March/ April 2026 BoxScore: The Future of Flexo

FLEXO THE FUTURE OF

Innovations and advancements are keeping this proven approach on the cutting edge

OFFICERS

Chairwoman: Terri-Lynn Levesque, Royal Containers Ltd., Brampton, Ontario, Canada

First Vice Chairman: Joseph Morelli, The Morelli Group Decatur, Illinois

Vice Chairmen: Mike Schaefer, Tavens Packaging & Display Solutions, Bedford Heights, Ohio

Eric Elgin, Oklahoma Interpack, Muskogee, Oklahoma

Josh Sobel, Jamestown Container Cos., Cleveland, Ohio

Immediate Past Chairman: Gary Brewer, Package Crafters, High Point, North Carolina

Chair, Past Chairmen’s Council: Matt Davis, Packaging Express, Colorado Springs, Colorado

President: Michael D’Angelo, AICC, The Independent Packaging Association, Alexandria, Virginia

Secretary/General Counsel: David Goch, Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, Washington, D.C.

Administrator, AICC Canada: Leah Gardiner Administrator, AICC México: Veronica Reyes

DIRECTORS

Great Lakes: Brock Welch, Welch Packaging , Elkhart, Indiana

Midwest: Cassi Malone, Corrugated Supplies Co., Bedford Park, Illinois

Northeast: Larry Grossbard, President Container Group Wood Ridge, New Jersey

Southeast: Chad Wagner, Peachtree Packaging & Display, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Southwest: Jordan Dawson, Harris Packaging , Haltom City, Texas

West: Sahar Mehrabzadeh-Garcia, Bay Cities, Pico Rivera, Califormia (interim)

AICC Canada: George Perreira, Moyy/Whitebird Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

AICC México: Jorge Ortega, Soluciones de Empaques S. de R.L. de C.V., Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

OVERSEAS DIRECTOR

Greg Jones, SUN Automation Group, Glen Arm, Maryland

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Jenise Cox, Harris Packaging , Haltom City, Texas

Sahar Mehrabzadeh-Garcia, Bay Cities, Pico Rivera, California

Casey Shaw, Batavia Container, Batavia, Illinois

Stuart Fenkel, McLean Packaging , Pennsauken Township, New Jersey

Jack Fiterman, Liberty Diversified International, Minneapolis, Minnesota

EMERGING LEADER DELEGATES

Evan Clary, National Corrugated Machinery, Hunt Valley, Maryland

Cody Brant, A.G. Stacker Inc., Weyers Cave, Virginia

Nick Catania, BHS Corrugated–North America Aurora, Illinois

ASSOCIATE MEMBER DIRECTORS

Chairman: Jeff Dietz, Koenig & Bauer (US), Dallas, Texas

Vice Chairman: Mike Butler, Domtar Packaging Fort Mill, South Carolina

Secretary: Brian Foley, Bobst, Phoenix, Arizona

Director: Warren Bird, JB Machinery, Westport, Connecticut

Immediate Past Chairman: John Burgess, Pamarco, Roselle Park, New Jersey

ADVISORS TO THE CHAIRWOMAN

Joe Palmeri, Jamestown Container Cos., Cleveland, Ohio

Al Hoodwin, Michigan City Paper Box Michigan City, Indiana

Jeff Dietz, Koenig & Bauer (US), Dallas, Texas

PUBLICATION STAFF

Publisher: Michael D’Angelo • mdangelo@AICCbox.org

Editor: Virginia Humphrey • vhumphrey@AICCbox.org

EDITORIAL/DESIGN SERVICES

YGS Association Solutions • www.YGSAssociation Solutions.com

Vice President, Association Solutions: Craig Lauer

Creative Director: Mike Vucic

Senior Managing Editor: Sam Hoffmeister

Copy Editor: Steve Kennedy

Art Director: Alex Straughan

Account Manager: Jillian Mengel

SUBMIT EDITORIAL IDEAS, NEWS, AND LETTERS TO: BoxScore@theYGSgroup.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Cindy Huber, Director of Conventions and Meetings

Chelsea May, Meeting Manager

Laura Mihalick, Senior Meeting Manager

Patrick Moore, Membership Manager

Taryn Pyle Director of Training, Education, and Professional Development

Rebecca Rendon, Senior Manager, Education and Training

Alyce Ryan Membership Marketing Senior Manager

ADVERTISING

Taryn Pyle

703-535-1391 • tpyle@AICCbox.org

Patrick Moore

703-535-1394 • pmoore@AICCbox.org

AICC

PO Box 25708

Alexandria, VA 22313

Phone 703-836-2422

Toll-free 877-836-2422 Fax 703-836-2795 www.AICCbox.org

ABOUT AICC, THE INDEPENDENT PACKAGING ASSOCIATION

AICC provides the education, tools, and information your company and employees need to thrive in the paper packaging industry.

Legacy in Action: Empower Risk-Taking

In my previous column we touched on pillar one of my theme, which was Mentor Intentionally. The second pillar of Legacy in Action is Empower Risk-Taking.

If mentorship is the heart of leadership development, then risk-taking is its engine. No leader emerges without confronting uncertainty, navigating failure, or stepping into discomfort. Yet many organizations unintentionally suppress this essential learning by rewarding caution instead of courage. To develop the next generation, we must rewrite that script. We must empower risk-taking.

Today’s emerging leaders are entering an environment defined by rapid transformation—automation, sustainability pressures, shifting labor markets, and constant technological advancements such as AI. In a world changing this quickly, resilience and adaptability matter as much as technical skill. Those qualities are forged through experience, experimentation, and yes, failure.

Empowering risk-taking does not mean encouraging recklessness. It means creating environments in which individuals can challenge assumptions, test new solutions, and stretch beyond their comfort zones without fear of punishment. When leaders respond to missteps with coaching rather than criticism, they send a powerful message: Innovation requires bravery, and bravery is welcome here.

The leaders who shaped us didn’t remove obstacles; they helped us develop the skills to navigate them. They encouraged us to question the status quo, think strategically, and make decisions even when all variables weren’t perfect. That is empowerment in action. When organizations embrace this mindset, they unlock creativity and initiative. Teams become more proactive, more curious, and more willing to explore unconventional ideas. They stop asking, “What if this goes wrong?” and start asking, “What if this could make us better?”

Empowering risk-taking also strengthens organizational culture. People who feel trusted are more engaged, more loyal, and more innovative. They take ownership. They build momentum. They contribute not just to the work but to the evolution of the organiza tion itself.

If we want bold leaders tomorrow, we must stop rewarding only perfect decisions and start rewarding thoughtful experimentation. We must build structures that encourage collaboration, transparency, and curiosity. And we must model courage ourselves—showing that leaders are not defined by avoiding mistakes, but by how they rise, learn, and lead through them.

When we give others the freedom to try, fail, and grow, we develop leaders capable of carrying our industry forward for decades to come. Look at AICC membership—so many multigenerational family companies, growing, thriving, and showing the way. Truly legacy in action!

Market Insights

Potential Price Changes in 2026

BY RYAN FOX

Box producers appear likely to pursue price increases that outpace inputcost inflation in 2026, and Green Markets wouldn’t be surprised by an attempted move of $50 to $70 a ton. The question is: How will it be implemented?

Many buyers and sellers have said the industry’s benchmark publication failed to reflect pricing realities during a persistently soft 2025. For producers, volatility creates opportunity. When prices move in either direction, it prompts buyers to revisit contracts, test the market, and seek competitive quotes, giving some boxmakers greater leverage as the status quo becomes harder to defend.

Green Markets doesn’t provide price forecasts but rather relies on data to provide grounded analysis of how the market is functioning. This report traces historical containerboard pricing trends, contextualizes recent movements, and outlines what appears to be ahead. We’ll examine cost inputs, supply-demand imbalances, mill closures, and global trade shifts and how those forces may shape pricing strategies in a climate of uncertainty.

We believe any price increase in 2026 would be aimed primarily at halting the erosion in box pricing amid sustained demand weakness. That pressure became more pronounced in the second half of 2025 and was enough to unsettle sheet pricing, particularly for truckload volumes of a single size. Sheet plants, which account for roughly 20% of industry shipments and typically serve lower-volume, more customized orders, reported increasingly inconsistent pricing, a sign of the market’s fragility.

Yet what stood out most was that more containerboard buyers didn’t report lower

prices. Few buyers—even those squeezed by downstream price pressure—appeared to be asking their paper suppliers for relief or shopping the market more aggressively. When asked why, one said only that “it’s not the mill’s problem.” Others said they were reluctant to push on price given memories of quotas or supply issues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justifying the Price Lift

The next round of price-increase justifications will likely lean less on operating rates and more on structural cost pressures. Rising energy costs, health insurance premiums, wage inflation, and capital equipment expenses should take center stage.

