cost-effective packaging solutions to custom- ers throughout the Chicago area, Midwest and across the country. “The addition of Packaging Design Cor- poration further strengthens our presence in the important Chicago area while adding additional capabilities in branded packaging and point-of-purchase displays,” said Todd

I grew up outside Denver, blue-collar house, dad a union sheet-met- al worker. I loved hot rods — still do — and after high school I went to mechanic's school instead of college. I fixed cars, then sold tools to guys who fixed cars, and neither one stuck. At 22, I needed a job. A buddy said the box plant down the street needed a sample cutter. I walked in. That was the last job I ever had outside this industry. Tharco to Deline to Buckeye to Tavens — a sheet plant in Bedford Heights, Ohio, founded in 1957, where I've been for almost 15 years now. Prepress, design, sales, sales management, and now this. Not because I was the smartest guy in the room. Because at every stop, somebody took the time to teach me — one rung at a time. That's the whole idea behind this year's theme: Raise the Bar, Train Your Frontline Leaders. CONTINUED ON PAGE 22 Mike Schaefer, president of Tavens Packaging and Display Solutions and new AICC Chairman, addresses the audience at Corrugated Week.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

WHAT’S INSIDE

3 PCA Announces Plans To Close Ohio Plant 8 Green Bay Pkg Receives University Partner Award 10 PPC Announces Winners Of 2026 Packaging Competition 16 Vanguard Companies Installs HP PageWide Digital Press

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PCA Announces Plans To Close Ohio Plant

SupplyOne (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)

Renehan, President and CEO of SupplyOne. “Packaging Design has built a strong reputation over nearly six de- cades by combining innovative packaging design, man- ufacturing expertise and a commitment to understanding

Columbus, Wisconsin based Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) has announced its plans to close its full-line plant in Middletown, Ohio, as the company consolidates the facility’s operations into larger locations. According to a WARN notice filed with the Ohio Depart- ment of Job & Family Services, the closure will affect 91 employees at the Baltimore Street facility. The employees’ final day is expected to be December 1, with PCA planning to fully vacate the building by the end of the year. PCA said the decision is part of a consolidation into “larger and more efficient operations,” including its new $275 million facility outside Columbus, Ohio, which opened this summer. The company said it will provide as- sistance to affected employees and help those interested in transferring to other PCA locations with open positions. PCA is the latest packaging company to announce a facility closure. Greif plans to close its Sweetwater paper- board mill in Austell, Georgia, by the end of the year, af- fecting 95 employees and ending the company’s produc- tion of coated recycled paperboard. McKinley Paper and Packaging Co. is also approaching the permanent closure of its Cerritos, California facility. The closure will affect 45 employees, with the first separa- tions scheduled for November 30.

its customers' needs. This customer-first approach aligns closely with SupplyOne and makes Packaging Design Cor- poration a natural fit for our growing organization,” added Mr. Renehan. “Joining forces with SupplyOne provides an exciting opportunity to build upon Packaging Design Corporation's long history while expanding the resources and capabili- ties we can offer our customers,” said Scott Jones, owner of Packaging Design Corporation. “SupplyOne shares our commitment to quality, innovation and customer service, and we look forward to beginning this next chapter.” This is SupplyOne's 49th acquisition and its second Chicago-area acquisition.

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Green Bay Packaging Receives University Partner Award

ment by investing in initiatives that strengthen commu- nities throughout Northeast Wisconsin and beyond, with a special focus on education, youth development, health and human services, and community enhancement. Its mission is to create opportunities that improve lives and build stronger communities for future generations.

Green Bay, Wisconsin-based Green Bay Packaging has re- ceived University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic’s 2026 University Partner Award, highlighting a partnership cen- tered on workforce development, student opportunities, innovation and the future of packaging. Green Bay Packaging has made a significant impact on the lives of UW-Stout Polytechnic students and alumni by creating career opportunities and employing a strong pipe- line of graduates across packaging, engineering, supply chain, business and sustainability-focused programs. More than 40 UW-Stout alumni now work at Green Bay Packaging, with many giving back to the program by mentoring students, participating in the Packaging Adviso- ry Committee and helping recruit the next generation of packaging professionals. The partnership is one example of how industry and universities can work together to con- nect students with real-world experience while helping packaging companies develop future talent. Founded by George Kress in 1933, Green Bay Packag- ing now has 35 facilities in 16 states and Mexico and has more than 4,000 employees. As a family-owned company, it believes that business success and community responsi- bility go hand in hand. The George Kress Foundation extends that commit-

