Keeping an eye on Sales - Association of Independent Corrugated ...

A PUBLICATION OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT
CORRUGATED CONVERTERS
<strong>Keeping</strong> <strong>an</strong> <strong>eye</strong>
on Sales
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
AICC’s “The sCIenCe of PAPer sChool”
A resoundIng suCCess
The ComPAny ThAT PlAys TogeTher . . .
suCCeeds TogeTher!
Are you IndIsPensAble AT Work?
7 sTePs To hIrIng
The rIghT sAles PeoPle
March / April 2011
Volume 15, No. 2

A PUBLICATION OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT
CORRUGATED CONVERTERS
The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters is <strong>an</strong> international trade
association representing a majority of independent North America m<strong>an</strong>ufacturers
of corrugated packaging products <strong>an</strong>d the suppliers to the industry. AICC has
714 boxmaking members <strong>an</strong>d 359 supplier members <strong>an</strong>d offers both segments
a full array of membership services, programs <strong>an</strong>d benefits.
Contents:
5
9
13
19
25
29
35
37
39
42
44
46
47
49
51
53
54
Chairm<strong>an</strong>’s Message
The Comp<strong>an</strong>y That Plays Together . . .
Succeeds Together!
Are You Indispensable at Work?
Folding—R<strong>an</strong>domness Controlled
Volume 15, No. 2
March / April 2011
Working Towards A Total Sales Compensation Pl<strong>an</strong>
7 Steps to Hiring the Right Sales People
SAVE THE DATE: AICC Annual Meeting &
2011 Independent Design Summit
Virtualization: What is it all about, <strong>an</strong>d how is it
a no-brainer for my small to medium-size business?
AICC Sponsors First ‘Science of Paper School’ at
KapStone’s North Charleston Mill
Members in the News
Ch<strong>an</strong>ging Nature of Domestic Containerboard–Part 3
AICC Mexico to hold 10th Annual Meeting in
Guadalajara, Mexico
International Corrugated Packaging Foundation
Negotiation: Dealing With Pressure
It’s About Pl<strong>an</strong>ning
THE FINAL SCORE
AICC 2011 Education Calendar
Officers
Chairm<strong>an</strong>: Dave Urquhart, New Engl<strong>an</strong>d Wooden Ware
First Vice Chairm<strong>an</strong>: Andrew Pierson,
Mid-Atl<strong>an</strong>tic Packaging
Vice Chairm<strong>an</strong>: Chuck Fienning, Sumter Packaging
Vice Chairm<strong>an</strong>: Mark Mathes, V<strong>an</strong>guard Comp<strong>an</strong>ies
Vice Chairm<strong>an</strong>: Greg Tucker, Bay Cities Container Corp.
DirectOrs-At-LArge
Sam Abbott, Abbott-Action
John Bolender, Niagara Sheets
Jim Nelson, Great Lakes Packaging Corp.
Guy Ockerlund, Ox Box
regiOnAL DirectOrs
Region 1:Tyler Howl<strong>an</strong>d, Sound Packaging
Region 2: Matt Davis, Packaging Express
Region 3: Tony Schleich, Americ<strong>an</strong> Packaging Corp.
Region 4: Ry<strong>an</strong> Chappell, Louisi<strong>an</strong>a Corrugated
Region 5: Pat Haddon, Packaging Atl<strong>an</strong>ta
Region 6: Jay Carm<strong>an</strong>, St<strong>an</strong>d Fast Packaging Products
Region 7: Brad Albright, Hendricks Box Co.
Region 8: Mark Williams, Richmond Corrugated
Region 9: Stuart Fenkel, McLe<strong>an</strong> Packaging
Region 10: Peter Hamilton, Horn Packaging
Region 11/12: John Fr<strong>an</strong>ciosa, Packaging Technologies, Inc.
Region 14: Marco Ferrara, Cajas De Carton Sult<strong>an</strong>a, S.A. DE C.V.
Overseas: James Haglund, Central Container Corp.
PresiDent
A. Steven Young, AICC Headquarters
immeDiAte PAst chAirmAn
Kim Nelson, Royal Containers, Ltd.
PAst PresiDent cOunciL
Jerry Frisch, Wasatch Container
AssOciAte member DirectOrs
Chairm<strong>an</strong>: L<strong>an</strong>ce Head, Hycorr Machine
Vice Chairm<strong>an</strong>: David Callif, BCM Inks
Immediate Past Chairm<strong>an</strong>: Steve Warll, Dicar
eDitOr
Taryn Pyle, tpyle@aiccbox.org
Director of Marketing <strong>an</strong>d Communications
Design
Initial publication design <strong>an</strong>d cover concept
by Griffin Communications, Inc.
cOntributOrs
A. Steven Young, President syoung@aiccbox.org
John Bacot, Vice President of Operations jbacot@aiccbox.org
Cindy Guarino, Director of Meetings cguarino@aiccbox.org
Maria Frustaci, Director of Latin America mfrustaci@aiccbox.org
Laressa Gait<strong>an</strong>, M<strong>an</strong>ager, Member Services lgait<strong>an</strong>@aiccbox.org
Richard M. Flaherty, ICPF President rflaherty@icpfbox.org
senD neWs / Letters tO:
AICC � PO Box 25708 � Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313
Phone (703) 836-2422 � Toll-Free (877) 836-2422
Fax (703) 836-2795 � tpyle@aiccbox.org
Website: http://www.aiccbox.org
fOr ADVertising infOrmAtiOn cOntAct:
Howard Neft, InTheKnow, Inc.
(847) 899-7104
bOXSCORE
3

Get More Value From Your
Current M<strong>an</strong>ufacturing Resources
4 bOXSCORE
CTI Corrugator M<strong>an</strong>agement
Phone: 1-858-578-3550 • Email: info@corrtech.com • Web: www.corrtech.com
Corrugator Trimming & Scheduling • Order Promising, Capacity Pl<strong>an</strong>ning, & Finite Scheduling •
Roll Stock Inventory M<strong>an</strong>agement • Supply Chain Execution • Shipment Pl<strong>an</strong>ning • & More
CTI Converting M<strong>an</strong>agement

c h a i r m a n ’ s m e s s a g e
Sustainability?
I sometimes learn that my opinions
are actually shared by others. The validation
typically comes from individuals operating independent
businesses under similar circumst<strong>an</strong>ces.
Over the past few months as AICC
chairm<strong>an</strong>, I have had the great pleasure of
meeting other box makers who know that <strong>an</strong>
effective sales relationship requires <strong>an</strong> honest
response to the position <strong>an</strong>d needs of a customer.
My comp<strong>an</strong>y makes a habit of catering
to dem<strong>an</strong>ding customers <strong>an</strong>d yet our troubles
are minor in comparison to those faced by
some North Americ<strong>an</strong> m<strong>an</strong>ufacturers. With
this in mind, some of you will not be surprised
to hear that I am very uncomfortable
with the power that Wal-Mart holds over our
consumer products industry.
My unforgiving list of complaints about Wal-
Mart begins with the fact that the stores are
ubiquitous. The small corner stores that once
dotted the l<strong>an</strong>dscape have generally v<strong>an</strong>ished
<strong>an</strong>d gone are the jobs these extinct comp<strong>an</strong>ies
once provided. In their place st<strong>an</strong>ds
Wal-Mart, with 8,400 stores around the world
<strong>an</strong>d roughly 2 million employees. When I say
hello to the young wom<strong>an</strong> greeting customers
at our local store, I c<strong>an</strong>not help but wonder
if this individual lost her previous job due
to her new employer’s market affect. Once
inside the store, I am confronted with aisle
after aisle of every conceivable item a consumer
could desire, <strong>an</strong>d yet I am const<strong>an</strong>tly
compelled to look for the country where these
products were made before making a purchasing
decision.
As the world’s largest retailer, with more th<strong>an</strong>
400 billion dollars in net sales in 2010, Wal-
Mart has set the tone for off-shoring <strong>an</strong>d is
therefore partially responsible for the decline
of m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing jobs in North America.
The comp<strong>an</strong>y has, in the past, been accused
of predatory pricing, selling inferior quality
products, <strong>an</strong>d neglecting to provide health
care to their employees. Although it is not
my intent to find fault with a comp<strong>an</strong>y for
being extremely successful, in my experience,
the big box retailer controls the relationship
with their product m<strong>an</strong>ufacturers <strong>an</strong>d settlements
concerning price, inventory, deliveries,
packaging, <strong>an</strong>d product losses are most often
at the expense of the m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer.
In 1992, the sale of imports at Wal-Mart was
increased to buoy flagging profits. About that
same time a “Buy Americ<strong>an</strong>” program was
shown to be flawed in that the products being
advertised were actually made overseas.
Wal-Mart was similarly stung by critical media
exposes in the Los Angeles Times in 2003 <strong>an</strong>d
by the PBS program Frontline in 2004. Soon
thereafter; the retailer sounded a drumbeat
call of the societal need for sustainability.
This newly minted environmental advocate
was now arguing for healthier foods, reduced
packaging, <strong>an</strong>d supply chain reductions in
continued on page 7
David Urquhart
“ There is no subject,
not one other issue,
facing the hum<strong>an</strong>
race, more pressing
<strong>an</strong>d more import<strong>an</strong>t
th<strong>an</strong> preservation
of the environment.
”
bOXSCORE
5

Sustainability?
continued from page 5
greenhouse gases. These requirements
were to be accomplished by
vendors <strong>an</strong>d suppliers at no increased
cost to Wal-Mart. Cost reductions are
expected to come from the raw materials,
fuels, <strong>an</strong>d fibers engineered
out of the supply chain. Participation
in Wal-Mart’s sustainability programs
are not officially m<strong>an</strong>datory but the
retailer has made clear that it intends
to do business only with those who
comply.
I suspect that Wal-Mart’s sustainability
efforts were promulgated primar-
ily as a public relations tactic rather
th<strong>an</strong> out of concern for the environment.
This marketing strategy may
have also been approved because of
the perceived potential for cost savings.
As implied at the outset, m<strong>an</strong>y
AICC box makers have packaging
customers who must deal directly
with this retailing force of nature.
Wal-Mart’s dem<strong>an</strong>d for reduced packaging
weight may soon cause some of
us in the industry to reengineer our
products with lighter weight liners.
The insistence for higher recycled
content should be familiar territory
for everyone within the corrugated
industry, where renewable paper
resources <strong>an</strong>d the value of old corrugated
containers has been a longtime
business practice. It would be a
serious mistake to ignore the profound
effects this highly successful
comp<strong>an</strong>y has had on the worldwide
org<strong>an</strong>ization of retailing, m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing
<strong>an</strong>d packaging.
As our customers continue to make
more challenging dem<strong>an</strong>ds, it is
import<strong>an</strong>t to remember that they too
may be held accountable to the requirements
of other comp<strong>an</strong>ies. An
effective sales relationship requires
<strong>an</strong> honest response to the position
<strong>an</strong>d needs of the customer, which
requires some underst<strong>an</strong>ding of context.
Although I have concerns about
the origin, intent, <strong>an</strong>d consequences
of this newly formed sustainability
m<strong>an</strong>tra, it has become <strong>an</strong> integral
component of the packaging industry.
Fortunately, we as independents
have the flexibility <strong>an</strong>d resources
to meet these dem<strong>an</strong>ds. Corrugated
containers are now <strong>an</strong>d have always
been renewable, recyclable, <strong>an</strong>d
biodegradable. We are producing a
product with superior environmental
attributes.
David L. Urquhart
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7

AICC Mexico
Celebrating years in Mexico
2011 Annual Conference
May 18-20, 2011
Presidente Intercontinental Guadalajara
Training Trade Fair Pl<strong>an</strong>t Tour
www.aiccbox.org/mexico
Guadalajara - Mexico
ASSOCIATION OF
INDEPENDENT
CORRUGATED
CONVERTERS
AICC México región 14

The Comp<strong>an</strong>y That Plays
Together . . . Succeeds Together!
By Tom Nugent
At Volk Packaging Corporation – where <strong>an</strong> enlightened comp<strong>an</strong>y m<strong>an</strong>agement enthusiastically
supports everything from “mock-Olympic skiing events” to “Halloween costume contests” to yearly
award-b<strong>an</strong>quets – they’ve taken “togetherness” to a whole new level.
Victory!
Moments after zooming across the
finish line, the winning skier threw
his h<strong>an</strong>ds into the air <strong>an</strong>d then cut
loose with a joyful shout: “Yes!”
For D<strong>an</strong> Brochu, a 31-year-old
shipping supervisor at one of Maine’s
most successful business enterprises
– Volk Packaging Corporation – it
was a moment of supreme triumph.
“Yeah, it was a struggle all the way!”
said Brochu, who most days is
responsible for shipping out m<strong>an</strong>y
different packaging products at the
Volk facility in Biddeford, Maine.
“I was truly in the battle of my life,
but as I approached the finish line,
I knew I still had a ch<strong>an</strong>ce to win.
“It took everything I had, but my
finishing kick was decisive. And
right now, I’m just grateful to be
savoring the thrill of victory . . .
rather th<strong>an</strong> the agony of defeat!”
For a few seconds, he sounded like
a superstar athlete on Wide World
of Sports. But then a moment later,
the high-spirited Brochu was roaring
with laughter.
Why? Because the “dem<strong>an</strong>ding
course” on which the fun-loving
associate had just defeated five
other hard-charging Volk “Olympic
skiers” was exactly 20 feet long.
Tucked away in a back corner of the
factory, it consisted entirely of naked
concrete, without a single snowflake
in sight.
And the “skis” on which these “Volk
Winter Olympics” athletes had just
competed?
Douglas, Kenneth, Benjamin <strong>an</strong>d Derek
Volk
They were actually crafted from
lengths of corrugated board, right off
a Volk machine.
Like the “Corrugated All-Star
Bowling Championship” <strong>an</strong>d the
“International Fold-Stuff-<strong>an</strong>d-Seal,”
these recent “Winter Olympics”
(inspired by Vice President Derek
Volk) were powerful examples
of the forward-thinking Volk
Packaging Corporation’s remarkably
enlightened m<strong>an</strong>agement philosophy.
That unusual – but also
very effective – philosophy
was recently defined by
President Douglas Volk as
follows:
“If we’re going to work well
together, we also have to be
able to play well together!”
Volk me<strong>an</strong>s it, too. At Volk
Packaging, founded in 1967
by Ken <strong>an</strong>d Benjamin Volk
– two creatively minded
businessmen with a knack
for building “team spirit”
among their associates by including
them in every aspect of their fastgrowing
enterprise – the ethos is
egalitari<strong>an</strong> . . . <strong>an</strong>d the reigning
attitude on the factory floor is playful
creativity.
“Corrugated Hockey Games” . . .
And a Knockout Newsletter
Spend a few hours h<strong>an</strong>ging out
with Douglas <strong>an</strong>d Derek Volk at
their modern, 165,000-square-foot
facility located in southern Maine,
<strong>an</strong>d you’ll soon discover that they
become very serious whenever they
talk about treating their people well.
“At Volk Packaging, we don’t refer
to our people as ‘employees,’ but as
‘associates’,” says the 62-year-old top
exec at the highly successful, New
Engl<strong>an</strong>d-based packaging supplier.
“We’re also careful to never describe
our associates as ‘working for us.’
“Our associates work with us, day in
<strong>an</strong>d day out, in a shared enterprise
where they’re respected <strong>an</strong>d valued
as crucially import<strong>an</strong>t members on a
team of equals.
continued on page 10
Corrugated Ping Pong athletes with their decorated paddles.
bOXSCORE
9