Electric transmission costs have surged in some regions amid the rapid expansion of U.S. data centers, electrical vehicle use, and renewable energy installations. As utilities modernize an aging grid, those infrastructure investments are increasingly being passed on to industrial users. Health insurance premiums also have jumped, with some businesses reporting 30% increases following recent changes to

Affordable Care Act funding under the Trump administration.

Labor remains a key cost driver, as well. Retaining skilled workers has become more expensive, with real hourly wages for corrugated box plant employees rising nearly 50% over the past five years. Tariffs continue to fuel price inflation for corrugated machinery and spare parts, further straining capital budgets.

Despite rising costs and softening demand, third-quarter results from publicly traded producers showed margin expansion across the board. International Paper reported an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) margin of 17.5% through Q3 2025, up 660 basis points from 10.9% a year earlier. Smurfit Westrock’s North American EBITDA margin of 17.2% was slightly ahead of 16.8% a year earlier. Packaging Corp. of America’s year-to-date EBITDA margin was 22.4%, up from 20.5% in 2024.

Though falling shipments remain a concern, improved margins suggest that price realizations from the Q1 2025 increase— combined with cost control—provided a meaningful offset.

Market Insights

Mill Operating Rates, July 2022–September 2025

Jul-22Sep-22Nov-22Jan-23Mar-23May-23Jul-23Sep-23Nov-23Jan-24Mar-24May-24Jul-24Sep-24Nov-24Jan-25Mar-25May-25Jul-25Sep-25

Source: AF&PA, Green Markets, Bloomberg

Containerboard Inventory, January 2020–September 2025

When they’ve climbed higher, it’s often due to mill closures or a surge in exports rather than a true demand recovery. In Q3 2025, rates briefly reached 94%, but skepticism lingers. If they top 96% again, will box buyers see that as a genuine sign of tightness or push back, arguing that the number is more the result of supply manipulation?

The elephant in the room is global overcapacity. Numera Analytics reported a global operating rate of just 77% through Q3—a clear sign of excess supply outside North America. Though U.S. tariffs may temporarily limit imports, they also risk constraining exports to Canada and Mexico. Some Canadian producers have already indicated a preference for offshore containerboard, citing both economic and political headwinds tied to U.S. supply.

Historically, containerboard inventories served as a reliable indicator of price direction. In mid-2020, inventories rose to 4.5 weeks of supply at the onset of COVID-19. They fell below four weeks by August as product demand surged, bottoming at 3.1 weeks in October and November as mills struggled to keep pace. Costly upgrades and material substitutions followed, and the industry implemented multiple price hikes over an 18-month period.

Jan-20Apr-20Jul-20Oct-20Jan-21Apr-21Jul-21Oct-21Jan-22Apr-22Jul-22Oct-22Jan-23Apr-23Jul-23Oct-23Jan-24Apr-24Jul-24Oct-24Jan-25Apr-25Jul-25

Source: AF&PA, FBA, Green Markets, Bloomberg

Taking the Fun Out of Fundamentals

For years, containerboard pricing followed a reliable playbook: Mill operating rates and inventory levels set the tone. When operating rates topped 96%, producers typically had enough pricing power to push through increases. If inventories dipped below 3.5 weeks, a hike often followed. Conversely, when operating rates

slipped below 90%, or inventories rose above 4.4 weeks, prices tended to soften. These fundamentals offered a level of predictability that box buyers and sellers alike could use to navigate the market.

In recent years, those fundamentals have lost their predictive power. Mill operating rates have hovered just above 90% for much of the past two years.

Post-COVID, as demand softened, inventories climbed, reaching a high of five weeks in March. Yet despite rising stock levels, producers implemented a benchmark-recognized price increase in February 2025. With both inventory and price moving higher simultaneously, the once stable relationship between the two began to break down.

Ryan Fox is a corrugated market analyst at Green Markets, a Bloomberg company. He can be reached at rfox93@ bloomberg.

Legislative Report

Harmonizing EPR: It’s Time to Bridge the Patchwork of State Regulations

BY ERIC ELGIN

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws, which require manufacturers to finance and manage the end-of-life recycling and disposal of products such as packaging, have been growing across the United States. Currently, seven states—California, Colorado, Maine, Oregon, Minnesota, Maryland, and Washington, have passed EPR packaging laws, with several states considering similar legislation. This patchwork approach has created significant compliance challenges for producers operating nationwide.

Stakeholders increasingly recognize the need for harmonization across state programs. Industry groups and regulators are advocating for alignment on key elements such as producer definitions, material categories, and compliance frameworks so that companies can navigate the rules more efficiently and avoid thousands of interpretations.

At the same time, discussions have begun at the federal level about a national EPR framework. Frustration with the current situation is fueling conversation on Capitol Hill about a more uniform approach, though legislative action is not close.

Harmonization of EPR regulations would have a significant and largely positive impact on the corrugated industry, which already has a strong record of recycling performance.

Reduced compliance complexity and cost would be the most immediate benefit. Corrugated packaging producers and buyers often operate nationally, yet recovered materials, fee structures, reporting

formats, and timelines vary by state. Harmonized rules—whether through aligned state programs or a federal framework—would allow companies to implement a single compliance strategy, streamline data collection, and reduce administrative overhead.

From a financial perspective, harmonization could lead to more predictable and equitable fee structures. We know well that corrugated boxes are highly recyclable, widely collected, and made primarily from recycled fiber. With harmonization, corrugated packaging would likely face lower EPR fees than less recyclable materials.

Overall, harmonization would reward corrugated’s strong recycling outcomes,

reduce regulatory friction, and reinforce its role as the preferred sustainable packaging solution.

AICC, through partnership with the American Forest & Paper Association, represents members’ interests on EPR at both the state and federal levels and communicates relevant developments via AICC publications and at the AICC website, www.AICCbox.org

Eric Elgin is owner of Oklahoma Interpak and chairman of AICC’s government affairs subcommittee. He can be reached at 918-687-1681 or eric@okinterpak.com

Welcome, New and Returning Members!

FLEXO CONCEPTS

KEVIN McLAUGHLIN CEO

100 Armstrong Rd., Suite 103 Plymouth, MA 02360

508-830-9506

www.flexoconcepts.com

BANK OF AMERICA SECURITIES, INC.

GEORGE L. STAPHOS

Managing Director; Manager/Team Lead, Research

One Bryant Park, 1-100-16-05 New York, NY 10036 Phone: 646-855-4495

MAXCORR

MAXIMILIAN G. VON HILLEBRANDT

Operations Manager 12460 Crabapple Rd., Suite 202-121 Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-983-4406

www.maxcorr.com

TRICEL HONEYCOMB

ERIC HAAS

President/CEO 2100 Swanson Court Gurnee, IL 60031 800-352-3300 www.tricelcorp.com



 “Set



 Continuous

Members Meeting

AICC 2026 Spring Meeting: Legacy in Action – Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders

The AICC 2026 Spring Meeting, April 13–15 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California, promises a dynamic blend of education, connection, and leadership development for professionals in the independent paper-packaging industry. Under the theme “Legacy in Action — Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders,” this three-day gathering unites converters, suppliers, and industry partners for actionable insights, peer engagement, and professional growth.

AICC has assembled a lineup of distinguished speakers and expert sessions designed to equip attendees with forward-thinking tools and frameworks. Speakers include:

• Jim Carroll — futurist and leadership expert

• Ross Bernstein — motivational business speaker and author

• Matt Eichmann — leadership advisor, Catalyst Point

• George Staphos — managing director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch

• Jules Van Sant — executive director, Two Sides North America

• Todd Zielinski — managing director and CEO, Athena SWC

• K.M. Zouhary — founder and principal consultant, KMZ Advisors

Sessions will dive deeper into the how behind today’s most pressing business challenges, giving attendees practical insights they can take back to their operations immediately. Participants will learn proven approaches to leadership succession planning that help ensure continuity and long-term stability, as well as how to apply AI and emerging technologies to

improve efficiency, decision-making, and competitiveness.

Programming will also explore emotional intelligence as a critical leadership skill for building strong teams and navigating change, while economic and cybersecurity sessions will equip attendees with a clearer understanding of market forces, risk management, and data protection. Sustainability discussions will focus on communicating the value of paper-based packaging, responding to customer expectations, and positioning businesses for long-term success in an evolving regulatory and environmental landscape.

Sales Seminar: The ISO 9001 Approach to Manufacturing Sales Growth

The ISO 9001 Approach to Manufacturing Sales Growth is a one-day preconference

program designed to help packaging sales leaders and executives bring structure, clarity, and consistency to their sales organizations. This session, led by Todd Zielinski, managing director and CEO of Athena SWC, applies proven quality management system principles to the sales function—whether or not a company is ISO 9001-certified. Attendees will learn how to identify and close gaps in their current sales process, reduce reliance on instinct or guesswork, and build a repeatable system that drives predictable revenue growth. The program focuses on applying quality concepts to improve sales consistency and forecasting accuracy, establishing meaningful key performance indicators that provide visibility into pipeline health, and creating a scalable framework that better equips sales teams to win and retain business.