“Our connection with UW-Stout Polytechnic developed through a shared commitment to workforce development, innovation and student opportunity. UW-Stout Polytechnic is a valued partner because of its strong connection be- tween education and industry, and it creates meaningful opportunities for Green Bay Packaging and the George Kress Foundation to invest in students while helping to strengthen the future of the packaging industry,” said Matt Murphy (’01), general manager of Green Bay Packaging Twin Town Division.

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PPC Announces Winners Of 2026 Paperboard Packaging Competition The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) has announced the top winners of its esteemed 83rd Annual Paperboard Packaging Competition. These folding cartons and rigid boxes represent the best paperboard packaging manu- factured by North American converters over the past year. Package of the Year: Dressed In White Rigid Carton; Submitted by TPC Packaging Dressed In White captures the romance of a bridal fra- grance through intricate detail, thoughtful structure, and a memorable unboxing experience. Built with FSC-certified Eska® chipboard, the rigid paperboard carton uses Sco- dix polymer applications to recreate the delicate texture of lace across the exterior, mirroring the netted detail sur-

rounding the fragrance bottle. Foil stamping and a magnetic closure add understated elegance, while an integrated gift card and preci- sion-engineered paperboard cradle the bottle securely without the need for plastic thermoforms. Behind the visual appeal is equal- ly sophisticated engineering. Devel- oping an all-paper bottle capture capable of passing rigorous drop

testing required multiple rounds of structural refinement while preserving the carton’s graceful aesthetic. The fin- ished system is fully recyclable, providing the protection required for the product without compromising the look and feel of a premium fragrance package. Each element, from the lace-inspired surface treatment to the interior

structure, serves both a functional and visual purpose. Dressed In White brings those details together in a package that feels considered, cohesive, and distinctly suited to the occasion. Folding Carton of the Year: The Differ- ence Bourbon; Submitted by Spectrum Packaging Corporation The Difference Bourbon brings the presence of a premium rigid box to a folding carton format through a striking combination of structure and finish. A vel- vety soft-touch black exterior gives way

to a reflective metallicized interior, creat- ing contrast and drama as the package opens. Precision die-cut windows frame a blind-embossed logo below the surface, while a magnetic closure and coordinated gold embellishments add polish without overwhelming the design. Together, these details create a distinctive setting for the bottle and elevate the overall opening ex- perience. Much of the ingenuity is concealed within the carton itself. Reinforcements made from production waste provide the strength and stability needed to protect the bottle while avoiding the added mate-

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

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PPC Announces (CONT’D FROM PAGE 10)

compromising manufacturability. The result feels seam- less, even though technical complexity sits behind it. By bringing craftsmanship, technology, and luxury together in a cohesive structure, the Queen Cola Influencer Display Box shows how rigid packaging can become a memorable extension of the product. Sustainability of the Year Award: Tampax Pearl 94 Count

rial and cost of a traditional rigid box. The result combines efficient converting, resourceful material use, and high-end aesthetics in a structure that feels substantial without be- ing excessive. The Difference Bourbon demonstrates how smart structural design can deliver the impact of luxury packaging in a more efficient folding carton solution. Rigid Box of the Year: Queen Cola Influencer Display Box; Submitted by Elegant Packaging Queen Cola’s Influencer Display Box turns packaging into an immersive brand experience. Built from premium black Eska® chipboard wrapped in soft-touch woodgrain paper, the rigid box combines rich materials with a theatrical reveal. Opening the magnetic doors automatically activates integrated LED lighting, illuminating the product and show- casing the glass display globe with- in. A concealed ribbon-pull drawer keeps accessories organized, while foil stamping and restrained finishing details reinforce the package’s premium character. Equally sophisticated engineering makes the experi- ence possible. Magnets, concealed foam protection, inte- grated electronics, and extensive hand assembly had to be coordinated so every feature worked together without