The Comp<strong>an</strong>y That Plays Together . . . Succeeds Together!
continued from page 9
“We all work hard together, that’s
true. But we also play hard together,
<strong>an</strong>d I think that’s because all of us
underst<strong>an</strong>d that success ultimately
depends on our ability to trust <strong>an</strong>d
respect each other in <strong>an</strong> atmosphere
of honest <strong>an</strong>d dedicated teamwork.”
According to the easygoing <strong>an</strong>d
laughter-loving Volks, the Maine
box-maker’s unusual approach to HR
m<strong>an</strong>agement goes all the way back to
its launch.
Throughout its nearly 44 years
of operation, Volk Packaging has
enjoyed a colorful regional reputation
as a m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing enterprise where
workers <strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>agers have a high
regard for each other – along with <strong>an</strong>
infectious sense of humor.
Says Douglas Volk, who’s been
running the comp<strong>an</strong>y along with the
now-retired Ken’s son, Vice President
Derek Volk, for the past five years
(Benjamin passed away in 1996):
“A lot of business owners will pay
lip service to the idea of recognizing
<strong>an</strong>d valuing their people for the
contributions they make each day,
but at Volk Packaging, we really
me<strong>an</strong> it.
“If you talk to our people, most of
them will regale you with stories
of comp<strong>an</strong>y awards they’ve won
at various events <strong>an</strong>d other kinds
of contests over the years. Or
they’ll describe fun events like our
‘Corrugated Hockey Games’ <strong>an</strong>d the
‘Quarterly Klutz Award,’ <strong>an</strong>d also the
‘Five-Year Club Parties’ held <strong>an</strong>nually
for the last 32 years at the scenic
Portl<strong>an</strong>d Country Club overlooking
Casco Bay.
“We’re also very proud of our
comp<strong>an</strong>y newsletter, Between The
Liners, which has been published
three or four times a year without
interruption since 1986 . . . <strong>an</strong>d
which frequently sings the praises
of comp<strong>an</strong>y associates who find
creative solutions to on-the-job
problems. That’s very cool . . .
but the newsletter also goes to
great length to salute birthdays,
graduations, wedding <strong>an</strong>niversaries
<strong>an</strong>d other family milestones.
10 bOXSCORE
Everybody Loves Boxes!
V o l k P a c k a g i n g C o r p o r a t i o n
3 2 n d A n n u a l F i v e Y e a r C l u b P a r t y
Our 32nd Annual Five Year Club Party
was held on September 11th at the
Portl<strong>an</strong>d Country Club in Falmouth,
Maine. For the very first time, we sat
on the outside deck <strong>an</strong>d enjoyed
a wonderful view of Casco Bay. The
weather was ideal <strong>an</strong>d the dinner of
steak, chicken <strong>an</strong>d a variety of harvest
vegetables <strong>an</strong>d desserts was delicious.
This year our comp<strong>an</strong>y recognized <strong>an</strong>d
honored Ronald Toussaint with the
Benjamin Volk Award for Excellence (see
special article). Ron joins the previous
winners <strong>an</strong>d is a most worthy recipient.
R e c o g n i t i o n
This year’s honorees were Mary J<strong>an</strong>e
Cronin, David Kelly <strong>an</strong>d Terry Bodm<strong>an</strong>
Atoka Dumont
Vladimir Lenchuk
Neil Browne
Nate Marcotte
Mikeal Johnson
for five years; Atoka Dumont,
Carol D<strong>an</strong>is, Gary Nadeau <strong>an</strong>d
Bri<strong>an</strong> Bennington for ten years;
Jay Mullett for fifteen years;
Paul Voccia, Suz<strong>an</strong>ne Ruel <strong>an</strong>d
Barbara Poitras for twenty five
years; <strong>an</strong>d Michael Allen for thirty
years of dedicated service to
Volk Packaging Corporation.
Douglas Volk, Ronald Toussaint, Derek Volk, <strong>an</strong>d Kenneth Volk
Ser v i c e
At next year’s Party we will be
welcoming nineteen Volk Associates
for their years of service: New Five
Year Club Associates will be David
Doyle, Cynthia Jackson, Scott
Seeley, <strong>an</strong>d Melinda Sherid<strong>an</strong>. The
other Honorees next year will be
Lori Lareau (10 years), Glorij<strong>an</strong>e
Volume 23, Issue 1
Spring, Summer, Fall 2010
Winslow (10 years), D<strong>an</strong>iel Brochu
(10 years), Neilson Browne (15 years),
Kevin Shea (15 years), Vladimir
Lenchuk (15 years), Vernon Rollins
(15 years), Benjamin Mason (15 years),
Chuck Fabi<strong>an</strong> (15 years), Karl Morlock
(20 years), Russell Schmelzer (20 years),
Michelle Morin (30 years), <strong>an</strong>d Denis
Labonte (35 years.)
Based upon the current enrollment
of Volk Packaging Associates, we
now have 78% of the Associates
attending our Five Year Club Party.
This is a very impressive number
<strong>an</strong>d one in which all of us c<strong>an</strong> be
justifiably proud.
Th<strong>an</strong>k you one <strong>an</strong>d all from all of
the Volk’s. We look forward to next
year’s Five Year Club Party on
September 9, 2011.
The Volk Family
T h a n k Yo u
I n s i d e “ B e t w e e n t h e L i n e r s ”
• Benjamin Volk Award for Excellence . . . 2
• 5 Year Club Party Photos . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
• “Here’s The Scoop” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
• Associate of Quarter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
• Michael Forbes Earns College Degree . . 10
• Volk Associates “Tie The Knot” 2010 . . . 11
• 13th Annual Beach To Beacon . . . . . . . 11
• United Way Campaign . . . . . . . . . . 12-13
• Amy Volk Wins House Seat. . . . . . . . . . 14
• Scarborough YoungLife’s Road Race . . . 14
• Derek Gets Pet Office Snake . . . . . . . . 15
• “Klutz of the Issue” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
• “6-Word Challenge” . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
• “Houses For Ch<strong>an</strong>ge” . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Carol Morlock Cindy Poisson D<strong>an</strong> Brochu David Rowe Dennis Desrosiers
The Final 2010
VPC OLYMPIC MEDAL COUNT
NAME GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
Vladimir Lenchuk 3 0 1 4
R ich Wills 1 2 1 4
Neil Browne 0 3 1 4
G lorij<strong>an</strong>e Winslow 0 3 1 4
M ikeal Johnson 2 0 1 3
D<strong>an</strong> Brochu 2 0 1 3
David Rowe 2 0 1 3
Cindy Poisson 1 1 1 3
Kelli Tix 1 1 1 3
Kevin Shea 0 2 1 3
M el Sherid<strong>an</strong> 1 1 0 2
Shawn S c ammon 1 0 1 2
Atoka D umont 1 0 1 2
Lori L areau 1 0 1 2
M ar y J<strong>an</strong>e Cronin 0 1 1 2
Jeff L aBelle 1 0 0 1
G ar y Nadeau 1 0 0 1
Doug Hellstrom 0 1 0 1
G reg M illig<strong>an</strong> 0 1 0 1
Nate M arcotte 0 1 0 1
D i<strong>an</strong>e Paquin 0 1 0 1
Carol M orlock 0 0 1 1
Dennis Desrosiers 0 0 1 1
R <strong>an</strong>dy Theriault 0 0 1 1
M ichelle M orin 0 0 1 1
Rich Wills Shawn Scammon Doug Hellstrom & Greg Millig<strong>an</strong> with the VPC Olympic Torch
Michelle Morin Mel Sherid<strong>an</strong> Mary J<strong>an</strong>e Cronin Lori Lareau Kevin Shea
Volk Newsletter ‘Between the Liners’
December 2010
Di<strong>an</strong>e Paquin
Gary Nadeau
Glorij<strong>an</strong>e Winslow
Jeff LaBelle
“We really love the newsletter,
because it provides us with a
steady drumbeat celebrating the
accomplishments of all the associates
who work here.”
Playing Together Often: A
Winning Strategy for Success?
Describing his “virtually zero”
turnover rate in recent decades,
Douglas Volk makes a key point
about the import<strong>an</strong>ce of h<strong>an</strong>ging
onto the people who help to bring
you business success. Says the
veter<strong>an</strong> m<strong>an</strong>ager <strong>an</strong>d community
volunteer (he just finished a
seven-year term as a member of
the Maine Turnpike Authority):
“I don’t think you need a Ph.D. in
Hum<strong>an</strong> Resources to underst<strong>an</strong>d
that when your people feel valued
Kelli Tix
<strong>an</strong>d respected for the work they
do, they’re going to respond with
dedication <strong>an</strong>d loyalty to your shared
mission.
“From day one, that’s been our
philosophy at Volk Packaging.
Respecting <strong>an</strong>d honoring our people
– while also having lots of fun – has
really been the key to everything
we’ve been able to accomplish.”
R<strong>an</strong>dy Therieault on skis.
At Volk Packaging, the signs of this
creative approach to “HR” c<strong>an</strong>
be seen everywhere. Drop by the
comp<strong>an</strong>y’s spacious, brightly lit
cafeteria, for example, <strong>an</strong>d you’ll
come across dozens of “Comp<strong>an</strong>y
Record” plaques (awarded for
productivity <strong>an</strong>d on-the-job
ingenuity) that glitter from the
photo-lined walls.
continued on page 11
Glorij<strong>an</strong>e Winslow on skis.

The Comp<strong>an</strong>y That Plays Together . . . Succeeds Together!
continued from page 10
David Kelly with his awards.
Another beloved tradition at Volk
Packaging is the “Associate of the
Quarter” award, presented four
times a year to <strong>an</strong> associate who’s
gone “above <strong>an</strong>d beyond” the call
of ordinary duty. And then there’s
the “Five-Year Club Party,” held
each year at the sumptuous local
country club, where Volk associates
are recognized by the Volks for
their accomplishments during their
tenure <strong>an</strong>d presented with gifts in
recognition of each five-year period
of service they’ve given to the
comp<strong>an</strong>y.
Put all of those enlightened features
together, <strong>an</strong>d it’s no surprise that
Volk Packaging won the first-ever
“Maine Family Business of the Year
Award” (in 2000) . . . after proudly
demonstrating its bona fides as a
business environment in which
workers <strong>an</strong>d their families c<strong>an</strong>
thrive.
Ping pong men’s competition.
Along with winning awards, however,
the Volk approach to honoring
its workers just makes plain good
business sense. As of 2011, for
example, more th<strong>an</strong> 78 percent of
the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s 75 associates have
served with the comp<strong>an</strong>y for at least
five years . . . with m<strong>an</strong>y having
served 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years.
Ask Douglas Volk how his comp<strong>an</strong>y
m<strong>an</strong>ages to score so well at what
used to be called “employee
retention,” <strong>an</strong>d he’ll give a lot of the
credit to “creative thinking.” And
no wonder: as the recent author of
<strong>an</strong> imaginative psychological thriller
(The Morpheus Conspiracy, Gateway
Press) himself, Volk says he learned
a long time ago that creativity “isn’t
just <strong>an</strong> import<strong>an</strong>t ingredient for
success in business <strong>an</strong>d life – it’s
absolutely essential.”
Describing how creative thinking
c<strong>an</strong> make life better for everybody
involved in a m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing
enterprise, Volk points to the
continued on page 52
bOXSCORE
11