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Women in Packaging Events

The Women in Packaging events offer more than just networking. They provide a supportive platform tailored to the professional development of women in the packaging industry. Attendees will gain access to peer connection opportunities, mentorship, and discussion forums that highlight real-world career insights, leadership skills, and industry best practices. Through in-person events such as the group breakfast and specialized sessions, women can expand their professional networks, learn from successful role models, and build the confidence to take on leadership roles and new challenges within their companies.

12th Annual Independents’ Cup Golf Tournament

The 12th Annual Independents’ Cup Golf Tournament adds an energetic and engaging dimension to the event, blending friendly competition with some of the week’s best networking opportunities. Set against a premier course, the tournament gives attendees the chance to connect with peers, customers, and industry partners in a relaxed, high-spirited setting where conversations flow as easily as the fairways. Whether participants are seasoned golfers or casual players, the tournament delivers a fun, memorable experience that strengthens relationships, sparks new connections, and sets the tone for a productive and enjoyable Spring Meeting.

The 2026 AICC Spring Meeting is an educational catalyst and a community hub for independent packaging professionals. Whether attendees come to enhance sales leadership, participate in women’s empowerment events, advance emerging talent, or absorb strategic insights from keynote leaders, the program provides meaningful takeaways that can be implemented immediately back home.

Learn more and register at www.AICCbox.org/meeting

Ask Ralph

What Are the Key Economic Indicators?

BY RALPH YOUNG

What an adventure it’s been writing these articles for almost 20 years, along with providing written response through AskRalph connections and blog. I never imagined this legacy of paying it forward for those who never had the opportunity to have traversed this amazing industry with me for more than 40 years. I had great teachers, bosses, fellow employees, and mentors along the way. Yes, “may we live in interesting times.” It has been a pleasure to serve.

The more recent interesting times in corrugated and containerboard started with the recession of 2008, when we saw a significant drop in demand and shipments of corrugated. The COVID-19 pandemic sent shipments in a trajectory in which buyers overordered, and then there was a period of inventory reconciliation. We have been whipsawed while trying to build a steady business plan for capacity expansion, modernization, or new employment development. Then, there have been the reciprocal tariffs, and export shipments have fallen off, especially those to China.

Many years ago, there were five major banks and investment firms that closely followed the containerboard and corrugated industries with comments and buy/sell recommendations. Now we are down to two, with Bank of America and Bloomberg engaging us as an Association and yet looking at one another statistically somewhat differently. Our desire is that you have heard, read, and connected with George Staphos and Ryan Fox and signed up for their newsletters or attended their events. They have also

contributed to BoxScore and attended AICC meetings.

What a year 2025 was, with more than 3.5 million tons of legacy mill capacity closures, and yet mills are not running “full.” Many of these mills were virgin fiber-based and still made viable grades. However, modern machines have 300- to 330-inch trims, are faster, are focused on 31–33# linerboards, 21–23# mediums, and reengineering OCC, DLK, and mixed office waste into excellent containerboards. Those historic machines had typically been constructed for 42# linerboards and 26# mediums when designed 50 years ago.

Domestic box demand remains sluggish. From the surveys in which we have participated, there appears to be a disconnect between integrateds and independents in their orders and outlooks.

Integrated box plant closures and their megaplant announcements translate into opportunities for entrepreneurs. Closures of these usually small and frequently outdated plants often create opportunities for smaller, more agile businesses to enter the market.

New Large Economic Indicators

Gene Marks, CPA and owner of financial consulting firm The Marks Group, has a completely different perspective than what we have always relied on for economic activity. He started with an indicator we follow: the Institute of Supply Management’s Purchasing Manager’s Index, in which values over 50 indicate that the overall economy is expanding but not necessarily in all segments. The index showed a sharp

decline before the pandemic and then an even larger spike in expansion. Next, he follows the National Federation of Independent Business—a measure of smallbusiness optimism.

Next mentioned was the Architectural Billings Index, a key economic indicator that reflects the demand for nonresidential construction activity in the United States. Currently, the reading is below the neutral 50 index mark. Fourth was the Baltic Dry Index, a shipping freight cost index issued daily by the London-based Baltic Exchange. It measures dry goods such as iron ore and grains.

The last metric is key earnings reports such as those on banks, retail, and jobs. Many of these are published in Fastmarkets’ daily and weekly reports.

So, the economy continues to be challenged by tariffs, inflation, and fluctuating employment figures. Marks’ last comment and warning is to avoid government data at all costs. There have been several changes to the business and business tax code that should benefit everyone. Remember, it’s all about margin dollars and not about margin percentage.

Ralph Young is the principal of Alternative Paper Solutions and is AICC’s technical advisor. Contact Ralph directly at askralph@AICCbox.org about technical issues that impact our industry.

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Ask Tom

It’s Never Too Late to Invest in Your Leadership

BY TOM WEBER

In its highly recognized report on the future of work, Gallup published the results of its global study in a book titled It’s the Manager. The subtitle made this observation: “The quality of managers and team leaders is the single biggest factor in your organization’s long-term success.” Just the facts here!

There is an enduring paradox in so many of our beloved packaging organizations. With all the talk about and sincere efforts to build a culture, tactical approaches often fall short. Although celebrations, employee recognition programs, awards, and bonus opportunities are all worthy in their own right, building a lasting culture of high performance and team member commitment comes down to a singular critical strategy. One team member at a client organization said it best: In order to build a strong culture, “get me a better manager.”

I speak with literally hundreds of folks in my monthly travels as an executive recruiter and can tell you that some folks just do not get it, while others in this challenging world of a very limited leadership talent pool really do. These are the clients that I delight in serving, because I know my placed candidates with be fulfilled and rewarded for their exceptional contributions to their companies and the folks leading it.

Research results by organizations such as Gallup point in the same direction. The training and development of supervisors and managers is an essential element for long-term organizational success. With such a strong and clear consensus, why is it that this key requirement is so

often given little attention and few if any resources?

One possible explanation is that organizations frequently overestimate the complexity of effective leadership development. It is often assumed that strong technical skills naturally translate into strong managerial abilities, but in reality, the competencies required for great management are distinct and must be intentionally cultivated. Without deliberate investment in leadership training, organizations risk stagnation and disengagement, ultimately undermining their long-term objectives.

Despite widespread acknowledgment of its importance, organizations frequently prioritize short-term gains over sustained investment in leadership development. Competing budget demands, lack of immediate results, or misconceptions about the impact of quality management can all contribute to this oversight. However, neglecting to invest in

managers ultimately undermines efforts to foster a thriving organizational culture and achieve long-term success.

Management and supervisory training need not be expensive or complex. One of the best ways to begin is by taking advantage of highly focused industry-specific development programs, such as those offered through AICC.

Please take the time to reach out to our AICC educational and training teams to see where you can utilize a tune-up for your particular training needs in 2026 and beyond. We are all here to assist. There is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom within our wonderful Association—please use it!

Tom Weber is president of WeberSource LLC and is AICC’s folding carton and rigid box technical advisor. Contact Tom directly at asktom@AICCbox.org

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Selling Today

What Is GEO, and Why Should Packaging Manufacturers Care?

BY TODD M. ZIELINSKI AND LISA BENSON

Love them or hate them, generative AI systems such as ChatGPT are here to stay. Widely viewed as one of the most significant technology shifts of the past several decades, these tools deliver narrative-style answers without requiring users to visit multiple websites, compare sources, or synthesize information themselves. Adoption has accelerated quickly, and many people now turn to generative AI when researching products, services, or technical topics.

This shift matters for packaging manufacturers because it changes how prospects learn. Buyers are no longer relying solely on traditional search results to gather information. They are increasingly asking AI systems to summarize options, explain differences, and present recommendations. As a result, manufacturers must consider how their websites rank in search engines as well as how their expertise is represented in AI-generated answers.

As prospects more readily turn to generative AI for information, generative engine optimization (GEO) is emerging as a complement to traditional search engine optimization (SEO). GEO focuses on ensuring that digital content is visible to generative AI systems, particularly those that do not rely on conventional search rankings.

How Generative AI Systems Provide Information

Not all generative AI systems work the same way, and understanding this distinction helps explain why both SEO and GEO are now necessary.

Some generative AI experiences are built directly into search engines. Google

and Bing, for example, now present AI-generated summaries alongside traditional search results. In these environments, SEO still plays a central role. Content must be indexed, structured, and ranked to be included and summarized.

Other generative AI tools operate outside of traditional search. Standalone AI systems generate answers without presenting a list of search results at all. Instead, they synthesize information from a broad range of sources across the web and their training data. In these cases, visibility depends less on rankings and more on how clearly, consistently, and authoritatively information is published and referenced online.