Variety Pack (Ready to Ship) Submitted by PaperWorks

The Tampax Pearl Ready-to-Ship carton shows how a thoughtful redesign can reduce material and improve e-commerce efficiency at the same time. By replacing a

traditional corrugated shipper with a high-caliper recycled pa- perboard solution, the package cuts weight and overall volume while still providing the durability needed for direct-to-consumer delivery. Its Ship-in-Own-Con- tainer format also eliminates the

need for a secondary box, creating a simpler, more effi- cient path from fulfillment to the consumer’s doorstep. That streamlined approach still had to meet demanding performance requirements. Extensive testing confirmed the carton could withstand transportation and compression while protecting the product inside. Once opened, vibrant interior graphics bring an unexpected branded element to

CONTINUED ON PAGE 14

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PPC Announces (CONT’D FROM PAGE 12)

an otherwise functional format. By reducing excess materi- al, supporting efficient distribution, and maintaining strong protective performance, this carton shows how sustain- ability can be built into the package from the start rather than added as an afterthought. Innovation of the Year Award: Tacofino Burrito x Jarritos Carrier; Submitted by Great Little Box Company Tacofino’s Burrito x Jarritos Carrier rethinks the tra- ditional beverage carrier by bringing a meal and drinks together into a single intuitive paperboard solution. De- signed to transport two burritos and two glass bottles

securely, the structure balances strength, convenience, and bold brand expression in a playful for- mat without sacrificing purpose. Interior and exterior graphics ex- tend the brand experience, creating a takeout package customers are happy to carry and share. Its innovation comes from sim- plicity. A single glue line, efficient

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folding sequence, and all-paperboard construction pro- vide performance without added complexity or unneces- sary materials. Comfortable to hold, quick to assemble, and practical for restaurant operations, the carrier allows structural engineering to work hand in hand with consum- er appeal. The result is a fresh foodservice format that improves functionality while strengthening the customer experience from pickup to consumption. Richard DePaul Award for Creative Design & Converting: Corona Cero 7-Pack; Submitted by Smurfit Westrock Adding one bottle to an iconic six-pack sounds sim- ple; until the package still must look, carry, run, and ship like the original. Corona Cero’s 7-Pack answers that chal-

lenge with a cleverly integrated seventh-bottle pocket that pre- serves the familiar basket silhou- ette without making the format feel awkward or overworked. The result is balanced, comfort- able to carry, and immediate- ly recognizable, even though

the configuration behind it is anything but conventional. Getting there required close collaboration, rapid proto- typing, and extensive testing. The new format had to work on existing converting equipment, support the weight of seven glass bottles, and fit efficiently into secondary pack- aging and pallet configurations. Those complexities dis- appear in the finished pack, which feels intuitive from the moment it is picked up. That ability to make a difficult con- verting challenge look effortless is what makes the Corona Cero 7-Pack a fitting recipient of the award. Visit PPC’s website to see all the winning entries and learn more about The Annual Paperboard Packaging Competition.

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Vanguard Companies Installs HP PageWide Digital Press

With the addition of the press, Vanguard Companies now has two advanced digital platforms operating side by side. This expanded capacity provides greater flexibility to manage fluctuating demand, complex production sched- ules and time-sensitive customer programs. The dual-press configuration also creates greater man- ufacturing redundancy. Production can be shifted between platforms when needed, helping minimize downtime and maintain continuity from short-run promotional campaigns and seasonal programs to large-scale retail rollouts.

Vanguard Companies is among the first companies in the United States to install the new HP PageWide C550VP Digital Press, expanding its digital manufacturing oper- ation in Kansas City, Missouri. The investment builds on the company’s existing HP PageWide C500 Digital Press, significantly increasing digital production capacity while

strengthening manufacturing resilience and creating new opportunities in corrugated packaging and point-of-pur- chase (POP) displays. The new press represents the next phase of Vanguard Digital, Vanguard Companies’ digital printing initiative. Since its launch, VanguardDigital has evolved into a strate- gic growth engine for the company, creating new revenue opportunities, strengthening customer relationships and differentiating Vanguard Companies within the corrugated packaging, POP display, and digital printed sheet markets.