8 bOXSCORE

Are You Indispensable at
Work?
By Robert B. Tucker
In a time of economic
disruption, unprecedented downsizings,
budgetary cutbacks <strong>an</strong>d the const<strong>an</strong>t
pressure to outsource more <strong>an</strong>d more
routine functions (<strong>an</strong>d the employees who
perform them), advice on professional
survival always seems to convey the same
tired message: Be visible. Don’t make
enemies. Brown nose the boss. And work
even harder.
In reality, you are already working hard.
Simply working harder will not be enough,
<strong>an</strong>d may lead to a burnout. Relying solely on
your functional skills <strong>an</strong>d expertise will not
be enough to make you difficult to replace.
And your years of experience on the job may
not have the cachet they once did either.
The good news is there is something you c<strong>an</strong>
do to take charge of your career if you’re
willing to consider it. Based on research
<strong>an</strong>d interviews with 43 st<strong>an</strong>dout employees
whom peers, bosses <strong>an</strong>d colleagues identified
as indispensable, I believe the only way
to become more valuable to your
org<strong>an</strong>ization—<strong>an</strong>d have incredible job
satisfaction in the process—is to focus on
mastering a new set of strategic skills.
Help W<strong>an</strong>ted: I-Skills Required
To help you succeed, you need to build <strong>an</strong>d
unleash a new set of skills in your work <strong>an</strong>d
in your life: Innovation Skills, or I-Skills
for short. While org<strong>an</strong>izations around the
world are shedding jobs, they are suddenly,
desperately in need of professionals with the
abilities <strong>an</strong>d skills to deliver unconventional
results: to slash costs without sacrificing
service, to add unique value that keeps
current customers loyal <strong>an</strong>d helps close new
business.
Innovation is about more th<strong>an</strong> inventing
new products <strong>an</strong>d services. Today, it’s
about figuring out how <strong>an</strong>d where to add
value where you are <strong>an</strong>d where you work.
Innovation is the act of coming up with
ideas <strong>an</strong>d successfully bringing them to life
to solve problems <strong>an</strong>d create opportunities.
It’s also about bringing your total self to
the work you do—<strong>an</strong>d thriving amidst the
chaos of ch<strong>an</strong>ging times. As one m<strong>an</strong>ager
we interviewed in our research expressed it,
“I’ve never felt such satisfaction doing my
work as I do now. I get to work with a really
great team of people <strong>an</strong>d I’m having the time
of my life.”
Based on 20 years experience as <strong>an</strong>
innovation consult<strong>an</strong>t <strong>an</strong>d coach, <strong>an</strong>d on
43 interviews for my new book, Innovation
is Everybody’s Business, here are the seven
fundamental I-Skills you need to master to
make yourself indispensable in today’s hyper
competitive world.
1. You Embrace the Opportunity Mindset.
Where others see problems, you see
potential. When others bog down in endless
details, you climb up to the roof to see the
big picture. In other words, you realize that
perspective determines everything.
My friend Mark S<strong>an</strong>born, motivational
speaker <strong>an</strong>d author of The Fred Factor,
found he had a growing aversion when
the phone r<strong>an</strong>g. So he wrote the words
“obligation or opportunity?” on a Post-It
note beside his phone. Every time he picks
up the phone, he does so with <strong>an</strong> attitude of
service, gratitude <strong>an</strong>d positive expect<strong>an</strong>cy.
To shift perspective, challenge yourself to
come up with solutions, see the big picture,
<strong>an</strong>d unleash creativity, ask yourself: what
are 10 ways to address this problem? Or:
what are 10 things that are working well in
my department right now?
2. You are Adept at Assaulting Assumptions.
Ever overheard yourself utter the words
“there’s got to be a better way”? If so, you
have challenged the belief that the status
quo is the best or the only way - <strong>an</strong>d you
invited new thinking. Innovators challenge
personal, professional <strong>an</strong>d industry
continued on page 15
“ Innovation is the
act of coming
up with ideas
<strong>an</strong>d successfully
bringing them
to life to solve
problems
<strong>an</strong>d create
opportunities.
”
bOXSCORE
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BOXSCORE
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Are You Indispensable at Work?
continued from page 13
assumptions in order to breed new
unfettered thinking.
Years of experience in <strong>an</strong> industry
c<strong>an</strong> be a detriment to assumption
assaulting. “It’s always been done
that way” or “we tried that (new
approach) <strong>an</strong>d it didn’t work” are
often blocks to freely asking such
questions as “I wonder if we...” or
“what would <strong>an</strong> entirely different
way of h<strong>an</strong>dling this situation look
like?”
Experience c<strong>an</strong> infect us with biases
that blind us to new possibilities.
Press your reset button, both on a
mental <strong>an</strong>d emotional level, allow
the questions to start flowing. And
remember: innovation begins where
assumptions end.
3. You Have a Passion for the End
Customer.
Steve Jobs designs products that rock
people’s world. How? By getting vast
teams of specialists to collaborate
<strong>an</strong>d underst<strong>an</strong>d that second-best
efforts will be unacceptable. He’s not
going to settle for <strong>an</strong>ything less th<strong>an</strong>
awesome.
You <strong>an</strong>d I also create “products” for
a living. That event you’re pl<strong>an</strong>ning
for Orl<strong>an</strong>do is a product. The new
cost-reduction initiative you’re
contributing is a product. Even
that email memo you sent out five
minutes ago is a product. Everything
you create is your product - <strong>an</strong>d
every product has a customer.
Like the iPod, the iPhone <strong>an</strong>d the
iPad, the best products are those that
<strong>an</strong>ticipate the customer’s need <strong>an</strong>d
offer a superior solution.
To turn your products into icons
of your indispensability, strive
to acquire empathy for the end
customer <strong>an</strong>d force yourself to
listen deeply to what that customer
w<strong>an</strong>ts to accomplish. Step outside
Have you heard?
the bubble of your culture, interact
with more people, <strong>an</strong>d allow yourself
to become fascinated with what
they say. This will give you a sense
of what the outside world thinks,
feels, <strong>an</strong>d perceives about your
org<strong>an</strong>ization, as opposed to what
people inside assume.
4. You Think Ahead of the Curve.
Ever try walking around in the dark
without a flashlight? It’s <strong>an</strong> unsettling
feeling <strong>an</strong>d c<strong>an</strong> often lead to bumps
<strong>an</strong>d bruises if you walk straight
into something you couldn’t see. In
today’s hypercompetitive world, you
need your own version of a flashlight.
Things happen fast when you
aren’t paying attention. With your
flashlight in h<strong>an</strong>d, however, you will
find things do not happen quite so
suddenly. By developing the ability
to track emerging trends, <strong>an</strong>d to
assess <strong>an</strong>d interpret the ch<strong>an</strong>ges as
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Are You Indispensable at Work?
continued from page 15
they relate to your world, you are
positioned to tr<strong>an</strong>sform them into
new opportunities <strong>an</strong>d strategize
adv<strong>an</strong>tage for yourself, your
org<strong>an</strong>ization <strong>an</strong>d your career.
5. You Continuously Fortify Your
“Idea Factory.”
Everybody has ideas, but only a
few know how to keep their “idea
factories” fortified to churn out a
wealth of them on a consistent basis,
when <strong>an</strong>d where needed. Here are
some suggestions.
Enh<strong>an</strong>ce your creative environment.
Turn your office into a creative place
to brainstorm ideas. Or, find your
inspiration outside the office.
Know when to unitask. People think
they’re more productive when they
are working on multiple tasks at
once, but research shows otherwise.
Michel<strong>an</strong>gelo didn’t multitask when
he was in full creative mode. Neither
should you.
Practice creativity. It’s not a gift
from the gods, but the result of
preparation, routine, discipline.
Get in the habit of downloading your
ideas. If you don’t capture them the
minute the strike, you’re unlikely
to act on them later. The mind is
terrific for coming up with ideas but
is <strong>an</strong> equally terrible storage device.
6. You Are Considered a St<strong>an</strong>dout
Collaborator.
If you are a genius in your area of
expertise, but your collaboration
skills are lacking, you’ll never
achieve your potential, <strong>an</strong>d you’ll
never become indispensable. To
collaborate is “to work together,
especially in a joint intellectual
effort.” Collaborative teams are how
big projects actually get done.
7. You are Adept at Building the
Buy-in.
Selling new ideas has always been
about surmounting obstacles,
overcoming objections <strong>an</strong>d gaining
commitment for ch<strong>an</strong>ge. How do you
accomplish this? Isolate the benefits
<strong>an</strong>d solicit feedback from friends,
mentors <strong>an</strong>d others you trust.
Then, think about the innovation
style of the person or persons you’ll
be presenting your ideas to. For
inst<strong>an</strong>ce, if your audience is more
“big picture” oriented, don’t bog
them down with details. Use their
hot button words. Innovators use
familiar l<strong>an</strong>guage.
Be persistent. The 3M team
responsible for launching Post-It
Notes was growing desperate. Senior
M<strong>an</strong>agement was threatening to kill
the product as a loser. Nobody was
buying it. Then, individuals took
suitcases of the little stocky pads <strong>an</strong>d
h<strong>an</strong>ded them out to passersby’s in
the city of Richmond, Virginia. That
was the turning point. People started
sticking them everywhere <strong>an</strong>d beg<strong>an</strong>
asking for them at retail stores. The
new product took off like a rocket.
Summary
Innovation is everybody’s business
who w<strong>an</strong>ts to thrive <strong>an</strong>d prosper
in a time when the economy is in
such flux. Start thinking about these
skills as they relate to your job, the
projects you are completing right
now, <strong>an</strong>d the initiatives you w<strong>an</strong>t
to suggest should be next on the
agenda. Master the mindset, skillset
<strong>an</strong>d toolset of the innovator, <strong>an</strong>d
soon your reputation for results will
precede you wherever you go. �
Robert B. Tucker is president of
The Innovation Resource Consulting
Group <strong>an</strong>d author of Innovation
Is Everybody’s Business, available
now! He c<strong>an</strong> be reached at (805)
682-1012 or via email at rtucker@
innovationresource.com
bOXSCORE
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Folding–R<strong>an</strong>domness
Controlled
By Mehdi Bahrami
The m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap c<strong>an</strong>
make the difference between happy
customers whose case erecting
equipment never jams, <strong>an</strong>d those
whose complaints <strong>an</strong>d returned
orders eventually lead to lost
business for the box supplier.
The Problem
Very few box makers would argue
that the two boxes shown in Figure
1 are fine to send to customers
– what is amazing is that both of
these boxes are from the same
order.
Figure 1. Gaps nearly closed (top) <strong>an</strong>d gaps
over 1/2” exposing glue (bottom).
There is large variability in the
folding process <strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>y variables
influence the gap. These include
paper type <strong>an</strong>d weight, board
type, score depth <strong>an</strong>d profile, box
dimensions (eg., flap dimensions
<strong>an</strong>d body depth), board moisture
content <strong>an</strong>d temperature, profile of
the folding rails <strong>an</strong>d length of the
folding section, type <strong>an</strong>d profile of
the counter-ejector, <strong>an</strong>d machine
speed. Highly recycled light-weight
paper c<strong>an</strong> make for the least
controllable fold, especially when
used to make a long <strong>an</strong>d wide box of
little depth. Additionally, the board
warp c<strong>an</strong> ch<strong>an</strong>ge throughout the
run, compounding the problem.
Furthermore, there are only a few
tools available to a box maker for
controlling the gap variation:
• Score profile used <strong>an</strong>d the
pressure behind it during
the run
• Folding rail adjustments
• Feeder guides adjustments
• Folding swords quality
Gap Distribution Explained
On <strong>an</strong>y particular box order, the
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gaps are of course
not all the same dimension, but
c<strong>an</strong> generally be characterized by a
normal distribution as show below
from a sample order from a 37”
flexo-folder-gluer:
The statistical parameters on
gaps such as the me<strong>an</strong>, st<strong>an</strong>dard
deviation <strong>an</strong>d vari<strong>an</strong>ce are all
dictated by the variables mentioned
in the introduction of this article.
However, there are indeed certain
parameters within the operator’s
grasp that c<strong>an</strong> be used to ch<strong>an</strong>ge
the distribution by shifting the
me<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong>d tightening up the
vari<strong>an</strong>ce.
So What C<strong>an</strong> a Box Maker Do?
One strategy is to maximize
the room for error. Box makers
commonly use 3/8” +/- 1/8” as
their toler<strong>an</strong>ce specification for the
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap. As shown in
Figure 2, the closer the gap is kept
to the 3/8” target throughout the
run, the fewer the number of boxes
that end up being outside of the 1/4”
<strong>an</strong>d 1/2” limits. Operators typically
don’t have the tools needed to track
such variables. Using intuition
works better for some operators
th<strong>an</strong> others. However, intuition
continued on page 21
bOXSCORE
19

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Folding—R<strong>an</strong>domness Controlled
continued from page 19
Figure 2. Conceptual plot of the number of unsellable boxes compared to the average
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap value.
is often the enemy of consistent
quality <strong>an</strong>d the result is m<strong>an</strong>y out
of spec boxes that could be easily
avoided.
Real Examples
Shown in Figure 3(a) is data from
a typical RSC medium-weight
liner single-wall order where the
distribution of the m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s
gap is not widely varied. As the
order was originally run, 83 boxes
out of the 8319 boxes fell outside
the 1/4” – 1/2” gap toler<strong>an</strong>ce, a
defect rate of 1.00%. The average
gap in the run is found to be around
0.42”. Figure 3(b) shows how the
result would have been different
with only 29 defects if the average
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap was kept close
to 3/8”, a defect rate of 0.35%.
Figure 3. An 8319 RSC box medium-weight
single-wall order (a) as it actually was run with
1.00% defect rate (b) with average gap kept
close to 3/8” target with 0.35% defect rate.
Next, Figure 4(a) shows data from
a RSC light-weight liner single-wall
order with small box depth where
the resulting m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap
was not well controlled. As the
order was originally run, a shocking
1344 boxes out of the 4805 boxes
r<strong>an</strong> fell outside the 1/4” – 1/2” gap
toler<strong>an</strong>ce, a defect rate of 28.0%.
The average gap in the run is found
to be around 0.29”. If necessary
ch<strong>an</strong>ges were made to move this
average gap up closer to the target
of 3/8”, Figure 4(b) shows how only
308 defects would have resulted at a
defect rate of 6.4%.
Figure 4. A 4805 box RSC light-weight liner
single-wall order with small box depth (a) as it
actually was run with 28.0% defect rate (b) with
average gap kept close to 3/8” target with 6.4%
defect rate.
Finally, Figure 5 investigates <strong>an</strong>
order where the board stock warp
ch<strong>an</strong>ged midway through the order.
As originally r<strong>an</strong>, the 8283 box
order ended up with 1127 defective
boxes, a defect rate of 13.6%.
This was primarily because of a
distinct increase in the size of the
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap that occurred
1580 boxes into the order. The
increase was due to a ch<strong>an</strong>ge in
the warp of the incoming board
stock. Figure 5(b) shows how if the
average gap was then reduced to
stay in line with the 3/8” target, the
order could have been completed
with a defect rate of 4.18%.
Figure 5. A 8283 box order with warp ch<strong>an</strong>ge
mid order (a) as it actually was run with 13.6%
defect rate (b) with average gap kept close to
3/8” target throughout run with 4.18% defect
rate.
Solving the Problem
Practically
Controlling r<strong>an</strong>domness is not a
new concept: m<strong>an</strong>y processes are
variable <strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>y industries use
SPC control to m<strong>an</strong>age variability
<strong>an</strong>d use data to decide on target
shifts. However, controlling
r<strong>an</strong>domness is a new concept
to most box makers because
they never had access to tools to
measure variability. However, that
has ch<strong>an</strong>ged with the introduction
continued on page 24
bOXSCORE
21