Research suggests that the use of AI tools to uncover information is increasing, while reliance on traditional search engines is beginning to decline. In an August 2025 Higher Visibility survey, more than 62% report they have started using AI tools for search. The same survey revealed that Google, which has

dominated the industry for decades, is losing ground: Those reporting using it for general information searches dropped from 73% to 66.9% in six months.

For packaging manufacturers, SEO remains essential as prospects are still using traditional search engines, and those search engines are incorporating AI into their results. At the same time, a complementary approach is needed to ensure that content can be understood and retrieved by generative AI systems that do not rely on traditional search rankings. This is where GEO can give manufacturers an advantage.

What Is GEO?

GEO is the practice of structuring and presenting digital content so it can be accurately retrieved, interpreted, and synthesized by generative AI systems. Over the last three decades, SEO has been used by marketers to optimize their company websites to improve ranking in search engine results. SEO strategies

Selling Today

involve creating content around relevant keywords that prospects may search for, building backlinks from reputable sites to enhance authority and trustworthiness, and ensuring that the website is fast, mobile-friendly, and free from errors that could hinder search engine indexing.

Over time, SEO has evolved as search engine algorithms have become more sophisticated. Each change required marketers and manufacturers to adjust how they created and structured digital content. At the same time, the underlying goal remained the same: helping the right information reach the right audience at the right time.

GEO represents a similar evolution driven by changes in how users consume information. Instead of ranking pages and presenting a list of links, standalone generative AI systems synthesize information and deliver a single response. This means that content is competing for inclusion in an AI-generated answer and for position on a results page.

However, when generative AI is integrated into search engines, traditional SEO still determines which content appears. GEO is necessary to ensure that the content can be accurately interpreted and summarized.

Whereas SEO focuses on how content is discovered, GEO focuses on how content is understood. Generative AI systems favor information that is clearly written and consistently presented, and that demonstrates authority. Content that explains products, capabilities, and technical details in plain language is more likely to be accurately interpreted and reused than content that relies on marketing jargon.

For packaging manufacturers, GEO does not require abandoning SEO best practices. In fact, many of the fundamentals overlap. Well-organized site structures, clear product and service descriptions, and authoritative thought leadership all support both SEO and GEO.

As generative AI continues to influence how prospects research suppliers, manufacturers that view GEO as a natural extension of their existing SEO efforts will be better positioned to maintain visibility and credibility. The goal is to ensure that accurate technical information is available wherever and however buyers choose to look for it.

Why GEO Matters for Packaging Manufacturers

Packaging buyers rarely make decisions after reviewing a single source. They research options, compare capabilities, and narrow their list before ever contacting a supplier. Increasingly, they are turning to generative AI in the early research phase, which helps them to frame questions, understand tradeoffs, and identify what to look for in a potential partner.

When a buyer asks a generative AI system a question such as, “What type of packaging is best for [a specific product]?” or “What is often overlooked when choosing a packaging manufacturer?” the goal is to gather information rather than immediately select a supplier. Rather than competing for a single click, GEO assists prospects during the research and short-listing stage, where many buying decisions begin.

This has practical implications for how content is created. Clear explanations of services, materials, certifications, and use cases help AI systems surface relevant information and guide buyers toward credible sources. In many cases, AI-generated summaries include references, links, or prompts that lead users to explore specific companies more deeply. This is especially true when users ask questions such as, “What companies specialize in [specific format] for [specific industry]?” or “Which packaging manufacturers have certifications for food-grade packaging?”

When buyers encounter a company name, capability, or recommendation

through a generative AI system, it often leads to follow-up searches, website visits, or referrals within a buying team. Visibility at this stage can increase the likelihood of being included in a request for information or a short list of potential suppliers.

GEO Is a Practical Extension of Existing Marketing Strategies

The emergence of GEO does not require packaging manufacturers to overhaul their existing digital strategies. Search engines remain important, and SEO fundamentals will continue to matter. GEO builds on the work manufacturers are already doing to clearly explain their capabilities, processes, and expertise online. Content that is well structured, accurate, and written to answer prospects’ questions will serve both traditional search engines and generative AI systems. As research behaviors continue to evolve, packaging manufacturers that treat GEO as a natural companion to SEO are more likely to remain visible throughout the prospect’s buying journey. The goal of implementing GEO strategies alongside SEO is to ensure that when prospects look for answers, whether through search engines or generative AI tools, the information they find accurately reflects the packaging manufacturer’s experience, capabilities, and value .

Todd M. Zielinski is managing director and CEO at Athena SWC LLC. He can be reached at 716-250-5547 or tzielinski@athenaswc.com

Lisa Benson is senior marketing content consultant at Athena SWC LLC. She can be reached at lbenson@athenaswc.com

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Andragogy

Learning Never Stops: Why Continuing Education Is Essential

BY JULIE RICE SUGGS, PH.D., AND ALLI KEIGLEY

The corrugated packaging industry has never stood still—and neither can the people who lead it. Between evolving customer expectations, sustainability demands, automation, and tightening margins, today’s leaders are being asked to do more—and do it faster and smarter than ever before. Experience still matters, but experience alone is no longer enough. Continuing education has become a distinguishing competitive advantage.

For many professionals, formal training ends just as their careers begin to accelerate. That gap in ongoing professional development is exactly what inspired the Business Management in Corrugated Packaging (BMCP) Certificate Program. Developed in collaboration with AICC and The Packaging School, the program was created after recognizing a common need: Managers who had completed foundational training were hungry for deeper business education tailored specifically to corrugated packaging. They didn’t want a generic MBA; they wanted something practical, relevant, and built for the realities of their future success in the industry.

“Many leaders in the corrugated packaging industry advanced quickly through the ranks or prioritized family and career responsibilities before having the opportunity to pursue an MBA,” says Rebecca Rendon, AICC senior manager of education. “The BMCP certificate was designed specifically for those professionals—providing practical, industry-relevant business education without requiring them to step away from their careers or personal commitments. From AICC’s perspective, BMCP fills a critical gap by meeting leaders where they are and helping them grow with confidence.”

Michel Alvarez, plant manager at Royal Containers, has experienced the difference firsthand. “AICC and The Packaging School are a truly a valued resource in our industry,” he says. “Being a hands-on individual, they have provided me another opportunity for growth from a business perspective. There is always room for improvement, and understanding this is the first step. Thank you to Julie and Rebecca for appreciating the importance of such a program for our industry. So far, they have placed this group of cohorts in front of two needles in a haystack, being Ralph Young and Tom Weber. Their wealth of knowledge along with the experience within the cohort group itself is truly invaluable.”

At its core, the BMCP program provides industry-specific business education designed for working professionals. Participants strengthen leadership skills,

build financial and strategic insight, and gain the operational knowledge needed to lead confidently in a highly competitive market. The program is flexible and accessible, with coursework completed remotely and attuned to the schedule of each participant, making it possible to balance learning with full-time careers. While the program spans 12–18 months, the time commitment is intentionally manageable, reinforcing the idea that professional growth should be sustainable, not disruptive.

But this program is only part of a larger story.

Continuing Education as a Strategic Investment

Across the industry, companies are increasingly recognizing that developing their people is one of the smartest investments they can make. According to

Y CORRUGATED BOX INDUSTRY

Andragogy

multiple workforce studies, organizations that actively support employee learning see higher retention, stronger engagement, and better leadership pipelines. LinkedIn research found that 94% of employees say they would stay longer at a company that invested in their careers, and a strong learning culture is associated with 30%–50% higher retention rates.

Deloitte’s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends research reinforces this imperative: More than 70% of managers and workers alike say they’re more likely to join and stay with an organization if its employee value proposition supports them thriving in a dynamic, AI-enabled world, which includes career growth and learning opportunities.

This reflects a broader trend in which leaders at all levels want meaningful

Displays, and Niagara Sheets LLC are actively supporting continuing education initiatives with the BMCP program. Their participation reflects a shared belief that developing talent, at every career stage, sets both individuals and organizations up for long-term success.

development: Managers are not only focused on operational outcomes but also eager for the skills that help them coach, motivate, and retain their teams.

Deloitte’s research emphasizes that a manager’s ability to lead, inspire, and develop people is one of the largest influences on workforce productivity and retention, and effective coaching and development can boost direct reports’ performance and engagement.

Employees, including those new to the industry and those in management, are clear about what they want: opportunities to grow, expand their skills, and build long-term careers. When companies embed continuing learning into their culture, they support individual aspirations while strengthening organizational capability, resilience, and leadership bench strength over the long term.

JOIN THE NEXT COHORT

Scan the code to learn more about and apply to the Business Management in Corrugated Packaging Certificate Program.

That mindset is already taking hold in the corrugated space. Companies such as Haire Group, Royal Containers Ltd., Weber Display & Packaging, Bay Cities, Harris Packaging Corp., DanHil Containers II Ltd., Rabb Corrugated Packaging and

For newer professionals, continuing education accelerates learning curves and builds confidence. For seasoned managers, it sharpens decision-making and prepares them to lead teams through change. For companies, it creates a culture in which growth is expected, supported, and aligned with business goals.