“HP provides the technology, and Vanguard Compa- nies transforms it into retail success for our customers,” said James Beard, CEO, Vanguard Companies. “Adding a second press gives us the capacity and flexibility to take on more complex and time-sensitive programs while open- ing opportunities to provide digital print capacity to other corrugated converters. It strengthens our ability to move quickly, scale with our customers and pursue business that wasn’t previously within reach.” Visit: www.hp.com ; www.vanguardpkg.com .

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PPA Announces 2026 Student Design Challenge Winners

The Paperboard Packaging Alliance (PPA) announced the winners of the 2026 Student Design Challenge. The Student Design Challenge is a yearly competition that tests students’ skills in designing creative, innovative pa- per-based packaging by applying them to a real-world ap- plication. PPA is a joint initiative of the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC). The 2026 Design Challenge tasked students with de- veloping an influencer PR box for a new luxury confec- tionery brand. Submissions had to contain and protect the retail product while elevating the user experience through an engaging, memorable unboxing moment.

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Student design projects from the following schools were named as winners: 1st Place: Dāt–California Poly- technic State University; 2nd Place: Pacha Cacao–Roches- ter Institute of Technology; and 3rd Place: Tempus–Califor- nia Polytechnic State University. “It is inspiring to see the creativity and innovation demonstrated by this year’s winning teams and all Chal- lenge participants,” said Heidi Brock, AF&PA President and CEO. “The Student Design Challenge encourages emerg- ing designers to explore how sustainable materials and packaging design can advance circularity while address- ing real-world packaging needs. As part of the Paperboard Packaging Alliance, we are proud to support the next gen- eration of talent and their contributions to the future of pa- perboard packaging.” “Some of the people who will shape the future of fi- ber-based packaging are sitting in classrooms today,” said Emily Leonczyk, President of PPC. At the PPC Fall Meeting & Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida, PPA also announced the theme for the 2027 Student Design Challenge, which will task students with creating the ultimate VIP fan package for the PPA In- ternational Games, hosted in a city of their choice. The winning entry for the 2026 Student Design Challenge.

Follow Board Converting News on LinkedIn and Facebook to get the latest breaking news and information for the corrugated and folding carton industries.

#BreakingNews #MaximumExposure #IndustryBuzz #GetNoticed #StayTopOfMind

Len Prazych at 518-366-9017 lprazych@nvpublications.com

18 October 12, 2026

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Amtech Announces Updates To Corrugated Quoting App

“Agentic AI presents incredible opportunities and Am- tech’s Product and Engineering teams are proud to deliver embedded capabilities to the corrugated industry,” said Danna Nelson, SVP of Products at Amtech Software. “The forward-thinking plant leaders that comprise our AI Coun- cil have clearly stated their focus on measurably improving revenue, costs, and productivity. Our Email Intake Agent in

Fort Washington, Pennsylvania based Amtech Software has announced the launch of an embedded AI agent for email intake within Amtech Quick Quote (AQQ), a quoting application for corrugated packaging manufacturers. Fast quoting is critical to winning orders, yet it is tra- ditionally time-consuming and influenced by volume. Am- tech Quick Quote builds on Amtech’s May 2026 acqui- sition of Clarico Systems, expanding the core solution to provide a seamless quote-to-order experience for plants leveraging the Amtech ecosystem: EnCore master data flows into AQQ and is kept current, and a won quote is written back into EnCore as a spec and a quote without anyone re-keying it. Email intake, available now, addresses the step before that. A large share of quoting time is manual transcription — opening an inbound request, finding the dimensions, board, style and quantity buried in it, and typing them into a form. Email intake reads the request and its attachments and drafts one or multiple spec lines, so the estimator’s first touch moves the process forward. Every extracted value is shown with a confidence level, and information that the email text or attachment didn’t in- clude is clearly marked. Customer service and estimators retain control of the process and decision-making.

Amtech Quick Quote provides customers with immediate revenue and productivity value and, being an Amtech-de- livered solution, delivers innovation to the front office while managing supportability for their IT departments." Amtech Quick Quote and the Email Intake Agent are available to accelerate RSC and HSC quoting now. Am- tech will preview additional agentic AI use cases for AQQ and the broader solution portfolio at its User Conference on October 11 – 14th in Nashville, Tennessee.

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ASSEMBLED PRODUCTS AND CONTRACT PACKAGING REQUIRED EXTRA HANDLING – UNTIL NOW Specialty packaging diversifies revenue, deepens customer relationships, and protects margins against board-grade price pressure.