Y
Y
Folding—R<strong>an</strong>domness Controlled
continued from page 21
of tools that automatically measure
every m<strong>an</strong>ufacturer’s gap.
Perfectly underst<strong>an</strong>ding <strong>an</strong>d
forecasting how gap sizes will vary
for a given order is extremely
complex. As box makers
begin looking at hard data <strong>an</strong>d
implementing systems that help
their operators <strong>an</strong>d production
staff better underst<strong>an</strong>d their folding
process, they will be able to run
their orders so more of the gaps
remain within the customers’
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actually me measured. Operators
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impact those ch<strong>an</strong>ges are having
<strong>an</strong>d if they’re making the situation
better or worse. The industry needs
to move away from individuals’
hunches on gap variation <strong>an</strong>d more
towards a scientific process where
the parameters are well understood,
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Working Towards A Total
Sales Compensation Pl<strong>an</strong>
By George A. Moretti
Building a comprehensive
Compensation Pl<strong>an</strong> is not
easy. The most import<strong>an</strong>t thing to
remember when creating one is, as
always, Start With The End in Mind!
What outcome do you hope to
achieve with the compensation pl<strong>an</strong>
you are offering?
I would like to suggest a pl<strong>an</strong> that
includes three components:
• Base Salary = calculated on
sales, msf or <strong>an</strong>y other historical
values your comp<strong>an</strong>y has used
• Commission = calculated on
sales dollars, contribution dollars,
margin dollars, msf or profit.
• Focused Sales Objectives =
this is where you pay for certain
services provided that are in
alignment with your goals <strong>an</strong>d
objectives no matter what they
are. These sales objectives do not
last forever but are established
<strong>an</strong>d paid out until the goal or
objective is obtained.
Because of the space limitations of
this article, I am going to look at the
third component only, The Focused
Sales Objective.
This piece of the puzzle is often
the one most often overlooked yet
it c<strong>an</strong> prove to be the component
of compensation that c<strong>an</strong> bring the
greatest return.
To implement this compensation
strategy effectively, it must be tied
to specific comp<strong>an</strong>y objectives.
For inst<strong>an</strong>ce – In order to speed up
payback on a new piece of equipment
you might choose to incentivize new
sales run on this machine at a rate of
<strong>an</strong> additional 2% for a period of
12 months.
Illustration: New sales (from existing
accounts as well as new business)
brought in by sales person, Cindy,
run on the new Bobst: Total –
$300,000. 2% commission = $6000
paid out for 1 year only.
The total sales compensation
increases – as it should – for
rewarding the “services provided”,
which is selling new business for the
new machine!
continued on page 27
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bOXSCORE
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Lift Truck Safety
One potential hazard is a moving forklift
truck. Always look both ways before
crossing <strong>an</strong> isle way. And never
approach a truck from the back or front
because drivers may not see you.
An informative <strong>an</strong>d fact-filled video that
covers lift truck inspections, lift truck
accidents, safe operating practices <strong>an</strong>d
proper procedures.
To Order:
www.aiccbox.org/store
S A F E T Y C O M E S F I R S T
MAKE YOUR PLANT THE SAFEST IT CAN
BE WITH AICC’S SAFETY PRODUCTS.
By Phone: 877 836 2422
By Mail: 113 S. West Street
PO Box 25708
Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313
SafetyFirst DVD
AICC’s six-part Safetyfirst DVD provides <strong>an</strong>
overview of safety in <strong>an</strong>d around a corrugated
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing facility. Staying alert <strong>an</strong>d
watching for the hazardous situations in a
corrugated pl<strong>an</strong>t is critical to safety.
The Safetyfirst DVD is a great source for
training new employees <strong>an</strong>d serves as a
refresher for the veter<strong>an</strong>s of the industry.
It’s never too late to learn about d<strong>an</strong>ger <strong>an</strong>d
hazardous situation <strong>an</strong>d how to protect yourself,
your co-workers <strong>an</strong>d employees.
SafetyFirst DVD English
SafetyFirst DVD Sp<strong>an</strong>ish
Save when you order both English
<strong>an</strong>d Sp<strong>an</strong>ish together
P.O. Box 25708 • Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313 • Toll free 1-877-836-2422 • Fax (703) 836-2795 • Email: aicc@aiccbox.org • www.aiccbox.org

Working Towards A Total Sales Compensation Pl<strong>an</strong>
continued from page 25
Or perhaps you would simply like to
incentivize sales reps to open new
accounts over a period of 3 months
at a bonus rate of 3% above regular
commission <strong>an</strong>d salary. For inst<strong>an</strong>ce:
Sales rep, Terry closes 6 new
accounts over the next 3 months.
Total orders – $50,000. $1500 paid
out at end of incentive period
(3 months).
Perhaps you would like to increase
your display business or your
supplies business or even to simply
bump up total sales. A Focused Sales
Objective compensation pl<strong>an</strong> may be
just the right way to help your sales
team work in the right direction.
In short, this component of a
comprehensive compensation pl<strong>an</strong>
c<strong>an</strong> be used toward <strong>an</strong>y specific goal
you wish to focus on <strong>an</strong>d c<strong>an</strong> be as
flexible as you think is appropriate.
It should be aimed with laser like
intensity at a clarified goal <strong>an</strong>d
should last for only a specific time.
It needs to be explained thoroughly
<strong>an</strong>d must be attainable in order for
it to be rewarding, motivating <strong>an</strong>d
org<strong>an</strong>izationally productive.
In summary, here are some general
thoughts:
Figure out the going rate <strong>an</strong>d type
of commissions for salespeople in
your industry. Our industry has been
traditionally difficult getting good
data but fortunately as <strong>an</strong> AICC
member the AICC has a NEW 2009
Sales Compensation Survey which
c<strong>an</strong> be obtained by following this link
https://www.aiccbox.org/store/store.
asp
• Set your commission rates
<strong>an</strong>d Focused Sales Objectives
payouts at a level that both
attracts <strong>an</strong>d retains good
employees. You may have some
information from past sales
interviews with sales people in
your market. Ask your sales
people what the competition is
paying out. (This should be <strong>an</strong>
interesting exercise for m<strong>an</strong>y
reasons) Set the rates <strong>an</strong>d payout
percentages at the time of hiring a
new sales person or at the time of
launching a new sales pl<strong>an</strong>.
• Review your pl<strong>an</strong> status on a
monthly / Quarterly basis. Set the
meetings up for the next 12
months.
• Always ask: Do my sales
people know where they st<strong>an</strong>d?
They should know how they get
paid <strong>an</strong>d how much they will make
every pay period. Chart the sales
perform<strong>an</strong>ce to the pay or total
compensation you are currently
paying.
• Do you have m<strong>an</strong>agement
buy in to your pl<strong>an</strong>? Are the
owners or stakeholders OK with
the level of compensation your
sales people will make?
• Do the numbers make
sense? If you were hiring a new
sales person would you put them
on your current pl<strong>an</strong>? If the
<strong>an</strong>swer is no then ask yourself why
not.
I would like to suggest that as
long as you clearly define what
you w<strong>an</strong>t, you c<strong>an</strong> then align your
compensation pl<strong>an</strong>. It should focus
on the activities that will generate
the behavior needed to obtain the
goals <strong>an</strong>d objectives that will get you
to where you w<strong>an</strong>t to go. You then
will have the right compensation
pl<strong>an</strong> for the time being; that is until
you ch<strong>an</strong>ge your targets, vision <strong>an</strong>d
expectations <strong>an</strong>d need to adapt to
those ch<strong>an</strong>ges. �
George A. Moretti is principal at
GMTCG. For more information, contact
him by email at gmtcg@roadrunner.
com or by phone 716-909-1177.
bOXSCORE
27

Underst<strong>an</strong>ding the Elements of
Containerboard M<strong>an</strong>ufacturing
This DVD was filmed on location at Kapstone
Pulp <strong>an</strong>d Paper’s 100% virgin kraft linerboard
mill in Ro<strong>an</strong>oke Rapids, NC.
Also included in the video is the production of
linerboard made from 100% recovered fibre,
courtesy of Rock-Tenn’s Solvay Paper in Solvay, NY, a
100% recycled linerboard <strong>an</strong>d medium facility.
This DVD is a valuable resource for all those in your
pl<strong>an</strong>t—as well as your customers—to help them
underst<strong>an</strong>d the containerboard m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing
process in today’s dem<strong>an</strong>ding market.
The 30 minute DVD will show you the entire process, including:
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT
24 bOXSCORE CORRUGATED CONVERTERS
NEW
Available Now !
Genetic tree engineering <strong>an</strong>d tree nurseries
Wood l<strong>an</strong>d operations <strong>an</strong>d logging <strong>an</strong>d sustainability forestry
Mill wood yard with unloading, slashing, debarking, chipping <strong>an</strong>d chip screening
Digesters, pulp washers, reject refining <strong>an</strong>d pulp movement to the papermill
In the recycled linerboard insert one will experience OCC bale delivery, the hydro-pulper, the
ragger, <strong>an</strong>d the pulp cle<strong>an</strong>ing areas
Chemical recovery, water treatment, air emissions, by products, <strong>an</strong>d bioenergy production
The paper machine from refining to the head boxes to the fourdinier, to the press section,
through the dryers to the winder to the slitter/rewinder
Lowrater to the basement to finishing <strong>an</strong>d shipping
Environmental stewardship
To Order:
www.aiccbox.org/store
By Phone: (877) 836-2422, Fax(703) 836-2795
By Mail: 113 S. West Street, PO Box 25708,
Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313

7 Steps to Hiring the
Right Sales People
By Greg Cleary
It may be the 21st Century,
but thous<strong>an</strong>ds of employers still hire
new sales staff the same way kids
pick out doughnuts at the bakery – if
it looks good, just give it a try. After
all, our gut instinct is very reliable
<strong>an</strong>d will never lead us into the weeds,
right? Guess again. One out of three
applic<strong>an</strong>ts puts false information on
<strong>an</strong> application; one in twenty tries to
hide a conviction with a fake name,
SSN, or driver’s license number; <strong>an</strong>d
the average cost of hiring a scam
artist is a bit north of $100K.
Your sales team is the lifeblood of
your comp<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d the driving force
behind healthy top line revenues.
You wouldn’t h<strong>an</strong>d a sack of hundred
dollar bills to some shmoe you just
met, <strong>an</strong>d you shouldn’t trust <strong>an</strong>
import<strong>an</strong>t piece of your comp<strong>an</strong>y to
a smiling face in a suit that might be
doing his best sales job on you. Due
diligence is the name of the game.
You c<strong>an</strong> trust the future of your
comp<strong>an</strong>y to your amazing ability to
peg people with a look in the <strong>eye</strong> <strong>an</strong>d
a h<strong>an</strong>dshake, or you might w<strong>an</strong>t to
try this 7-Step Hiring Pl<strong>an</strong> developed
by Action Learning Corporation.
1.) Run <strong>an</strong> ad for your sales
position. Make sure the job
description is well crafted <strong>an</strong>d
that your requirements are very
specific. This will save you a lot of
time screening a pile of applications
that just don’t fit the bill. In this
job market, every posting is likely
to pull in dozens or even hundreds
of applications. The big online sites
like Monster generally have very good
templates to guide you in making
your ad complete <strong>an</strong>d well-focused.
Tip: Be wary of <strong>an</strong>y application that
conforms too precisely to every detail
you’re asking for.
2.) Have the Sales M<strong>an</strong>ager phone
the top prospects. Telephone
screening will keep you from
wasting time with too m<strong>an</strong>y personal
interviews. THIS is a good time to
use your great “people instincts”
<strong>an</strong>d try to pick out a few real gems
to bring in for <strong>an</strong> interview. Have a
few specific questions prepared for
the phone call, using some industry
jargon to get a feel for the applic<strong>an</strong>t’s
true knowledge of your product or
service.
3.) Bring the best c<strong>an</strong>didates in for
personal interviews. Try to have
one of your two top sales professional
or m<strong>an</strong>agers hold the first interview,
which should be limited to 30
minutes or so. Never hire on the
spot, <strong>an</strong>d never hire on the judgment
of one interviewer alone. Use a
scorecard to rate the person on a
scale of 1 to 5 in several specific
areas of your impressions, their
experience, <strong>an</strong>d the sales qualities
you’re looking for.
4.) If they cut the mustard, send
them on to the next step. If you
have <strong>an</strong> online or paper survey or
some kind of test of their ability <strong>an</strong>d
suitability, have them take that right
away, <strong>an</strong>d for sure before the second
interview. If you don’t have one,
make one. It makes you look more
professional <strong>an</strong>d gives you one more
way to make sure they are for real.
Check to see that their results mesh
with the experience on their résumé.
If they have the right stuff, schedule
a second interview.
5.) The second interviewer should
be <strong>an</strong>other top sales executive, <strong>an</strong>d
he shouldn’t see the first scorecard
before the interview. He will know
that the c<strong>an</strong>didate is a top contender
by the fact that he or she made it to
this point in the process, but should
do his own scorecard. At least some
of the interview questions should be
prepared on a form where you c<strong>an</strong>
track <strong>an</strong>d rate responses, <strong>an</strong>d the
questions should be more subjective,
regarding such things as being a team
player <strong>an</strong>d how they would h<strong>an</strong>dle
certain situations.
6.) The two interviewers should sit
down <strong>an</strong>d compare notes, discuss
<strong>an</strong>d decide. If there are major
discrep<strong>an</strong>cies between the way the
two sales pros viewed the applic<strong>an</strong>t,
that should be seen as a red flag. If
the decision is made to proceed, it’s
time to let the professionals do a real
background check. There are a lot
of good comp<strong>an</strong>ies that will check
employment <strong>an</strong>d personal references,
<strong>an</strong>d it’s worth the investment. It
is a good idea to do searches for
criminal records, sex offenders, DMV,
<strong>an</strong>d so forth. A lot of good people
have credit blemishes these days,
but that’s something you c<strong>an</strong> use if
you wish to. Just remember that
if you check criminal history <strong>an</strong>d
so forth for one person, you have
continued on page 33
bOXSCORE
29

You c<strong>an</strong>not soar like <strong>an</strong> eagle
with the wings of a wren.
Fly with the Mitsubishi EVOL 100.
What are the main causes of box makers losing business? Two issues – unfulfilled orders <strong>an</strong>d poor box
quality. But when you’re armed with the Mitsubishi EVOL 100 you all but eliminate these issues with the most
reliable flexo-folder-gluer in the business along with unsurpassed box squareness.
So when the competition makes a misstep, you’re ready to fly.
Out-Thinking. Out-Performing. Out-Lasting.