Building the Future of the Industry

Programs such as the BMCP emphasize practical application—connecting leadership, operations, finance, sales, and innovation directly to real-world challenges. Participants don’t just learn concepts; they apply them to their organizations and the broader packaging industry. This kind of learning strengthens not only individual careers but the industry as a whole.

As corrugated packaging continues to evolve, one truth is clear: The most successful companies will be those that keep learning. Continuing education is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s how leaders stay relevant, how teams stay engaged, and how the industry continues to grow stronger together.

Julie Rice Suggs, Ph.D., is academic director at the Packaging School. She can be reached at 330-774-8542 or julie@ packagingschool.com

Alli Keigley is production coordinator at the Packaging School. She can be reached at alli@packagingschool.com.

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VUCA Isn’t New, but It’s Hitting Harder Than Ever

BY MATT EICHMANN

If running a corrugated business—or supplying the corrugated industry— feels harder than it used to, you’re not imagining it.

Tariffs shift with little warning. Labor is tight and expensive. Customers expect faster turns, tighter tolerances, and fewer mistakes —often all at once. A late raw-material delivery can ripple through production schedules, customer commitments, and cash flow before anyone has time to catch their breath. The pace rarely lets up.

There’s a name for this environment: VUCA—volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity.

The term didn’t come from consultants. It came from the U.S. military after the Cold War, when leaders realized the world had become less predictable and more interconnected. Old playbooks built for stable conditions no longer held up.

It’s important to understand that VUCA itself isn’t new. What’s new is its amplification. Globalization, instantaneous communication, and rapid innovation have turned occasional disruptions into a constant reality. Tools that worked well in a slower, more predictable 20th-century world—rigid plans, command-and-control management, and

waiting for perfect information—now feel brittle and slow.

Even large organizations see the shift. A recent Deloitte survey found that 8 out of 10 business leaders believe navigating complexity is the most important business skill today. For small and midsized manufacturers and suppliers, the pressure is even greater because there’s less margin for error and fewer layers to absorb shocks.

So how do leaders counter VUCA without overcomplicating things or burning themselves out? Start with a few practical moves.

Volatility Is Countered by Vision

When conditions change fast, people need something stable to anchor to. Clear purpose and direction act like stabilizers. When teams understand where the company is headed—and how their work contributes—they stay focused even as variables shift. Vision doesn’t need buzzwords, but it does need repetition and relevance to daily decisions.

Uncertainty Is Countered by Understanding

Uncertainty thrives in information gaps. Leaders reduce it by teaching, not hoarding knowledge. Ask yourself: What do I know, and who needs to know it?

The more employees understand how the business works, what customers value, and how decisions get made, the better they respond when plans change midstream.

Complexity Is Countered by Clarity and Simplicity

The world is already complicated, so never miss a chance to simplify. Narrow priorities. Apply the 80/20 rule. Communicate in plain language. Break tangled systems into manageable parts so people can act instead of freeze.

Ambiguity Is Countered by Agility

When the path forward isn’t clear, speed matters more than perfection. Encourage small experiments. Push decisions closer to the work. You can almost always adjust later, but hesitation hands control to the environment.

One final reality: VUCA is exhausting. Left unacknowledged, it doesn’t just drain energy—it erodes judgment, slows decisions, and drives good people out the door. Strong leaders name the strain, show empathy, and reinforce

the importance of recovery. There’s a reason Marines are given short periods of liberty during deployments: People perform better when they’re allowed to recharge.

Do this tomorrow: Pick one recurring decision that tends to stall—production changes, pricing exceptions, customer complaints—and clarify who can decide and when it must be escalated. Clear decision rights shorten cycle time and restore momentum fast.

VUCA isn’t going away. But with focus, trust, and practical leadership moves, it won’t get to run your business.

Matt Eichmann is founder of Catalyst Point Leadership Advisors. He can be reached at 614-512-2940 or matt@catalyst-point.com

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Leadership When You Have Questions, CEO Groups Have Answers

Leading a box manufacturing operation comes with high-stakes decisions, constant change, and few peers who truly understand the challenges at the top. AICC’s CEO Advisory Groups were created to give executives a trusted environment in wgich those challenges can be discussed openly—and solutions can be developed collaboratively.

Participants gain access to a confidential peer network made up exclusively of fellow box plant CEOs. These are leaders who understand industry dynamics, market pressures, labor challenges, capital investment decisions, and the realities of running complex manufacturing operations. That shared experience allows conversations to move quickly beyond theory and into practical, real-world solutions.

One of the greatest benefits of joining a CEO Advisory Group is the perspective it offers. Regular in-person meetings at member plants allow participants to step outside their own organizations and see how others approach similar issues. This exposure often sparks new ideas, reveals

blind spots, and helps CEOs evaluate their businesses more objectively. Seeing operations firsthand also provides valuable benchmarks and immediate inspiration.

Each group is guided by an AICC-approved facilitator who ensures meetings are productive, focused, and balanced. The facilitator helps drive meaningful discussion, encourages accountability, and keeps the group aligned with its goals. This structure allows participants to arrive prepared, leave with clear takeaways, and make measurable progress between meetings.

decision-making at the executive level, participants benefit from honest feedback and support from peers who understand the weight of those responsibilities.

Beyond operational strategy, CEO Advisory Groups provide a rare space for leaders to discuss sensitive or personal challenges without risking their role or authority. Whether navigating succession planning, leadership development, organizational culture, or personal

Ultimately, CEOs who join an AICC Advisory Group gain more than advice—they gain accountability, clarity, and confidence. The relationships formed within each group create a lasting support system that strengthens decision-making, accelerates growth, and positively impacts both business performance and leadership effectiveness.

Learn more about joining a CEO Advisory Group at www.AICCbox. org/CEO

AICC Innovation

Sustainability

Two Sides North America Takes Lead on Sustainability Messaging

Two Sides North America (TSNA) and its Love Paper campaign are taking on a central role in communicating sustainability issues for the paper and packaging industry, expanding on research and consumer education work previously carried out by the Paper + Packaging Board. The transition follows the discontinuation of How Life Unfolds®, the Paper + Packaging Board’s consumer sustainability program.

The move seemed a natural fit, says Jules Van Sant, TSNA’s executive director. “As stewards of sustainability messaging, we are in the perfect position to carry forward the Paper + Packaging Board’s work.”

TSNA is part of the nonprofit Two Sides global network, which includes more than 600 member companies worldwide working to inform and educate about the environmental sustainability and value of print, paper, and paperbased packaging.

The added role promises to ensure continuity in sustainability communication for the paper and packaging sector, says Van Sant, with TSNA aiming to maintain momentum in consumer education. TSNA promotes the sustainability of paper-based products, including corrugated packaging, highlighting its renewability and recyclability, as well as data-backed research confirming consumer preference for paper packaging as an eco-friendly choice. TSNA also works by emphasizing facts and resources that illuminate how corrugated packaging supports the circular economy and reduces environmental impact.

As part of its expanded role, TSNA will also emphasize the Love Paper campaign, a globally recognized initiative designed to educate consumers about paper’s sustainable attributes. The campaign highlights the renewability and recyclability of paper-based products while addressing common environmental misconceptions.

According to Van Sant, combining the Love Paper campaign with existing industry research positions TSNA to strengthen consumer awareness. “We’re thrilled to bring the Love Paper campaign to the forefront, using it as a powerful tool to reach consumers directly,” she says.

TSNA’s efforts are part of its broader mission to raise awareness of environmentally intelligent choices about paper.

In related news, Love Paper just spearheaded Love Paper Week for its second year, running February 2–6, with a renewed focus on promoting the sustainability and value of paper in an increasingly digital world.

Love Paper Week organizers say the campaign aims to address persistent misconceptions about the environmental impact of paper, print, and paperbased packaging. According to consumer research cited by the campaign, 44% of Americans believe paper and paper packaging are harmful to the environment,

despite evidence that paper is a renewable and highly recyclable material. The data also point to a significant knowledge gap around recycling rates. While only 12% of consumers believe the paper recycling rate exceeds 60%, actual rates range between 60% and 64%, and 69% to 74% for corrugated.

During Love Paper Week, printers, paper merchants, packaging manufacturers, publishers, direct mail agencies, and other industry stakeholders participated by sharing campaign materials supplied by the organization to educate clients and consumers about the sustainable attributes of paper. Organizers say the goal is to reinforce paper’s role to consumers as an effective, creative, and environmentally responsible medium.

LEARN MORE

Scan the code or visit www. lovepaperna.org to learn more about the Love Paper campaign.

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Alma Container: A Business Built on Showing Up

BY LIN GRENSING-POPHAL

The first thing Alma Container President Michael Maybank will tell you about the company is very simple: “We sell boxes.” Then he laughs and explains what makes the company special: “There are four or five hundred companies in Michigan that sell boxes. What we really sell is service. That’s the difference.”