Point-of-purchase displays, packaging solutions, and contract packaging require more coordination than standard converting without investing in new equipment.

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New AICC Chairman (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)

them. They organize the work, because every develop- ment plan is different. And they define excellence, then keep moving the bar, because people win from winning. My job this year, AICC's job this year, is to help our in- dustry build a real ladder. Not a title change. Not a differ- ent-colored lanyard. An actual path someone can see, be- lieve in, and climb. That ladder rests on three ideas. Value One: See It Before It's Obvious Here’s a line I want you to sit with: “Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a learned skill you have to teach and practice every day, at every level.” If that's true, then we are the teachers. Every owner and executive in this room is, first, a teacher — whether you signed up for that job or not. The first idea is seeing leadership potential before it announces itself. Your best future leaders won't walk into your office and tell you they're ready. They'll be the one who quietly fixes a problem on second shift and tells you about it after the fact. Most supervisors can't spot that yet — not because they're bad people, but because nobody ever taught them what to look for. So here's my ask: who on your floor is already lead- ing without the title? Some of you just thought of a name. Good — don't let it stay in your head. And teach your su- pervisors to ask that question too. Spot problems first, yes. But spot people.

The Reason For The Theme So let me tell you what keeps me up at night. Not con- solidation. Not AI. It's watching a generation of skilled box- makers retire faster than we're replacing the knowledge they carry. Corrugated is a hands-on business. The best future leaders in this room aren't sitting in a resume stack some-

where — they're on your plant floor right now, solving problems nobody asked them to solve. And here's what we usually do with that person: we make them a super- visor. Then we wonder why they struggle. The best machine operator

Mike Schaefer

does not automatically become a good supervisor. We know that. But our habit, as an industry, is to promote on tenure and technical skill and expect the rest to sort itself out. It doesn't. I have a guy at my plant — talented boxmaker, we promoted him, and he struggled. I started to wonder if it had been a mistake. Then we did something obvious: we started teaching him to lead. Not manage. Lead. It started working. Here's what I learned. Leaders do three things. They know their team — really know them, not hallway-know

CONTINUED ON PAGE 24

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New AICC Chairman (CONT’D FROM PAGE 22)

When you find that person, don't wait for them to be fully ready. No one ever is. I wasn't. The job is deciding early, signaling your confidence, and building the support around them. See it before it's obvious. Value Two: Teach To Lead I want to tell you about Mike Reese. We call him the Tiny Viking — yes, he's tiny, and yes, he looks like a Viking. Mike had been written off by more than a few supervisors. Good enough to show up, not considered a candidate for anything more. Then we lost our lead operator on the three-color RDC, and we needed a replacement. We made Mike Reese the lead. Here's the part I want to be precise about, because it matters: we didn't try him out. We didn't give him a shot in that hedging way that tells everyone watching you're not really sure. We committed first — publicly, in front of his peers. Because when you hedge on someone, they feel it, and so does the team around them. A provisional promo- tion is a vote of no-confidence dressed up as opportunity. After we committed, we gave him direct supervision, coaching, training, and accountability — but only after we defined the standard. We organized the work of his de- velopment. And then we watched the goal posts move, because he kept hitting them. That's the second idea: teaching, not just assigning.

And the hardest part of teaching on a production floor is that nobody thinks they have time for it. The machine's running, the order's late, the customer's calling. I've lived it. But teaching isn't a luxury. It's the job. Every hard con- versation you avoid today is a bigger problem tomorrow. I'd rather have an uncomfortable conversation on a Tuesday than a crisis on a Friday. We owe our people real transparency — not the com- fortable silence that passes for politeness in too many plants. Telling the truth early, clearly and respectfully, is not the opposite of loyalty. It is loyalty. And when you build that with your front-line leaders, they start doing it with the people they supervise. That's the multiplier — not a memo, not an all-hands meeting, but how a supervisor talks to an operator at six in the morning after something went wrong. Teach to lead. Then watch your supervisors teach the people below them. Terri-Lynn Levesque passes the gavel to Mike Schaefer.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 26

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New AICC Chairman (CONT’D FROM PAGE 24)

staircase. Stop trying to recruit believers. Start creating them, one supervisor relationship at a time. The Bigger Picture One more thing. The integrated producers aren't the villain — they're built for volume, and they run that lane well. Our lane is different: complex, custom problems that need craft, flexibility, and a person who knows how to say yes when the easy answer is no.