For the long haul.
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Fax: 410.584.1252 e-mail: mhicorr@mhicorr.com website: www.mhicorrugating.com

22 bOXSCORE

7 Steps to Hiring the Right Sales People
continued from page 29
to do it for everybody or you are in
violation of the law. Contact AICC
for more information on its Justifacts
Employment Credential Service at
1-877-836-2422.
7.) If they made it through all of
these hoops, then you might have
a new sales pro for your staff.
Invite the c<strong>an</strong>didate <strong>an</strong>d spouse to
lunch or coffee. If you need a few
clarifications, tell them it’s a final
interview. If there are no surprises,
go ahead <strong>an</strong>d make the job offer in
person, firm up the compensation
package, <strong>an</strong>d write it all down. Then
follow up with a nice written job
offer, including compensation, hours,
<strong>an</strong>d benefits. When they accept,
you should have a nice “Welcome
Aboard!” package from HR <strong>an</strong>d
Sales ready for them so they c<strong>an</strong> fly
through the paperwork <strong>an</strong>d be ready
to get to work, with business cards, a
phone line, office, <strong>an</strong>d whatever they
might need to feel at home <strong>an</strong>d get off
to a successful start.
Congratulations! You just hired the
right sales person for the job! �
bOXSCORE
33

24 bOXSCORE

Save the Date & Make Your Hotel Reservations
AICC 2011 Annual Meeting &
2011 Independent Design Summit
The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America Hotel
Salt Lake City, UT
October 26–28, 2011
The AICC 2011 Annual Meeting
will be held October 26-28,
2011 at The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America
Hotel in Salt Lake City, UT.
The meeting will feature a
three-day series of pl<strong>an</strong>t tours,
<strong>eye</strong> openers, general sessions,
networking <strong>an</strong>d social events.
The AICC 2011 Independent
Design Summit – “Elevate Your
Mind to Creative Design” will
be held in conjunction with the
meeting.
The host hotel for the 2011
Annual Meeting is the beautiful
five-diamond Gr<strong>an</strong>d America
Hotel. Located ten minutes
from Salt Lake International
Airport, The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America
Hotel is <strong>an</strong> ideal base from
which to explore Utah or Salt
Lake City. Salt Lake City
hosts a flourishing nightlife,
a vibr<strong>an</strong>t artistic <strong>an</strong>d cultural
scene, numerous museums, <strong>an</strong>d
sidewalks safe enough to stroll
long after dark.
The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America is located
in downtown Salt Lake City, the
heart of business <strong>an</strong>d culture.
Here you’ll find the homes of the
Utah Jazz, the Utah Symphony
<strong>an</strong>d Opera, two nationally
acclaimed d<strong>an</strong>ce comp<strong>an</strong>ies,
<strong>an</strong>d the city’s numerous
restaur<strong>an</strong>ts, bars, nightclubs, art
galleries, boutique shops, <strong>an</strong>d
coffee bars.
The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America Hotel
is located less th<strong>an</strong> <strong>an</strong> hour
away from Utah’s ski resorts,
including Park City, Deer Valley
<strong>an</strong>d The C<strong>an</strong>yons ski resorts.
Alta, Brighton, Snowbird <strong>an</strong>d
Solitude ski resorts are just 30
– 45 minutes away. Snowbasin
ski resort, where you c<strong>an</strong> ski
the 2002 Olympic Downhill
<strong>an</strong>d Super-G courses, is about
<strong>an</strong> hour’s drive through scenic
countryside.
The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America Hotel –
AICC Hotel Room Rates:
Premier Room - Single & Double
Accommodations: $245 per
night* (*plus applicable tax)
The Gr<strong>an</strong>d America Hotel
features premier <strong>an</strong>d executive
suite rooms most with mountain
views <strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>y with step-out
balconies.
To make your hotel reservations
call (800) 437-5288 (reference
AICC 2011 Annual Meeting).
Attendees are encouraged to
make their hotel reservations
before the group cut-off date
of Monday, October 3, 2011
in order to be guar<strong>an</strong>teed
availability, <strong>an</strong>d to ensure they
receive the group rate.
Meeting registration information
for the AICC 2011 Annual
Meeting will be available in
July 2011 at www.aiccbox.org/
meeting.
For additional information,
please contact Cindy Guarino
at cguarino@aiccbox.org or
877-836-2422. �
bOXSCORE
35

AICC’s Products & Publications:
Best Values, Best Solutions <strong>an</strong>d
Best Results!
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT
CORRUGATED CONVERTERS
The Key Characteristics of
Linerboard <strong>an</strong>d Medium
<strong>an</strong>d Their Impact on
Combined Corrugated Board
A Training <strong>an</strong>d Efficiency Guideline
Publications
Association of Independent
Corrugated Converters
2010 E D I T I O N
Salary, Hourly Wage
& Benefit Survey
F O R T H E I N D E P E N D E N T C O R R U G A T E D C O N V E R T E R
Underst<strong>an</strong>ding the Key
Characteristics of Linerboard <strong>an</strong>d
Medium <strong>an</strong>d Their Impact on
Combined Corrugated Board
Anti-Trust Compli<strong>an</strong>ce M<strong>an</strong>ual
Hum<strong>an</strong> Resource M<strong>an</strong>agement
Guide
Job Descriptions for the Corrugated
Industry
Salary, Hourly Wage & Benefit
Survey 2010
The Le<strong>an</strong> Enterprise
Journal on Corrugated Graphic
Design
Sales Compensation Survey 2009
Hazardous Materials Requirements
for Box Pl<strong>an</strong>ts
Underst<strong>an</strong>ding the Perform<strong>an</strong>ce
Requirements of Your Customer's
Packaging
CD’s / DVD’s
SafetyFirst (DVD) Both English &
Sp<strong>an</strong>ish versions
2010 Operation Safe Shop
Corrugated 101 (DVD)
Lift Truck Safety (DVD)
Corrugated Solutions
Value-Added Selling
AICC’s Sustainable Business
Conference
A V A I L A B L E N O W
www.aiccbox.org/store
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT
CORRUGATED CONVERTERS
To Order:
www.aiccbox.org/store
By Phone: (877) 836-2422, Fax (703) 836-2795
By Mail: 113 S. West Street, PO Box 25708,
Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313
Training/Testing Materials
Beginners Sales Training
St<strong>an</strong>dard Flexo Color Guide
Employee Aptitude Test – Online
Version (English/Sp<strong>an</strong>ish/French)
Web Cast Recording
Prospecting for Gold
The Sales Cycle
It’s Not the Product, It’s the
Experience
Underst<strong>an</strong>ding Chain of Custody
bOXSCORE
23

Virtualization: What is it all about,
<strong>an</strong>d how is it a no-brainer for
my small to medium-size business?
By Marc Schwartz
Ask <strong>an</strong>y technology person about
virtualization these days, <strong>an</strong>d he or she will
tell you it’s a must-have for <strong>an</strong>y business
with more th<strong>an</strong> one server. It’s even
worth considering for new single server
installations. But ask business owners the
same question <strong>an</strong>d they probably don’t
know what it is or why it is import<strong>an</strong>t to
their business.
Virtualization is a cost-saving measure
whereby one physical server runs one or
more “guest” servers. It’s much like a TV
where you c<strong>an</strong> watch multiple ch<strong>an</strong>nels
at the same time. With virtualization, one
server c<strong>an</strong> run multiple other servers at
the same time. Virtualization is a generic
term for a number of products that are
available today; just like m<strong>an</strong>y TV makers
provide picture-in-picture technology, so
too m<strong>an</strong>y vendors offer a virtualization
solution. VMWare, Microsoft, <strong>an</strong>d Citrix are
the three with the largest market share. For
small businesses there are a few options
that are either free or at least less th<strong>an</strong> you
would have spent without virtualization.
The innovation behind virtualization is
that the various components of a server
no longer have to be purchased for each
server you own. It’s always made sense,
for example, to have a redund<strong>an</strong>t power
supply in case of a failure, but why have
10 servers each with redund<strong>an</strong>t power
supplies? Virtualization me<strong>an</strong>s that power
supplies, processors, memory, drives, etc,
are shared by every virtual server running
on the same physical server. Naturally
this sharing equates to cost savings. The
conservative estimate of the savings is 50%
on computer hardware.
However, saving on hardware is just the
tip of the iceberg in terms of the benefits
of virtualization. Virtualization is also
a superior method for m<strong>an</strong>aging your
servers. Virtualization makes backups <strong>an</strong>d
restoration of entire servers better, faster,
<strong>an</strong>d more reliable. It makes the possibility
of upgrades or migrations infinitely easier.
M<strong>an</strong>y business owners are familiar with
the cost of purchasing a server, for most of
the audience here, owners have probably
spent $5,000-$12,000 for the servers that
run their business. But the cost of a server
should not be measured by the initial
hardware investment. The real cost of a
server includes electricity, air conditioning,
battery backup, backup services, <strong>an</strong>tivirus,
disaster recovery, installation labor,
<strong>an</strong>d system administration. The cost of
these additional components to owning
a server far surpass the initial hardware
investment. Virtualization makes each of
these additional components much lower
cost as well. In the IT industry looking at
the whole picture of hardware <strong>an</strong>d related
expenses is referred to as “TCO” – Total
Cost of Ownership. And it is undisputed in
the IT industry that virtualization radically
decreases the TCO for <strong>an</strong>y business with
more th<strong>an</strong> one server.
Yes, there are a few limitations to
virtualization. Servers that are especially
processor intensive may not be ideal
for virtualization. Servers that require
proprietary hardware such as customized
fax boards, or cad/cam systems that
interface to production equipment may
not be a good choice for virtualization.
continued on page 38
“ There are major
forces which have
shifted the center
of the corrugated
industry from
North America <strong>an</strong>d
Europe southward
to eastward to
Asia <strong>an</strong>d the Indi<strong>an</strong>
Subcontinent.
”
bOXSCORE
37

Virtualization – What is it all about, <strong>an</strong>d how is it a no-brainer for my small to
medium-size business?
continued from page 37
Finally, the people who maintain
the virtualizing server need to be
trained to do it correctly. For most
small businesses, though, these
concerns are not costly <strong>an</strong>d are very
narrow in scope.
Some customers have asked
us whether virtualization will
work with their software, but
virtualization isn’t software
dependent. All of the software
vendors that serve the corrugated
packaging industry have customers
with virtualized servers. What
does not work for our corrugated
38 bOXSCORE
customers is when servers are
dependent on specific hardware
such as cutting tables or machine
center PC’s with cards that interface
with the m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing equipment.
What’s more, because your mission
critical servers c<strong>an</strong> be virtualized,
they c<strong>an</strong> also be protected against
systems failures in ways that are
vastly more cost effective th<strong>an</strong> they
could have just a few years ago.
To sum it up, virtualization
saves you money on computer
hardware <strong>an</strong>d software. Even more
import<strong>an</strong>tly, it provides more
security, flexibility, <strong>an</strong>d exp<strong>an</strong>sion
options th<strong>an</strong> ever before. So it’s
really not a question of why a small
business owner would virtualize.
Rather, the question is why that
owner hasn’t done so yet. �
For more information, virtualization
success stories in the corrugated
industry, or a free phone consultation
on how to virtualize your network
please contact Marc Schwartz at CNS
Partners – (603) 703-0380.

AICC Sponsors First
‘Science of Paper School’ at
KapStone’s North Charleston Mill
Attendees came from around the
globe to participate in AICC’s first
The “Science of Paper” School,
held March 8-10 at at KapStone
Paper’s kraft linerboard mill in
North Charleston, SC. Over 70
particip<strong>an</strong>ts from the US, Sweden,
Brazil, El Salvador <strong>an</strong>d C<strong>an</strong>ada
heard speakers present on topics
covering the process of linerboard
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing <strong>an</strong>d corrugated
converting. The wealth of
information kept the learning fast
paced <strong>an</strong>d stimulating.
Bill Hoffm<strong>an</strong>, General M<strong>an</strong>ager, Kapstone
Paper Mill, Charleston SC welcomes
attendees with a reception sponsored by
Kapstone Paper.
Day one included the me<strong>an</strong>ing of
basic terminology used within the
industry, wood harvesting, virgin
<strong>an</strong>d recovered pulping process,
chemical <strong>an</strong>d energy process, <strong>an</strong>d
Ralph Young, AICC’s techincal advisor <strong>an</strong>d
columnist provides insights into Light-
weight Paper Properties with attendees.
Attendees of AICC’s “Science of Paper School” tour the Kapstone mill in Charleston, SC.
of course, paper m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing.
The day concluded with a full mill
tour <strong>an</strong>d education on the mill
floor.
Attendee Steve L<strong>an</strong>daal of L<strong>an</strong>daal
Packaging Systems said it best
“This was a highly comprehensive,
well-org<strong>an</strong>ized educational
experience. This seminar will
<strong>an</strong>swer questions you didn’t know
you had!”
The pace continued on day two
where the process of papermaking
was connected to containerboard
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing. The day beg<strong>an</strong>
with <strong>an</strong> import<strong>an</strong>t discussion
on “What is the Definition of
Quality?” discussing how paper
properties are measured. A special
section covered how box pl<strong>an</strong>ts
c<strong>an</strong> work with their vendors to
give valuable feedback when
problems occur, with <strong>an</strong> emphasis
on the need for providing roll
stock numbers <strong>an</strong>d other specifics
including videos <strong>an</strong>d pictures as
the best way to provide critical
information. Suggestions like
these were outlined throughout
the course enabling attendees to
develop better practices in their
pl<strong>an</strong>ts.
Education on linerboard
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing <strong>an</strong>d converting
would not be complete without
discussions on sustainability,
renewable resources, certifications
<strong>an</strong>d market drivers. These
sessions provided attendees
continued on page 41
Ben Urquhart, New Engl<strong>an</strong>d Wooden
Ware asks for clarification on a
Sustainable Certification presentation.
bOXSCORE
39