Alma Container is a family-owned corrugated plant just west of the geographic center of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. That location was no accident. It was strategically positioned there by its founders more than 60 years ago so that every major metro area in the region could receive deliveries in about two hours. But, while the locale is definitely a competitive advantage, it’s not just location that has allowed Alma Container to

weather recessions, customer losses, and an industry that has consolidated around much larger players.

What’s sustained Alma Container over six decades is a simple set of habits: pick up the phone, solve problems, keep people, and keep reinvesting even when it feels risky.

From

“Temp Job” to 41 Years

Maybank didn’t start at Alma Container planning to run the place. While he was studying biology at Central Michigan University, his goal was to land a job with the Department of Natural Resources. But, when a hiring freeze shut the door on that dream, he came to Alma Container part time through his sister’s in-laws, who owned the company.

Company: Alma Container Corp.

Established: 1962

Joined AICC: 2002

Phone: 989-463-2106

Website: www.almacontainer.com

Headquarters: Alma, Michigan

President: Michael Maybank

Initially, he did whatever work needed to be done—from driving vans, to working on the production floor, to rebuilding old equipment to squeeze just a bit more life out of it. His plan was to work for a while and move on. That, of course, didn’t happen.

Over time, he earned an MBA, moved into production management, learned about the finance side of the business, and eventually took on the role of president. Ownership of the company shifted from founder Ralph Legene to Maybank’s brother-in-law, and then to Maybank and his sister, Katheryn Legene, who now owns 60% of the business. “My sister is the perfect silent partner,” he says. “She lets me run the business and keep my nephews employed.”

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Member Profile

A Near-Wipeout That Still Shapes Decisions

Alma Container began in 1962 when a salesman—depending on who is remembering, he sold either insurance or ink—asked potential customers if they would buy boxes from him. Enough said yes that he opened a plant in Alma and hired Ralph, who had been at Olincraft, to actually run the box shop. Ralph built the reputation, knew the customers, and kept the orders flowing.

Then he went on vacation. When he came back, three salesmen and most of the office staff had walked out to start a competing business and had taken a big chunk of the customer list with them.

“They basically told him, ‘We don’t work here anymore. You don’t have customers. You don’t have orders. Have a nice life,’” Maybank says. Five locations of a plastic injection molding company decided that wasn’t how they wanted to do business. They stayed. From that tiny base, Ralph rebuilt.

That episode left a clear lesson: Don’t give up control too easily. For years the internal philosophy was, as Maybank

puts it, “If I can’t touch it, I’m not letting someone else control it.” That mindset protected the company from another surprise like the walkout. It also had a downside that took longer to show up. When your biggest customers are your close friends and everyone is about the same age, those relationships tend to wind down at the same time.

Moving Beyond Automotive Dependence

By the late 2000s, Maybank could see the risks of leaning too hard on automotive-related work. In Michigan, that dependence extends further than people might think. “Even if you’re a grocery store here, you’re automotive,” he says. “If your customers lose their paychecks, you feel it.”

Alma Container started making a point of chasing work in other areas: textiles, foam, and a list of smaller, less obvious industrial accounts. The company liked customers who were just starting to scale and needed a packaging partner who would sit with them, listen, and adjust. “We look for the little guy with the great idea,” Maybank says. “We get in early, help them figure things out, and usually they stick with us.”

That decision looked especially smart during the automotive recession, when revenue fell from roughly $4 million to $2 million. While the newer accounts didn’t erase the losses, they did offer a path forward. During the COVID-19 pandemic, that diversification proved particularly valuable. Then, Alma Container found that work tied to medical suppliers, and e-commerce thermal packaging for

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Member Profile

meal delivery, added volume at a time when many traditional customers were slowing or pausing orders.

Balancing History and Modernization

Alma Container’s production floor mirrors its approach: a mix of old and new. About 18 months ago, a three-color flexo folder-gluer with a rotary die cutter was installed. The machine is a rebuilt S&S unit—its frame is around 50 years old— but it now runs with modern servo drives.

“In one sense, it’s state-of-the-art,” Maybank says. “In another sense, it’s older than some of the people we’re hiring.”

That blend fits. The company tends to squeeze value out of what it has, but it is not shy about spending where it makes a difference.

Another area of investment that will make a difference is Alma Container’s new solar energy system, which went live in 2025. During the summer, it will produce about 120% of the plant’s annual energy needs and send excess power back to the grid, banking credits for winter. The goal, says Maybank, is to operate at a net-zero carbon footprint within about a year.

The environmental impact matters to Maybank personally, but it’s also resonating with several key customers with parent companies based in Europe, he says. The solar project has also become a talking point that sets Alma Container apart in a crowded market. Next on the list is replacing delivery vans with electric vehicles.

Four-Day Weeks, Long Tenures, and Attention to Detail

Alma Container also takes a modern approach to staffing, in line with its family-oriented culture. Fifteen years ago, the company moved production to a single shift over a four-day work week based on a simple idea: Give people three-day weekends so they have time for family, rest, and other personal pursuits.

“It helped with employee retention because they had three-day weekends to spend with their families,” Maybank says. “You’ve got a sick kid? Take care of your sick kid. We’ll cover for you.”

The company runs with between 20 and 25 employees. One has been with the company for 44 years; three others have been there as long as Maybank. Another employee is working part time while studying to become an anesthesiologist; the plant builds her schedule around classes and clinical work.

That flexibility and support of work-life balance builds loyalty, tenure, and exceptional customer support. When a customer walks in asking for a new package design, Maybank’s team doesn’t just consider dimensions and stacking strength. They ask questions about customers, lines, and equipment.

“What does your customer actually want to see? How is this going down your automated line? What do your conveyors look like? Your assembly? We try to see the whole picture,” Maybank says.

Looking to the Future

After more than four decades in the building, Maybank is practical about what comes next. His two children are not interested in working in corrugated,

and he doesn’t push it. Longer-term, he likes the idea of some kind of employee ownership so that the people who have built Alma Container have a stake in its next chapter.

In the near term, the focus is clear: Invest steadily in equipment and sustainability, support a newly hired salesman who is charged with finding the next wave of customers, and keep leaning on the service-first mindset that has carried the company from about $1 million to $6 million in revenue.

From a part-time college job to president, from heavy dependence on automotive to a much more balanced book of business, Maybank’s own story runs parallel to Alma Container’s. Both have changed shape as circumstances have changed, but both have also prioritized keeping the core intact.

Both Maybank and Alma Container remain committed to showing up for the long term, whatever new challenges that may bring.

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THE FUTURE OF

FLEXO

Innovations and advancements are keeping this proven approach on the cutting edge

BY ROBERT BITTNER

Flexographic printing has been the proven workhorse of corrugated packaging for decades, consistently delivering speed, reliability, and cost efficiency. At the same time, innovations in flexo continue to ensure its ongoing relevance. Advances in anilox designs, plate technology, inks, and automation are offering higher print quality while better serving the industry’s changing needs.

On a Roll

Anilox rolls are at the heart of today’s flexo machines—laser-engraved with a matrix of cells designed to hold and transfer ink to the printing plate. They are an essential part of the printing process, making them prime candidates for innovation.

One key innovation, which continues to evolve, is extended cells.

A typical anilox engraving consists of honeycomb-shaped cells for holding and

then transferring ink. Extended cells, on the other hand, are long circumferentially—about twice as long as they are wide—and more shallow, enabling manufacturers to increase the number of cells per linear inch. “That means you can increase the fidelity of the print while holding the ink volume at traditional levels,” explains John Burgess, president of Pamarco.

“A classic [anilox] engraving for a standard brown box plant would be a 280line screen, with 7.5 volume—the volume dictating the ink-film thickness that you’re laying down onto the plate, which then gets transferred to the substrate. With extended-cell technology, we can go up to a 360-line screen but carry the same volume.”

Pamarco’s extended-cell technology is called EFlo. “With this, you end up with a much shallower, flatter engraving, which means ink releases extremely well, the increased line count produces better fidelity, and the rolls are significantly easier to clean,” Burgess says.

Burgess is quick to point out that Pamarco is not alone in developing improvements to anilox cell architecture. “A lot of them, like MaxFlo+”—produced

by UK-based Cheshire Anilox Technology—“are proprietary variations on extended cells,” he says. “Apex are doing something different, though, with their GTT product. Instead of having either a four- or six-sided engraved cell, the GTT is a two-sided cell, like a constant groove running around the roll in a wavy pattern, like a sine curve. It seems to be well-suited for a variety of applications.”

This LP-like groove releases ink very well and is easier to clean, since it’s more difficult for ink to build up in a groove than in a cell.

Anilox innovations aren’t limited to cell engraving, however. Pamarco and others are exploring ways to improve the rolls themselves.

