AICC Mexico Celebrating years in Mexico 2011 Annual C<strong>on</strong>ference May 18-20, 2011 Presidente Interc<strong>on</strong>tinental Guadalajara Training Trade Fair Pl<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>t Tour www.aiccbox.org/mexico Guadalajara - Mexico ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT CORRUGATED CONVERTERS AICC México región 14
The Comp<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>y That Plays Together . . . Succeeds Together! By Tom Nugent At Volk Packaging Corporati<strong>on</strong> – where <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g> enlightened comp<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>y m<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>agement enthusiastically supports everything from “mock-Olympic skiing events” to “Halloween costume c<strong>on</strong>tests” to yearly award-b<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>quets – they’ve taken “togetherness” to a whole new level. Victory! Moments after zooming across the finish line, the winning skier threw his h<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>ds into the air <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d then cut loose with a joyful shout: “Yes!” For D<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g> Brochu, a 31-year-old shipping supervisor at <strong>on</strong>e <strong>of</strong> Maine’s most successful business enterprises – Volk Packaging Corporati<strong>on</strong> – it was a moment <strong>of</strong> supreme triumph. “Yeah, it was a struggle all the way!” said Brochu, who most days is resp<strong>on</strong>sible for shipping out m<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>y different packaging products at the Volk facility in Biddeford, Maine. “I was truly in the battle <strong>of</strong> my life, but as I approached the finish line, I knew I still had a ch<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>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 <strong>of</strong> victory . . . rather th<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g> the ag<strong>on</strong>y <strong>of</strong> defeat!” For a few sec<strong>on</strong>ds, he sounded like a superstar athlete <strong>on</strong> Wide World <strong>of</strong> Sports. But then a moment later, the high-spirited Brochu was roaring with laughter. Why? Because the “dem<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>ding course” <strong>on</strong> which the fun-loving associate had just defeated five other hard-charging Volk “Olympic skiers” was exactly 20 feet l<strong>on</strong>g. Tucked away in a back corner <strong>of</strong> the factory, it c<strong>on</strong>sisted entirely <strong>of</strong> naked c<strong>on</strong>crete, without a single snowflake in sight. And the “skis” <strong>on</strong> which these “Volk Winter Olympics” athletes had just competed? Douglas, Kenneth, Benjamin <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d Derek Volk They were actually crafted from lengths <strong>of</strong> corrugated board, right <strong>of</strong>f a Volk machine. Like the “<strong>Corrugated</strong> All-Star Bowling Champi<strong>on</strong>ship” <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d the “Internati<strong>on</strong>al Fold-Stuff-<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d-Seal,” these recent “Winter Olympics” (inspired by Vice President Derek Volk) were powerful examples <strong>of</strong> the forward-thinking Volk Packaging Corporati<strong>on</strong>’s remarkably enlightened m<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>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<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>s it, too. At Volk Packaging, founded in 1967 by Ken <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d Benjamin Volk – two creatively minded businessmen with a knack for building “team spirit” am<strong>on</strong>g their associates by including them in every aspect <strong>of</strong> their fastgrowing enterprise – the ethos is egalitari<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g> . . . <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d the reigning attitude <strong>on</strong> the factory floor is playful creativity. “<strong>Corrugated</strong> Hockey Games” . . . And a Knockout Newsletter Spend a few hours h<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>ging out with Douglas <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d Derek Volk at their modern, 165,000-square-foot facility located in southern Maine, <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d you’ll so<strong>on</strong> discover that they become very serious whenever they talk about treating their people well. “At Volk Packaging, we d<strong>on</strong>’t refer to our people as ‘employees,’ but as ‘associates’,” says the 62-year-old top exec at the highly successful, New Engl<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d-based packaging supplier. “We’re also careful to never describe our associates as ‘working for us.’ “Our associates work with us, day in <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d day out, in a shared enterprise where they’re respected <str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>d valued as crucially import<str<strong>on</strong>g>an</str<strong>on</strong>g>t members <strong>on</strong> a team <strong>of</strong> equals. c<strong>on</strong>tinued <strong>on</strong> page 10 <strong>Corrugated</strong> Ping P<strong>on</strong>g athletes with their decorated paddles. bOXSCORE 9
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