AICC Sponsors First ‘Science of Paper School’ at KapStone’s North Charleston Mill
continued from page 39
Steve Young <strong>an</strong>d Joe Hodges, Mid-Atl<strong>an</strong>tic
Packaging review the days discussion on
Retail Ready Packaging.
information <strong>an</strong>d resources they
c<strong>an</strong> use to educate their customers
<strong>an</strong>d build business opportunities.
Light weighting of packaging was
<strong>an</strong>other hot topic during the day,
with Sarilee Norton of Norton
Associates providing updated
information on lightweight
linerboard <strong>an</strong>d the role that box
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturers c<strong>an</strong> play in this
area of increased interest in
corrugated packaging.
Ralph Young, Technical Advisor for
AICC, finished the day discussing
the relationship between paper
<strong>an</strong>d converting <strong>an</strong>d how box
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturers c<strong>an</strong> improve
their outcomes when working to
achieve maximum perform<strong>an</strong>ce.
The AICC continues to provide
educational resources to its
membership, with publications
such as “The Key Characteristics
of Linerboard <strong>an</strong>d Medium <strong>an</strong>d
Their Impact on Combined
Corrugated Board” <strong>an</strong>d the soon to
Ralph Young discusses paper with
Fr<strong>an</strong>cisco Valencia, one of the attendees
from El Salvador.
be released video “Underst<strong>an</strong>ding
the Elements of Containerboard
M<strong>an</strong>ufacturing.”
Attendees from ACME Corrugated
Box, Kathy Gorm<strong>an</strong>, Carlos
Torres, Jobeth Rivera, Jennifer
Wisniewski, Kevin Beynon wrote:
“The AICC/KapStone “Science of
Paper” school was remarkable.
In attending the conference we
at ACME Corrugated expected
Kapstone employees take attendees on tour
of Paper Mill.
The hub of Paper Mill operations.
to gain a broader knowledge
of the light weight liner board
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing process to assist us
in our fiber reduction initiative.
All of the presenters were very
knowledgeable <strong>an</strong>d clearly experts
in their field. The knowledge we
gained through the conference
exceeded our expectations. We
would highly recommend this
conference to <strong>an</strong>yone in the
industry.”
M<strong>an</strong>y comp<strong>an</strong>ies took adv<strong>an</strong>tage
of AICC’s reduced pricing
for multiple attendees. The
particip<strong>an</strong>ts incorporated
employees from all levels in the
Paul Medeiros, Colem<strong>an</strong> Container
discusses paper properties with Debbie
Hammack of Kapstone Paper.
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing pl<strong>an</strong>t including:
owners, senior m<strong>an</strong>agement,
design, sales, production <strong>an</strong>d
service. Steve Young, President of
AICC stated, “The KapStone group
put a great deal of time <strong>an</strong>d effort
into making this first ‘Science
of Paper School,’ a learning
experience that was applicable
<strong>an</strong>d easy to underst<strong>an</strong>d at <strong>an</strong>y
level. Those who participated will
be able to apply this information
immediately back at the pl<strong>an</strong>t.”
Joe Doplaga of Colem<strong>an</strong>
Containers touted the speakers
“They were great! Every one
of them. They gave pertinent
information in a f<strong>an</strong>tastic venue.
It was a true learning experience.”
For more information about
AICC’s Science of Paper School
or <strong>an</strong>y other AICC program or
service, please contact Taryn Pyle
at tpyle@aiccbox.org or call AICC
at (877) 836-2422. �
Anitra Collins <strong>an</strong>d Debbie Hammack of
Kapstone were key in making this program
a success.
bOXSCORE
41

Members in the News . . .
Pamarco Global Graphics
Reengergizes Sales Staff
With Kick Off Meeting
Pamarco Global Graphics Flexo
Division reenergized its sales <strong>an</strong>d
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing team with its 2011
Sales Kick Off Meeting February
17-18 in Atl<strong>an</strong>ta, Georgia. In
addition to the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s President
John Burgess <strong>an</strong>d Vice President of
Sales <strong>an</strong>d Marketing, Dave McBeth,
the meeting was highlighted by
guest speakers from Uteco <strong>an</strong>d
AKL/Inometa.
McBeth stated, “Pamarco’s Flexo
Division has invested very heavily
in its team <strong>an</strong>d technology over
the past year <strong>an</strong>d pl<strong>an</strong>s to continue
through technological upgrades,
additional staff <strong>an</strong>d training for
existing staff. The comp<strong>an</strong>y has
put alot of effort into a having
a successful 2011, for both the
comp<strong>an</strong>y <strong>an</strong>d its customers.”
H&B Engineering Department
Welcomes Larry Feuling’s
25 Years of Experience
Harris & Bruno International
<strong>an</strong>nounces Larry Feuling as
our new Product Development
Engineer.
“Larry will help us design <strong>an</strong>d
develop new products,” said Jim
Riga, H&B Director of Engineering
& Service. “We look forward
to utilizing his background in
machine design <strong>an</strong>d his electrical
<strong>an</strong>d mech<strong>an</strong>ical experience.”
42 bOXSCORE
Larry Fueling
Born <strong>an</strong>d raised in New
Jersey, Feuling has been in the
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing industry for 25
years. The past 15 years his work
focused on converting equipment,
automation <strong>an</strong>d system integration.
In 2007, Feuling received <strong>an</strong>
Electrical Computer Engineering
Technology degree from the New
Jersey Institute of Technology.
After working the past three years
in Reno, Feuling is looking forward
to <strong>an</strong> innovative career at Harris &
Bruno.
“I’m excited to commit my
knowledge <strong>an</strong>d experience toward
Harris & Bruno’s reputation of
being on the cutting edge,” he said.
With the addition of Feuling, Harris
& Bruno’s Engineering Department
now boasts 12 engineers.
continued on page 43

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS
continued from page 42
“We have a strong commitment
toward being forward thinkers,
as well as providing the best
performing <strong>an</strong>d most dependable
solutions to inking, coating <strong>an</strong>d
<strong>an</strong>ilox roll needs in the offset,
flexographic <strong>an</strong>d corrugated
markets,” H&B President Nick
Bruno explained about the
import<strong>an</strong>ce of having engineers
on staff. “We are a full-service,
contemporary m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing
business with in-house R&D <strong>an</strong>d
a service guar<strong>an</strong>tee backed up by
immediate engineer input.”
MarquipWardUnited <strong>an</strong>d
Officine Curioni S.p.A.
Announce Intent to Merge
Operations
Timothy J. Sulliv<strong>an</strong>, CEO of
MarquipWardUnited, Inc., <strong>an</strong>d
Fulvio Curioni, CEO of Officine
Curioni S.p.A., have <strong>an</strong>nounced
pl<strong>an</strong>s to merge their global
operations, creating a new leader in
corrugating machinery with <strong>an</strong>nual
revenues that will surpass $250
million. This strategic combination
will dramatically enh<strong>an</strong>ce the
breadth of technology, installed
base <strong>an</strong>d leadership talent for the
combined org<strong>an</strong>ization, <strong>an</strong>d will
result in a subst<strong>an</strong>tial org<strong>an</strong>ization
serving the global corrugating
markets.
For more th<strong>an</strong> 85 years, Curioni
S.p.A. has been a signific<strong>an</strong>t
provider of finishing machinery for
the production of corrugated board
boxes for the global markets.
Upon the successful integration
of the two comp<strong>an</strong>ies, Curioni’s
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing facility near
Mil<strong>an</strong>, Italy, will become the
Europe<strong>an</strong> headquarters for
MarquipWardUnited, which
includes m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing operations
in Hungary <strong>an</strong>d the U.K. <strong>an</strong>d
additional Europe<strong>an</strong> sales <strong>an</strong>d
service offices in Germ<strong>an</strong>y, Spain
<strong>an</strong>d Irel<strong>an</strong>d.
“We expect this combination of
technologies <strong>an</strong>d org<strong>an</strong>izations will
be highly synergistic as there is
currently very little overlap in
machinery <strong>an</strong>d customer base,”
stated Stef<strong>an</strong>o Rocca, fin<strong>an</strong>cial
director of Barry-Wehmiller in Italy.
“Together, we dramatically enh<strong>an</strong>ce
our strategy to be a domin<strong>an</strong>t
force in the global markets, while
continuing our strong support
for Curioni’s traditional home
markets.”
The integration of Curioni
within the MarquipWardUnited
org<strong>an</strong>ization will further strengthen
the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s competitive
offerings for the Europe<strong>an</strong> markets
as well as provide a subst<strong>an</strong>tial
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing base in Europe,
where MarquipWardUnited has
made subst<strong>an</strong>tial investments in
the development of key talent
<strong>an</strong>d technical resources. The
combination of technologies
<strong>an</strong>d services will also enh<strong>an</strong>ce
the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s markets in the
Americas, where Curioni has
a signific<strong>an</strong>t installed base of
equipment.
“The breadth of technology,
combined with strong sales,
marketing <strong>an</strong>d service teams,
will complement our historic
operational base in the U.S. <strong>an</strong>d
will be a dramatic enh<strong>an</strong>cement
to our focus on competitive
offerings in key Europe<strong>an</strong> as well as
Americ<strong>an</strong> markets,” noted Thomas
Hartm<strong>an</strong>n, product <strong>an</strong>d project
m<strong>an</strong>ager for MarquipWardUnited’s
extensive line of high-speed
finishing equipment.
Representing the third generation
of family leadership, Fulvio Curioni
stated, “We view this opportunity
with MarquipWardUnited as a
natural fit of people, technology
<strong>an</strong>d markets served, which is the
foundation for a strong future. We
believe that being part of a strong
<strong>an</strong>d well-positioned global player
in the packaging industry, such as
Barry-Wehmiller, we will be able to
provide better support on a
worldwide scale to our existing
customer base <strong>an</strong>d will benefit from
the diverse experiences <strong>an</strong>d skills
within Barry-Wehmiller group.”
The Curioni acquisition would be
the 49th for Barry-Wehmiller since
1987. A combination of org<strong>an</strong>ic <strong>an</strong>d
acquisition growth has allowed
Barry-Wehmiller to achieve 20
percent compound growth in
revenue <strong>an</strong>d share value over the
past 21 years as revenues are now
well in excess of $1 billion. �
bOXSCORE
43

Ch<strong>an</strong>ging Nature of
Domestic Containerboard–
Part 3
By Ralph Young, AICC Technical Director
In the November/December
issue we beg<strong>an</strong> to investigate
the ch<strong>an</strong>ges to our paper supply
<strong>an</strong>d how it has ch<strong>an</strong>ged over the
years. While the “Lightweight
Containerboard” webinar broadcast
is history, it is still available to
the over 600 who participated
as a download <strong>an</strong>d available to
those who did not register from
the AICC resource store. The full
written research report will soon
be available through the AICC.
This document will be a much
more comprehensive look at the
equipment ch<strong>an</strong>ges corrugators <strong>an</strong>d
converters will need to embrace
to utilize emerging lightweight
products. It was also look at
technology upgrades in stock
preparation systems that paper
mills, dependent on recovered
fibre as raw materials, will need to
embrace to keep up with the ever
ch<strong>an</strong>ging <strong>an</strong>d maybe deteriorating
quality of fibre here in North
America.
At least one additional webinar
is pl<strong>an</strong>ned for the spring that will
address some of the above issues.
Beyond this second seminar is The
Science of Paper at the Kapstone
virgin fibre mill in Charleston,
SC. While this is certainly not the
first conference on containerboard
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing this one is exp<strong>an</strong>ded
to focus on the particular needs
of combiners <strong>an</strong>d convertors as to
the critical physical properties of
44 bOXSCORE
containerboards developed from
new <strong>an</strong>d secondary fibres.
While we do not have a totally clear
picture of the physical properties
that need to be engineered into
these future grades, it is becoming
clear that how we judged <strong>an</strong>d valued
containerboard in the past will not
suffice in the future. It is by looking
at the characteristics at how super
lightweights are sold <strong>an</strong>d marketed
around the world that new criteria
will be established. Leaving basis
weight <strong>an</strong>d Ring Crush/STFI behind
we may likely be determining
containerboard future perform<strong>an</strong>ce
by the properties of caliper
uniformity, moisture uniformity,
density, Machine Direction tensile,
Internal Bond or Z Direction Tensile
<strong>an</strong>d stiffness properties. It’s a whole
new world out there for us.
These new containerboard will not
likely be used in brown industrial
corrugated shipping containers, but
in B/E double wall, micro flutes, <strong>an</strong>d
retail <strong>an</strong>d shelf ready packaging.
We are morphing toward <strong>an</strong>d will
likely be combining with folding
carton applications in certain
designs <strong>an</strong>d structures. We will
also probably be leaving the world
of ECT behind <strong>an</strong>d moving directly
into box <strong>an</strong>d carton compression. I
am hearing more about this every
day as Consumer Goods Products
comp<strong>an</strong>ies seek indicators of real
world packaging perform<strong>an</strong>ce not
intermediate process predicators
like Ring Crush/STFI <strong>an</strong>d Edge
Crush. M<strong>an</strong>y of us believe this will
be a top down retail initiative as it
was in Europe fifteen years ago.
Available supplies of these 20#
liners <strong>an</strong>d 18# mediums do
currently exist is small qu<strong>an</strong>tities
today in North America. There
is a large contrast in linerboard
properties <strong>an</strong>d perform<strong>an</strong>ce
between those made by a Kraft
process (including Kraft papers)
<strong>an</strong>d those from recovered
fibre. Typically our ability to
prepare recovered fibres for
rem<strong>an</strong>ufacturing into linerboards
has been challenged by the
introduction of foreign fibres
(imports of goods in boxes from
outside sources) <strong>an</strong>d lagging
installations of newest technologies
of stock preparations.
This is <strong>an</strong> emerging market for all
of us. Continue to look into future
issues of BoxScore as we continue
to keep you informed on the newest
developments in this <strong>an</strong>d other
issues which impact your bottom
line.
ADDITIONAL AICC
RESOURCES:
Below are reminders about the
excellent resources available to
you as the world turns <strong>an</strong>d you
are challenged regarding the
issues of ch<strong>an</strong>ging conventional
continued on page 45