Rolls and Plates

Anilox rolls are, essentially, steel rolls covered with a ceramic layer that is then laser engraved. A vital ingredient of that ceramic layer is chromium oxide, a potentially hazardous substance. “When we spray chromium oxide onto the surface of a cylinder—it’s like a fine, powdered graphite—typically only 50% of it will actually stick to the roll,” Burgess explains.

That means the other 50% is being collected to be hauled away, treated as either hazardous waste or recyclable material.

In 2023, Pamarco purchased German company TLS Anilox, which has developed a technique that replaces chromium with a metal alloy. While that may eventually point the way for future development, it comes with a cost. “The metal alloy is extremely expensive,” Burgess says, “and engraving metal with a laser is a lot more time-consuming than engraving ceramic. For those reasons, we have to increase our selling price two to three times, because it takes two to three times more to engrave a cylinder that way.”

The upside, in addition to being more environmentally friendly, is that the resulting metal alloy clad rolls are even more durable. “People are using [them] where you’ve got a base of inks like whites and blacks, which can cause wear on anilox rolls very quickly,” Burgess says. “They’re not equipping an entire press with this new material, but they may be equipping one or two print stations where they more often run an abrasive ink.”

He believes, though, that the cost will, for some time, be prohibitive for most boxmakers, due to the size of the anilox rolls typically employed for corrugated. While metal alloys may eventually replace ceramics, changes also may be coming in terms of the cylinder material itself. “We are beginning to see carbon fiber becoming a more accepted material for the anilox cylinder, in place of steel,” Burgess says. “It’s lighter, it’s stronger,

and there’s less deflection,” the term for sagging under their own weight that some big, wide rolls experience.

“Carbon fiber rolls, if built correctly, don’t do that. Again, expense is an issue, with carbon fiber being more expensive than steel. But for extremely high throughput, high production, carbon fiber is already being used successfully.”

Anilox rolls are only part of the printing-process partnership. A new approach to plate technology also is gaining ground among U.S. manufacturers.

Pacificolor is the North American partner for VORTEX, an innovative plate technology developed by Reproflex3, a European-based flexo printing supplier. While not a new technology per se, VORTEX has been used only for flexible packing until recently. Pacificolor is now introducing it to flexo print converters seeking ultra-high-definition results for corrugated applications.

“VORTEX doesn’t replace anilox rolls; it enhances what they can do on press,” says Pacificolor Vice President and Flexo Print Consultant Kenneth Brooks. “Your typical lam plates produced today are smooth-surfaced photopolymer plates that carry the ink to the substrate. The new technology adds a patented vortex pattern onto the surface of that plate, along with a surface-pattern screening that acts like an anilox roll, allowing us to manipulate the surface of the plate to carry either more or less ink.

“For example, let’s say you had an anilox-roll configuration on press that is only capable of printing 85-line screen.

“We are beginning to see carbon fiber becoming a more accepted material for the anilox cylinder, in place of steel. It’s lighter, it’s stronger, and there’s less deflection.”

—John Burgess, president, Pamarco

With VORTEX technology—and without having to go through the expense of changing the anilox roll—we can now increase that line-screen capability by 20%, bringing it up to 100 to 120 lines.”

Brooks notes that because the VORTEX plate and anilox roll work together, the anilox roll has to have a cell count of 300 or higher before the technology will actually provide a benefit.

“Because there is a variety of cell structures and configurations on anilox rolls, we also have a variety of VORTEX plate patterns,” he continues. “There are about eight surface-pattern screenings, and then about 10 VORTEX surface patterns that get added on top of that. So when we’re working with a customer, we will run tests on a specific press and a specific anilox roll that shows where we can optimize the press for that print station. We’ll pick the one that’s given the best print quality, and then we’ll go back and make live production runs with that data to ensure a consistent and high-quality result for the customer.”

Water, Oil, and Coffee

As breakthroughs continue with anilox rolls and plates, so do advances in the inks they carry.

“There is a constant push-pull between hardware manufacturers and ink innovation as we work to get the best out of the equipment being used,” says President Rob Callif of BCM Inks. “We are constantly in contact with—and are working with—the anilox-roll companies, press manufacturers, dryer manufacturers, paper manufacturers, etc. When they’re developing something, we’re also developing something with them in mind. Ink relies on other companies’ equipment.”

In addition, ink developers also must respond to a changing global regulatory environment. For instance, the push for improved sustainability has been driving a number of recent ink innovations, spurred in part by the Swiss Ordinance

“I absolutely expect to see innovations coming … based on AI. For example, it may be as an aid to problem-solving or configuration for a particular job. You might ask the AI, ‘I’ve got a multicolor job based on this . How would you best run that?’”

—Steve Biller, director of product management, global finishing, BWPapersystems

on Materials and Articles (OMA) and other European initiatives. “We recently upgraded our most sustainable line of inks, the Eekoflex inks, and created an Eekoflex 2 line of inks that is Swiss-ordinance compliant,” Callif says. “Also, we’re constantly exploring ways to improve the gloss level of water-based inks and overprint varnishes, so UV can be eliminated.”

Journalist Terry Knowles, writing in Ink World magazine, highlighted a joint project between German equipment manufacturer Olbrich and Japan’s Ricoh to develop a more sustainable wide-format printer ink suitable for corrugated. “The new ink is entirely derived from vegetable oils,” Knowles writes. “Its quick-drying nature translates into energy savings, and the volume of ink required for comparable petrochemical performance is down by 50% because the achievable optical density of the colors is accomplished in half as much ink.”

Vegetable oil-based inks have nothing on a new range of sustainable inks, developed in Finland, made from roasted coffee bean waste. “Working with major

coffee roaster Meira Oy, partners Natural Indigo Finland, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Paptic Ltd., and Cabassi Oy have created a water-based ink that contains a bio-colorant found in coffee waste,” Knowles reports.

“The resulting ink emerges as a renewable, natural alternative to those based on synthetic pigments that are traditionally employed in packaging printing,” Knowles adds. “This renewable ink has already been used for flexo print applications on fiberbased substrates. The companies are now seeking a consortium and funding that can take the product global.”

Machine Learning

When it comes to machine innovations in 2026, Steve Biller, director of product management for global finishing at BWPapersystems, believes that most advances are going to revolve around the needs for simplicity and reliability.

Operational simplicity is a common need among the industry representatives we spoke to. “It’s no secret that the associates available today may not have

the experience—or the desire—to work in the corrugated-box business and build a career,” Biller acknowledges. “Because of that situation, we’ve had to get more creative about how we help people operate our equipment.”

That has led to a more user-friendly human-machine interface (HMI) that Biller describes as “essentially a big iPad, because that’s what today’s new workforce is accustomed to using.”

The company is also focused on making everything as intuitive as possible, from the operation to the diagnostics to the maintenance.

Of course, whenever ease of use and the need to fill gaps in user expertise are discussed, AI is never far behind. “I absolutely expect to see innovations coming—sooner rather than later—based on AI,” Biller says. “For example, it may be as an aid to problem-solving or configuration for a particular job. You might ask the AI, ‘I’ve got a multicolor job based on this. How would you best run that?’”

Burgess is on the same page, believing AI will be increasingly integrated into the

“There is a constant push-pull between hardware manufacturers and ink innovation as we work to get the best out of the equipment being used.”

—Rob Callif, president, BCM Inks

Finally, Callif points to the potential for user-facing AI for training as well as color management. “We want to offer more training opportunities for the box printers out there, so when they have new hires, they can put them through the training courses to ensure they have a strong foundation,” he says.

anilox manufacturing process. “I think it will optimize the [anilox] engraving to be absolutely spot-on,” he says.

But it may go even further, helping to transform acceptable printing into much-improved printing. “In my opinion, a good printer can take most anilox rolls and produce a good print job,” Burgess says. “The problem is that, these days, there are very few true printers. There are a lot of machine operators who know how to push buttons. But they’re not printers

That’s simply the world we live in, due to labor shortages and this constant merrygo-round of people in, people out.

“I don’t have any doubt that AI will be able to get into the process and help to fill in some of the gaps to produce good print jobs,” Burgess adds, “because it’s not all about the anilox. You’ve got to have the right ink, the right plate, the right sheet to print to. Everything has to be in sync. AI will impact everybody’s business in some way, shape, or form.”

That training could be supported by AI. “Later, if someone has an issue or concern—maybe a job comes up that requires expertise about something they don’t typically do—they can get an on-demand AI tutorial or even go through the course again,” he adds.

Callif believes AI integration with the company’s color management software also will be a big help. “In the past, if a printed color failed to match the target color, someone with knowledge and experience would need to know how to adjust the colors to get it to pass,” he says. “Even with that experience, the color might require multiple adjustments, which leads to longer press downtime and added cost. AI will improve the press uptime and reduce cost as the software will tell you exactly how to adjust the color to get a perfect match the first time.”