Value Three: Build A Tradesman, Not Just A Trade This is the one I care about most. We have a labor problem in manufacturing, and I think we tell ourselves the wrong story about it. The line in a lot of boardrooms is that young workers don't want to work hard, that they want things handed to them. I'm going to push back on that, hard. The workers coming into our plants watched their parents get downsized. They watched institutions break promises. They're not anti-work — they're anti getting tak- en advantage of, and that's not irrational. You can't recruit your way past a trust deficit. Trust is built by front-line lead- ers who know their people, organize the work, and define excellence — which is exactly why leadership develop- ment isn't an HR initiative. It's a market strategy. Here's the other thing I want to say plainly: we need to stop saying “working in a box plant” and start calling it what it is. Boxmaking is a trade. It's skilled, it's technical, it's taught person-to-person like any craft worth learning. We've been selling that short for years. The ladder only works if the rungs are visible. Young workers will not climb what they cannot see. So say it out loud — production associate to operator, operator to shift lead, shift lead to supervisor, supervisor to superintendent. Put it in writing. Show them the whole

I also want to say a word about technology, because it comes up every time I talk to owners about workforce de- velopment. AI and automation are coming into our plants. Some of that is already here. And I hear a lot of anxiety about what it means for workers. Here's my honest view: technology doesn't replace the story I'm telling today. It creates more room for the parts of the work that actually need craft. The judgment calls. The complex jobs. The customer situations that require CONTINUED ON PAGE 28

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New AICC Chairman (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)

Your Story Belongs Here!

a skilled person and a real conversation. Technology will automate the repeatable. What's left is exactly the kind of high-skill, high-touch work that talented, well-led boxmak- ers are uniquely positioned to do. If we invest in our people now — in developing real tradesmen, in building real leaders — we will be in a better position to adapt to those changes, not a worse one. The Charge I want to close with something personal. I did not get here alone. People decided, more than once, to take time they didn't have to teach me something I didn't know how to do — before I'd earned it, before it was obvious I was worth the bet. Every plant in this room has a future leader on shift right now who doesn't know it yet. AICC's job this year is to help you see them, develop them, and build the shared tools so your best supervisors can do — consistently, industry-wide — what your best supervisors already do instinctively. We didn't inherit a workforce that trusts easily. We in- herited one that's watching closely to see if we mean it. Every promotion from within is proof. Every hard conver- sation instead of an avoided one is proof. Every standard we hold is proof. So here's my charge — to you, and to myself:

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Signode To Demonstrate Integrated Solutions At PACK EXPO 2026 Tampa, Florida based Signode, a global provider of tran- sit packaging equipment, automation, materials, and af- termarket support solutions, will demonstrate integrated technologies for case handling, palletizing, strapping, load containment, and material handling at PACK EXPO Inter- national 2026, taking place October 18–21 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. At Booth S-3100, Signode will present equipment and automation solutions that support packaging operations from case preparation and strapping solutions through pallet handling and warehouse automation. The exhibit will show how individual technologies can be configured as part of a broader end-of-line and distribution process to help manufacturers improve consistency, throughput, reli- ability, and long-term operational performance. Live demonstrations will feature the Octopus® Prestige™ automatic stretch wrapping machine integrated with the TP-12 strapping machines. An Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) forklift will be demonstrating how automated pallet movement can be coordinated to reduce manual touch- points and support flow through storage and distribution.

Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY

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.

Visitors to the booth will learn how integrating AMRs with Signode’s StorFast® Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) can increase storage density, support in- ventory control, and connect warehouse automation with upstream and downstream packaging processes. Visitors can also learn about the RollCycler™ film roll exchange system, exclusively for the Octopus Prestige stretch wrapping machine. “PACK EXPO gives us an opportunity to show how packaging equipment, robotics, and material handling technologies can work together across the complete end-of-line process,” said Rick Hantke, Senior Director of Marketing and Product Management at Signode. “By inte-

AOPACK LTD www.aopackmachine.com

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

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