Ch<strong>an</strong>ging Nature of Domestic Containerboard–Part 3
continued from page 44
containerboards <strong>an</strong>d the newest
generation of lightweight papers.
• An upcoming DVD on
Kraft <strong>an</strong>d recovered fibre
containerboard m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing.
• The four part series of
Expected Value Charts that
appeared in previous issues of
BoxScore
• The three part series of
Containerboard Properties that
appeared in previous issues of
BoxScore
• Underst<strong>an</strong>ding the Key
Characteristics of Linerboard
<strong>an</strong>d Medium <strong>an</strong>d Their Impact
on Combined Corrugated Board
is now in its second printing.
• Contact me about my list of
websites that will lead you to the
issues of forestry, certifications
programs, sustainability,
domestic <strong>an</strong>d international
trade associations, worldwide
containerboard specifications,
<strong>an</strong>d technical associations,
• The 2008 AICC Degradation
Study which discovered the
wide variation in corrugators’
abilities to obtain combined
board strength from the strength
of the containerboard <strong>an</strong>d the
destruction of caliper, Flat Crush,
<strong>an</strong>d Edge Crush through the
converting operations.
As <strong>an</strong> aside to the above Study,
a Member recently shared with
me his discover of ECT losses
of 2 to 7 percent in sheets as
they were shipped over different
road conditions <strong>an</strong>d dist<strong>an</strong>ces.
INTERESTING!
You are always welcome to
contact me at <strong>an</strong>ytime to discuss
<strong>an</strong>y technical concerns at
ASKRalph@aiccbox.org or thru my
consulting comp<strong>an</strong>y, Alternative
Paper solutions at youngralph1@
bellsouth.net, or just call
404.915.2792. �
bOXSCORE
45

AICC Mexico to hold
10th Annual Meeting in
Guadalajara, Mexico, May 18-20
AICC Mexico will hold its 10th
<strong>an</strong>nual meeting May 18-20, 2011,
at the Presidente Intercontinental
Guadalajara, Mexico, <strong>an</strong>nounced
Marco Ferrara, CEO of Cajas de
Carton Sult<strong>an</strong>a in Monterrey,
Mexico <strong>an</strong>d Regional Director for
AICC Mexico.
The three-day program will feature
presentations on What’s Happening
in the Paper Market, Lightweight
Containerboard, training seminar
in production, trade fair <strong>an</strong>d pl<strong>an</strong>t
tour.
The program begins on
Wednesday, May 18 with a training
seminar in production “Best
Production Practices to Improve
Efficiencies,” presented by Leslie
Pickering <strong>an</strong>d Alej<strong>an</strong>dro Pinto of P
Squared. Follow with the trade fair
<strong>an</strong>d welcome reception sponsored
by AICC Mexico’s supplier
members at the Presidente
Intercontinental Guadalajara.
On Thursday, May 19, you will
hear from Fern<strong>an</strong>da Belchior,
Senior News Editor – PPI Latin
America – RISI. She will provide
<strong>an</strong> Industry Overview, “What’s
Happening in the Containerboard
Market.” ANFEC will report
about “Paper Supply <strong>an</strong>d the
Containerboard in Mexico”; Arturo
Damm, Mexic<strong>an</strong> Economist,
columnist in Pulsaciones
Economicas <strong>an</strong>d TV Commentator,
will talk about “The Achilles Heel
of the Mexic<strong>an</strong> Economy.” Ju<strong>an</strong>
46 bOXSCORE
Ignacio Galindo, Cajas de Carton
Sult<strong>an</strong>a will discuss “Lightweight
Containerboard & Mullen <strong>an</strong>d
ECT” <strong>an</strong>d Sergio Paez, Corrugados
de Baja California will talk about
“Selling the Box.” In the afternoon
the supplier trade fair will open
<strong>an</strong>d members c<strong>an</strong> meet, greet
friends <strong>an</strong>d visit with 50 supplierexhibitors
who’ll have table-top
displays.
The program continues on Friday,
May 20, with presentations
from Jack Keller of Corrugated
Technologies <strong>an</strong>d Stephen
Robinson of ClearVision. Rounding
out the meeting program we will
hear from the keynote speaker .
Dr. Jacobo Neum<strong>an</strong>, Professor,
Consult<strong>an</strong>t <strong>an</strong>d Researcher,
co-editor of Revista Pulso <strong>an</strong>d
PYME consult<strong>an</strong>t with his
presentation on “The New Vision
of the Comp<strong>an</strong>ies <strong>an</strong>d the Future
Responsibilities of the Global
Industrialist.” The meeting will
conclude with a local pl<strong>an</strong>t visit to
“Cajas y Empaques Modernos de
Guadalajara.”
The presentations will be
conducted primarily in Sp<strong>an</strong>ish
with simult<strong>an</strong>eous English
tr<strong>an</strong>slation.
Registration fee for the meeting is
$495 for members <strong>an</strong>d $900 for
non-members. Trade fair tables
are $ 750. For registration, trade
fair or sponsorship information;
contact Maria Frustaci, Latin
Americ<strong>an</strong> Director, at AICC
headquarters. Telephone +1
703-836-2422, email mfrustaci@
aiccbox.org, or Linda Silva, at
AICC Mexico +52-818-122-2521,
email lsilva@cartonsult<strong>an</strong>a.com.
mx , or visit our website www.
aiccbox.org/mexico �

Richard M. Flaherty
International Corrugated
Packaging Foundation
President
“ In a briefing on
ICPF’s new strategic
pl<strong>an</strong> last Fall, we
were impressed with
the direction <strong>an</strong>d
strides being taken
by ICPF, especially
in the placement
of interns <strong>an</strong>d new
graduates in the
industry across a
broad spectrum of
disciplines.
” Br<strong>an</strong>don Bennett,
President of
Georgia-Pacific’s
Containerboard <strong>an</strong>d
Kraft Business
International Corrugated
Packaging Foundation
William C. Akers, Jack schwarz
& dick sharfstein selected for
Circle of distinguished leaders
Through the combined nomination
<strong>an</strong>d donation to ICPF made by Liberty
Diversified Industries <strong>an</strong>d Akers Packaging
Service, ICPF’s Board of Directors has
<strong>an</strong>nounced that industry executives
William C. Akers (Akers Packaging),
Jack Schwarz (Schwarz Partners), <strong>an</strong>d
Dick Sharfstein (The Strive Group) have
been nominated to ICPF’s Circle of
Distinguished Leaders. The International
Corrugated Packaging Foundation Circle of
Distinguished Leaders honors exceptional
leaders whose vision, creativity <strong>an</strong>d energy
have adv<strong>an</strong>ced the corrugated packaging
industry. Mr. Akers will be recognized by
ICPF at AICC’s 2011 spring meeting in Ft.
Lauderdale <strong>an</strong>d Mr. Schwarz <strong>an</strong>d
Mr. Sharfstein will be inducted during
AICC’s 2011 fall meeting in Salt Lake City.
ICPF invites others in the industry, who
wish to honor <strong>an</strong>d recognize one or more
of these leaders, to make a donation in
his name to the “International Corrugated
Packaging Foundation,” 113 So. West
Street, Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22314. Donations
are fully tax deductible. Donors will be
added to the list of those individuals <strong>an</strong>d
firms that have nominated <strong>an</strong>d honored
the individual or individuals. The list
then will be <strong>an</strong>nounced during the award
ceremony <strong>an</strong>d released to the corrugated
packaging trade press.
georgia-Pacific donates
$50,000 to ICPf
Longtime ICPF corporate supporter,
Georgia-Pacific (GP) has donated <strong>an</strong>
additional $50,000 to support the
International Corrugated Packaging
Foundation’s operations <strong>an</strong>d initiatives.
Georgia-Pacific has been a signific<strong>an</strong>t
contributor to the Foundation <strong>an</strong>d has
recently participated on ICPF’s Board of
Directors.
“In a briefing on ICPF’s new strategic
pl<strong>an</strong> last Fall, we were impressed with the
direction <strong>an</strong>d strides being taken by ICPF,
especially in the placement of interns <strong>an</strong>d
new graduates in the industry across a
broad spectrum of disciplines,” explained
Br<strong>an</strong>don Bennett, president of Georgia-
Pacific’s containerboard <strong>an</strong>d kraft business.
“ICPF’s work in this arena aligns with the
current <strong>an</strong>d future needs of our business
<strong>an</strong>d others in the industry. We are
pleased to support ICPF in this <strong>an</strong>d other
import<strong>an</strong>t initiatives.”
ICPF Chairm<strong>an</strong>, Jim Akers, th<strong>an</strong>ked
Georgia-Pacific for its continued support.
“We appreciate Georgia-Pacific’s ongoing
investment <strong>an</strong>d participation, <strong>an</strong>d look
forward to the continued valued input <strong>an</strong>d
leadership provided by Br<strong>an</strong>don <strong>an</strong>d other
GP executives.”
Headquartered at Atl<strong>an</strong>ta, Georgia-Pacific
is one of the world’s leading m<strong>an</strong>ufacturers
<strong>an</strong>d marketers of building products, tissue,
packaging, paper, cellulose <strong>an</strong>d related
chemicals. The comp<strong>an</strong>y employs more
th<strong>an</strong> 40,000 people at approximately 300
locations in North America, South America
<strong>an</strong>d Europe. Georgia-Pacific creates longterm
value by using resources efficiently to
provide innovative products <strong>an</strong>d solutions
that meet the needs of customers <strong>an</strong>d
society, while operating in a m<strong>an</strong>ner that
is environmentally <strong>an</strong>d socially responsible
<strong>an</strong>d economically sound.
12th Annual International Careers
in Corrugated Teleconference
breaks Attend<strong>an</strong>ce record
This February, ICPF conducted its 12th
<strong>an</strong>nual, live Careers in Corrugated
Teleconference. Over 500 packaging,
graphic communications & design,
marketing & sales, supply chain
m<strong>an</strong>agement <strong>an</strong>d other business
students <strong>an</strong>d faculty from 17 colleges
continued on page 48
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47

ICPF Update
continued from page 47
<strong>an</strong>d universities participated.
These campuses included
Appalachi<strong>an</strong> State University,
Ball State University, Bowling
Green State University, Cal Poly,
Clemson University Graphic
Communications & Packaging,
Dunwoody College of Technology,
Indi<strong>an</strong>a State University, Lewis
Clark State College, Michig<strong>an</strong> State
University, Millersville University,
Mohawk College, North Carolina
A & T, Pennsylv<strong>an</strong>ia College of
Technology, Rochester Institute of
Technology, University of Florida,
48 bOXSCORE
University of Wisconsin - Stout <strong>an</strong>d
Virginia Tech.
This year’s topic, “The Business of
Corrugated Packaging & Display”
was addressed by industry
p<strong>an</strong>elists, Patrick Smorch, the
Director of Packaging Sustainability
at Georgia-Pacific’s Innovation
Institute-speaking; Brett
Kirkpatrick, COO, Bay Cities
Container-p<strong>an</strong>el moderator; <strong>an</strong>d
Doug Bosnik, President & CEO of
Buck<strong>eye</strong> Corrugated, Incorporated.
The p<strong>an</strong>el presentation was
followed by a round of live
questions directed to the p<strong>an</strong>elists
from each of the 17 participating
campuses.
The two hour Teleconference’s
gr<strong>an</strong>d finale was ICPF’s <strong>an</strong>nual
“Best of the Best,” student design
presentation competition. The
student teams that earlier placed
in AICC’s 2010 design competition
were tasked to show, tell <strong>an</strong>d sell
their winning entries by explaining
the objective, the research
conducted, design <strong>an</strong>d other
background. The Mohawk College
student design team of Morg<strong>an</strong>
Dique, Jeff Rogers <strong>an</strong>d Michelle
O’ Connor won ICPF’s top prize of
$1,500.00 for its live presentation.
The judges, audience <strong>an</strong>d speakers
also were very impressed with
the design <strong>an</strong>d live presentation
made by the Mohawk College team
of Mark Jardine, Sh<strong>an</strong>i Williams
<strong>an</strong>d Tasha Lee Aird. The team
won second place to take home
$1,000.00. To view the pre-
Teleconference competition videos
earlier submitted by the two teams
to the ICPF judges, visit www.
careersincorrugated.org �
ICPF Careers in Corrugated Teleconference
control booth.

Negotiation: Dealing With
Pressure
By Mark Neely
I’ve been teaching Negotiation skills
for over 20 years. I worked for the negotiations
guru, Chet Karras, delivering something
like 300 of his seminars from 1990
to 1998. Since then, as President of Mark
Neely Seminars, I have continued to search
for ways to help people to increase their negotiating
capabilities. The most interesting
thing I’ve discovered is that under pressure
we are all capable of caving in too quickly
or failing to take adv<strong>an</strong>tage of the power we
have. Theoretically, there are some really
good reasons why this c<strong>an</strong> happen. Practically,
though, it’s extremely hard to avoid
screwing up under pressure. In short, pressure
makes us less effective as presenters
of information, as listeners, <strong>an</strong>d as problem
solvers. It also lowers our aspirations
<strong>an</strong>d inhibits our willingness to take risk.
Most signific<strong>an</strong>tly, though, it diminishes
our perceptual capabilities <strong>an</strong>d leads us to
greater self-focus. Most of us simply don’t
see, underst<strong>an</strong>d, speak, or think at our best
when we are under pressure.
So, how do you get to the point where you
c<strong>an</strong> trust yourself to negotiate at your best
under pressure? There is no single <strong>an</strong>swer
but here are a few suggestions:
• Preparation is the key: Before you
step into the negotiation be clear
about the outcome you w<strong>an</strong>t to
reach. Also, going in, be prepared to
leave without a deal if that is a preferable
outcome to the one the other
party ends up offering.
• Know yourself: What do you do
when you get scared or <strong>an</strong>gry? What
does your voice sound like? Which
muscles do you tense up? If you
don’t know, ask someone who loves
you <strong>an</strong>d has had the opportunity to
argue with you. He/she will know.*
Underst<strong>an</strong>d that when you show fear
<strong>an</strong>d/or <strong>an</strong>ger the other party is likely
to interpret your behavior as weakness.
If they do, they may become
more aggressive in their dem<strong>an</strong>ds or
they c<strong>an</strong> become defensive <strong>an</strong>d resist
you with greater effort.
• Don’t be inflexible. Prioritize your
dem<strong>an</strong>ds. Know what you c<strong>an</strong> afford
to give up. Know what you c<strong>an</strong>’t.
Don’t forget to ask for something in
return for the concessions you are
willing to give up.
• Underst<strong>an</strong>d that you are not the
only one in the room who is feeling
pressure. The other party may
not be showing it but there is a high
probability that if you are feeling
pressure, the other party is also feeling
pressure. Try to remember that
the other party’s pressure is a big
part of your power.
There is no magic potion, unequivocal
<strong>an</strong>swer or fool-proof process that will guar<strong>an</strong>tee
negotiating success. Be honest with
yourself, know your limits <strong>an</strong>d trust your
strengths. Practice, read, ask for help, share
what you learn <strong>an</strong>d keep reaching for the
next level of expertise.
*I would suggest that you don’t ask when
you are scared or <strong>an</strong>gry. �
“ In short, pressure
makes us less
effective as
presenters of
information,
listeners, <strong>an</strong>d
problem solvers.
It also lowers
our aspirations
<strong>an</strong>d inhibits our
willingness to take
risk.
”
bOXSCORE
49

S A F E T Y C O M E S F I R S T
MAKE YOUR PLANT THE SAFEST IT CAN BE WITH
AICC’S SAFETY PRODUCTS.
50 bOXSCORE
NEW! Operation Safe Shop
For the first time ever, AICC is releasing the
information produced not only from the
winning entries, but all comp<strong>an</strong>ies who
entered the Operation Safe Shop Competition.
This will give AICC members <strong>an</strong> opportunity
to review samples of safety programs to help
improve, compare, <strong>an</strong>d bring greater
awareness to box pl<strong>an</strong>t safety.
❏ $65 Member / $95 Nonmember
Lift Truck Safety
One potential hazard is a moving forklift
truck. Always look both ways before crossing
<strong>an</strong> isle way. And never approach a truck
from the back or front because drivers may
not see you.
An informative <strong>an</strong>d fact-filled video that
covers lift truck inspections, lift truck
accidents, safe operating practices <strong>an</strong>d
proper procedures.
❏ $65 Member / $95 Nonmember
ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT
CORRUGATED CONVERTERS
AICC’s
Safety
Products
SafetyFirst DVD
AICC’s six-part Safetyfirst DVD provides <strong>an</strong>
overview of safety in <strong>an</strong>d around a corrugated
m<strong>an</strong>ufacturing facility. Staying alert <strong>an</strong>d watching
for the hazardous situations in a corrugated
pl<strong>an</strong>t is critical to safety.
The Safetyfirst DVD is a great source for training
new employees <strong>an</strong>d serves as a refresher
for the veter<strong>an</strong>s of the industry.
It’s never too late to learn about d<strong>an</strong>ger <strong>an</strong>d
hazardous situation <strong>an</strong>d how to protect
yourself, your co-workers <strong>an</strong>d employees.
❏ SafetyFirst DVD English
❏ SafetyFirst DVD Sp<strong>an</strong>ish
$395 Member/$495 Nonmember
❏ Save when you order both English
<strong>an</strong>d Sp<strong>an</strong>ish together
$690 Member/$890 Nonmember
To Order:
www.aiccbox.org/store
By Phone: 877 836 2422
By Mail: 113 S. West Street
PO Box 25708
Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313
P.O. Box 25708 • Alex<strong>an</strong>dria, VA 22313 • Toll free 1-877-836-2422 • Fax (703) 836-2795 • Email: aicc@aiccbox.org • www.aiccbox.org

It's About Pl<strong>an</strong>ning
By John Bacot, AICC Vice President of Operations
This issue’s article is about Pl<strong>an</strong>ning.
Nothing, literally, happens without
pl<strong>an</strong>ning. Not even this article happened
without pl<strong>an</strong>ning, even though after you’ve
read it, you might think so.
Pl<strong>an</strong>ning is one of those funny things we
c<strong>an</strong>’t do without, but really don’t like to
do. But yet, it happens none the less. Our
brains are pre-wired for it. You wouldn’t be
reading this article without pl<strong>an</strong>ning.
Now in my study of “pl<strong>an</strong>ning” over the
years, I’ve discovered there are primarily
two forms: premeditated <strong>an</strong>d spont<strong>an</strong>eous.
These are the nice names I’ve given them
as these two types of pl<strong>an</strong>ning as they c<strong>an</strong>
m<strong>an</strong>ifest themselves in as wide a r<strong>an</strong>ge
from the couch potato (which actually
takes pl<strong>an</strong>ning to perform well) to the
clinical excesses of <strong>an</strong> individual with
O.C.D., which really is just pl<strong>an</strong>ning to
pl<strong>an</strong> too much; way, way too much.
So you see we actually pl<strong>an</strong> everything we
do, or don’t do. We might call what we see
as a lack of pl<strong>an</strong>ning to be the absence of
pl<strong>an</strong>ning. But it really isn’t. Then what you
have is really a pl<strong>an</strong>ned decision to not
pl<strong>an</strong> well.
Okay, so what’s my point? You ask. My
point is that making something me<strong>an</strong>ingful
happen other th<strong>an</strong> what I will call “the
default reality” takes purposeful pl<strong>an</strong>ning.
Pl<strong>an</strong>ning c<strong>an</strong>not take place without a
mission statement - <strong>an</strong> expressible, written
statement of the desired outcome of the
pl<strong>an</strong>. Pl<strong>an</strong>ning with the intention to think
it all the way through; as far forward or
into the future as you possibly c<strong>an</strong>.
Default pl<strong>an</strong>ning is simply allowing you
to be a particip<strong>an</strong>t in someone else’s
pl<strong>an</strong>. You c<strong>an</strong> make the future happen or
watch the future happen. It will happen
nonetheless. But wouldn’t you really rather
be a more functional part of it then just
someone along for the ride?
Pl<strong>an</strong>ning doesn’t have to be f<strong>an</strong>cy. Oh sure,
you c<strong>an</strong> find computer applications that
will draw critical path networks <strong>an</strong>d PERT
diagrams. But actually pl<strong>an</strong>ning c<strong>an</strong> be a
simple as writing down (single) steps of a
process in <strong>an</strong>y order they come to you on
3x5 or 5x8 file cards <strong>an</strong>d then working out
<strong>an</strong> arr<strong>an</strong>gement of the cards in a sequence
that makes sense to you <strong>an</strong>d your goals.
However you decide to “pl<strong>an</strong>”, we must
pl<strong>an</strong>. As I said: “nothing” happens without
it. And it’s the “Nothing” we have for
which we need to be mindful. The law
of unintended consequences will come
into play quickly when we undertake a
project without careful <strong>an</strong>d thoughtful
prior pl<strong>an</strong>ning. It’s great to see the desired
outcome of a pl<strong>an</strong> come together. It’s even
more exciting to know the efforts you took
to pl<strong>an</strong> for it were worthwhile. It becomes
self reinforcing. Pl<strong>an</strong> your work, work your
pl<strong>an</strong>, <strong>an</strong>d the future is yours. �
“ Pl<strong>an</strong>ning is one
of those funny
things we c<strong>an</strong>’t do
without, but really
don’t like to do.
”
bOXSCORE
51

The Comp<strong>an</strong>y That Plays Together . . . Succeeds Together!
continued from page 11
m<strong>an</strong>y cookouts, pizza luncheons,
fun contests, Halloween costume
contests, summer picnics <strong>an</strong>d
Christmas parties that have always
been part of the Volk Packaging
approach to running its business.
Most of his people seem to thrive on
that approach.
52 bOXSCORE
Ask Accounting Department
associate Melinda Sherid<strong>an</strong> about
the “fun <strong>an</strong>d games” that are such
<strong>an</strong> import<strong>an</strong>t part of her work-life,
<strong>an</strong>d the longtime Volk associate will
respond by laughing out loud.
“At a lot of comp<strong>an</strong>ies, the attitude
is ‘all work <strong>an</strong>d no play’,” says the
The podium for Corrugated Bowling—Ukraine
wins GOLD.
53-year-old accounting associate,
who’s famous locally for riding
around town on her low-slung
Harley-Davidson motorcycle . . . <strong>an</strong>d
also for dropping off the comp<strong>an</strong>y’s
daily receipts at a local b<strong>an</strong>k drivethrough
window while perched
aboard her Harley Softail Deluxe.
“That all-work-<strong>an</strong>d-no-nonsense
attitude may be okay for them,” says
the effervescent Mel, “but at Volk
Packaging, we believe in working
hard <strong>an</strong>d playing hard.
“We get the work out, you better
believe it. But we also have a
whole lot of fun together. And I am
definitely not exaggerating when I
tell you that I jump out of bed most
mornings <strong>an</strong>d then hurry through my
breakfast. Why?
“Honestly, it’s because I c<strong>an</strong> hardly
wait to get down here to work in the
morning!” �
Freel<strong>an</strong>ce journalist Tom Nugent
has written for the Washington
Post, MIT Technology Review,
People magazine <strong>an</strong>d m<strong>an</strong>y other
publications. He lives in Hastings,
Michig<strong>an</strong>.

THE FINAL SCORE
Looking Ahead,
Reflecting Realities
Earlier this year AICC’s Board
of Directors had <strong>an</strong> interesting
discussion about the future of
AICC. It’s a healthy discussion
to have. In the course of
developing our next long-r<strong>an</strong>ge
pl<strong>an</strong>, members are asking
if the Association’s name,
“Association of Independent
Corrugated Converters,” is
too narrowly defined given the
way our members’ businesses
<strong>an</strong>d product mixes have
ch<strong>an</strong>ged over the years.
Certainly our industry has
ch<strong>an</strong>ged dramatically in the
past 20 years. The corrugated
business, while a mature
industry, has embraced
the const<strong>an</strong>t ch<strong>an</strong>ge <strong>an</strong>d
innovation required to keep
it competitive <strong>an</strong>d vibr<strong>an</strong>t.
Containerboard, corrugated
board construction, finished
box design, printing <strong>an</strong>d
finishing are being refined
<strong>an</strong>d perfected in response to
marketplace dem<strong>an</strong>d, <strong>an</strong>d
nimble independents excel in
this dexterity. But <strong>an</strong>other
phenomenon has occurred:
members are also adapting
to their customers’ needs for
total packaging solutions <strong>an</strong>d
in this regard m<strong>an</strong>y are now
offering folding cartons, rigid
boxes, foam, wood <strong>an</strong>d related
packaging materials. So in
a sense m<strong>an</strong>y of you have
gone from being independent
“corrugated” converters to
independent “packaging”
providers.
So in looking ahead, should
AICC reflect this ch<strong>an</strong>ge
to better serve you, our
members? In early March we
sent out a survey to members
asking you about your product
mix, its composition <strong>an</strong>d how
it’s ch<strong>an</strong>ged in the past five
years. While at this writing
the results are not yet in, I
would venture to say that most
all of you have had to step
up in one way or <strong>an</strong>other to
provide what your customer
w<strong>an</strong>ted – <strong>an</strong>d if you saw <strong>an</strong>
opportunity in that area, you
took it.
So the question being
pondered by your Board of
Directors is this: is it time we
broadened the tent of AICC
membership? If success in
the packaging business today
me<strong>an</strong>s being able to meet your
customers’ needs for various
forms of packaging, different
Steve Young, AICC President
substrates <strong>an</strong>d materials,
should not your Association
base its programming <strong>an</strong>d
services on that model as well?
One thing for sure: the key
word in our name will
never ch<strong>an</strong>ge, <strong>an</strong>d that’s
“Independent.” This is AICC’s
core focus – our “family value”
– <strong>an</strong>d whether you’re in the
corrugated, folding carton,
foam or wood business, you’re
<strong>an</strong> entrepreneur running
<strong>an</strong> independent comp<strong>an</strong>y
dedicated to serving your
customers’ packaging needs.
Stay tuned for more on this
topic. In the next issue I’ll
report on the results of our
survey <strong>an</strong>d what your opinions
are about how AICC should
adapt to these ch<strong>an</strong>ges in the
years ahead.
Th<strong>an</strong>ks for your support
of AICC. I welcome your
comments, always.
Steve Young
President
AICC
bOXSCORE
53

The Association of Independent Corrugated Converters
2011 Education Calendar
Events <strong>an</strong>d Education Date Location
Sales M<strong>an</strong>ager’s Conference April 6-7 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
See uS there! Wal-Mart SVN Show April 11-13 Bentonville, Ar
Suspect or Prospect April 28 SALeS WeBINAr
Proposals that Sell May 12 SALeS WeBINAr
Introduction to Flexo Corrugated May 17-18
SeMINAr – Great Lakes Packaging,
Germ<strong>an</strong>town, WI
Mexico Conference, trade Show <strong>an</strong>d training Seminar May 18-20 Guadalajara, Mexico
M<strong>an</strong>aging the Sale May 26 SALeS WeBINAr
New Business/Account Growth Sales Dynamics June 8-9 SeMINAr – Columbus, Oh
the Cost of Mistakes June 23 OrGANIzAtIONAL DyNAMICS WeBINAr
Internal Alignment July 14 OrGANIzAtIONAL DyNAMICS WeBINAr
the Dollars <strong>an</strong>d Sense of the Corrugated Operation July 20-21 SeMINAr – Los Angeles, CA
Strategies <strong>an</strong>d tactics for Marketing
Lightweights
August 11 PAPer WeBINAr
researching the Customer August 18 OrGANIzAtIONAL DyNAMICS WeBINAr
Pre-Print Volume on Dem<strong>an</strong>d August 25 WeBINAr
Creating a M<strong>an</strong>ufacturing
Business Pl<strong>an</strong> three Part Series
September 8 MANuFACturING WeBINAr I
tracking Perform<strong>an</strong>ce <strong>an</strong>d Process reliability September 22 MANuFACturING WeBINAr II
See uS there! Pack expo September 26-28 Las Vegas, NV
Follow-up Communication <strong>an</strong>d Action Pl<strong>an</strong>s October 6 MANuFACturING WeBINAr III
AICC 2011 Annual Meeting &
15th International Corrugated Packaging
Design Competition
October 26-28
the Gr<strong>an</strong>d America hotel
Salt Lake City, ut
AICC offers seminars <strong>an</strong>d webinars for Production, Sales, Fin<strong>an</strong>ce, Customer Service, Marketing <strong>an</strong>d the Executive Team.
For more information visit us at www.aiccbox.org or
Contact Taryn Pyle at tpyle@aiccbox.org or at 1-877-836-2422
54 bOXSCORE
Valid as of March 21, subject to ch<strong>an</strong>ge, please visit
http://www.aiccbox.org/education/eventcalendar.asp
for the latest topics, dates, <strong>an</strong>d times.