An Ever-Improving Workhorse

Taken together, recent advances within the flexo space make the case for why flexographic printing remains such a strong fit for AICC members, delivering real improvements in quality and efficiency. As customer expectations rise and labor challenges persist, the ongoing attention to flexographic innovation suggests that this proven workhorse will continue to deliver well into the future.

Robert Bittner is a Michigan-based freelance journalist and frequent BoxScore contributor.

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AN AGE-OLD RELATIONSHIP PROBLEM

Why vetting suppliers before signing on the dotted line is vital

BY GEOFF WILLIAMS

Suppliers not offering speedy and reliable customer service—it’s a problem that has existed for centuries, and, yes, it can be a problem in boxmaking. On both the manufacturing and supply side, partnerships are sometimes not as strong as they could be.

High Stakes

As usual, time and a lot of money are at stake when a supplier doesn’t live up to their full potential.

Anyone new to the paper-based packaging industry might think box executives are griping over nothing. After all, if you’re not getting good customer service, you find a new supplier. But, of course, as anyone steeped in the industry knows, it’s not quite that easy. Jerry Frisch, CEO of Wasatch Container, had new equipment installed in 2024: a rotary die cutter, an air handling system, a full line conveyor system, and an ink kitchen.

If something goes wrong and his customer service is lacking, it isn’t like Frisch or any other boxmaker can simply trade in his investment for new equipment with a company that offers better customer service. Frisch spent millions of dollars on his equipment. It also took years of preparation before retrofitting his plant with new equipment.

It often takes years, but in Frisch’s case, he says that he ordered a lot of his equipment right before COVID-19 hit in 2020, and that really dragged things out. “The salespeople we worked with were good,” he says. “They were technical, understood their machines, and understood our workflow and objectives. We wanted to modernize and upgrade our graphics and boxmaking capabilities. They understood that. Orders were placed, down payments were accepted, and then COVID hit.

Supply chain issues, parts shortages, electrical components delayed—all of the COVID-related disruptions.”

But even post-COVID, you can still expect the buying process to typically take at least a year, says Jeff Pallini, the CEO of Fosber America. “The sales cycle for buying a new complete corrugator generally starts with a client meeting followed by providing drawings and specifications. That can take two or three months,” he says. “Then if the customer chooses to move forward with the order, the machine is built, shipped, and installed, which takes another eight to nine months. Finally, you have to spend a couple months commissioning and training all of the crews until they’re comfortable running it.

“So it’s about a yearlong process from ‘Hey, can you come and see me, I think I need a new machine’ to ‘It’s running, and everybody’s happy.’”

So no executive wants to discover that after all of that, the customer service is subpar—or worse, the machine isn’t quite what you needed. “Therefore, the evaluation process is critical to selecting the best supplier and machine for their specific needs,” Pallini says.

Plus, time is money, and so owners like Frisch expect—and need—suppliers who can offer customer service as fast as humanly possible, if not faster. “When

you’re responsible for multimillion-dollar investments, you need answers immediately,” Frisch says.

Pallini agrees. As he puts it, many manufacturers buy a machine that will be in production for 15 to 20 years. He says he encourages manufacturers to really do their homework and ask not only about a machine’s capability and price but also service, parts, training, obsolescence plans, and all things that factor into the cost of ownership. But do more than ask the supplier questions, he encourages. Ask your peers who and what they like working with, get referrals.

As Pallini says he would tell anyone, “You’re going to be stuck with us for a while. We have to like each other and work together for a long time. So let’s make sure we’re the right fit.”

That’s the case for whatever supplier you work with, of course, which is why Pallini says it’s so important to really do your research, especially if you run an independent company that simply can’t afford to make a multimillion-dollar mistake.

Why Some Suppliers Don’t Rise to the Occasion

First of all, obviously, there are plenty of suppliers around the globe with stellar reputations for impeccable service. But when suppliers often seem to stumble is when they are based halfway around the

“When a guy like me is responsible for Jerry Frisch’s multimillion-dollar investment and getting it going, I need an answer right now. We have to be nimble, or we’ll get gobbled up.”

—Martin Suhr, operations manager, Wasatch Container

world, in another time zone from their North American company clients, says Martin Suhr, operations manager at Wasatch Container.

“When a guy like me is responsible for Jerry Frisch’s multimillion-dollar investment and getting it going, I need an answer right now,” Suhr says. “We have to be nimble, or we’ll get gobbled up.”

So if Suhr reaches out to a supplier whose main contact is several time zones away and is currently deep in REM sleep, that can become an issue.

Pallini says he understands why boxmakers often use suppliers not based in North America. “Some of the foreign-based companies have some really good technology,” he says.

But Pallini adds that some of those foreign-owned companies lack the infrastructure in North America to support their customers.

There are other issues, however. It isn’t only a matter of international companies needing to improve their North American footprint. Some suppliers have become too complacent, whether due to age or simply not innovating, according to Greg Tucker, chairman and CEO of Bay Cities. “I would say many of the people in this business, especially now as the old guard is aging out, don’t have a clue as to what winning is, in our industry,” he says.

He says that most of his suppliers do give quality service, but typically, they are “not willing to go above and beyond—that is, unless you pay them tons of money.”

In other words, Tucker feels that most suppliers offer good service, but not exceptional service.

Frisch adds that the complacency problem is a challenge for boxmakers as well. “We all got fat, dumb, and happy during COVID,” he says.

Getting Better Customer Service

It’s a word you hear a lot in business circles, maybe to the point of ad nauseum, but it’s important: relationships.

“You’re going to be stuck with us for a while. We have to like each other and work together for a long time. So let’s make sure we’re the right fit.”

—Jeff Pallini, CEO, Fosber America

Suhr says his best suppliers are ones he has relationships with and considers friends, or at least “almost at a friend-level relationship.” It’s then when you can usually expect a return call to be answered quickly, he adds.

While boxmaking may seem as if it’s all about the machines, Frisch says that really, “It’s a people business. It’s a people business, and we need our suppliers’ support.”

Tucker echoes that, saying that if he were advising suppliers, he would tell them to get their representatives “who are changing out the old guys to study and understand our business and their own. Then work on building relationships that are credible and long-lasting.”

Pallini agrees. But he also says that if you are considering a new supplier, you should start with your existing relationships. He suggests leaning on relationships with other manufacturers and soliciting their opinions on companies you plan to purchase equipment from, before you start working with a new, untested (for you) piece of machinery.

“Just to put in a little plug for AICC, the way the organization is set up, you

have access to a variety of ways to get help where you need it,” Pallini says. “AICC offers their own training. They have CEO roundtables, conferences with vendors present. Whatever you’re buying, most likely somebody you know already has it and is running it.”

So Pallini suggests picking up the phone and asking your peers what they think of a machine that you’re looking at—and possibly even jump on a plane and go out and look at it. “Once you’ve developed a network you can trust, you should use it. Nobody’s going to give you bad advice if they want to remain your friend,” Pallini says. “So my advice is, take two or three months and really vet what you’re considering and dig in deep.”

After all, the last thing you want to do is purchase and use equipment you don’t understand—with a supplier that can’t help you.

Geoff Williams is a journalist and writer based in

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SCRUBBING THE GREENWASH

Paper-based industries challenge misleading claims while reframing the sustainability message

BY M. DIANE M c CORMICK

Consumers need options, but they can’t make the right choices if they’re being misled about the facts.

That’s why the paper industry is pushing back against greenwashing by companies and agencies using unsubstantiated claims of deforestation and wasted resources to entice consumers into choosing digital communications—in other words, to “go paperless.”

“Greenwashing is the No. 1 influencer on consumer choice when it comes to

paper,” says Jules Van Sant, executive director of Two Sides North America. “Those messages that push people to go paperless, when they say it’s better for the environment or saves trees without verifiable data to support the claim, that gets into the consumer perception that we are damaging the environment through using paper. That is not true, and that is greenwashing.”

In the meantime, paper-based industries have a role in embracing

sustainability as a business advantage and educating consumers on paper as a renewable resource and a valuable feedstock for recycled products and materials.

“Business has the keys to create the changes we need to see and gain the most from,” says Jasper Steinhausen, founder and CEO of Business With Impact and author of the best-selling Making Sustainability Profitable. “The green transition is the biggest business opportunity of our time, rivaled only by AI.”

What Is Greenwashing?

In an age when buyers and customers demand eco-friendliness in their products and services, greenwashing is the practice of deceiving them with misleading, unsubstantiated, or even intentionally false claims.

In the United States, the Federal Transportation Commission’s (FTC’s) Green Guides, last updated in 2012, set the “truth in advertising” parameters for sustainability claims. The guides establish

general principles of marketing claims, how consumers interpret environmental claims and how marketers can substantiate them, and how marketers can qualify their claims to avoid deceiving consumers.

The FTC’s list of civil cases filed with charges of greenwashing includes businesses in retail, paint, automaking (that was the Volkswagen emissions-falsifying case), and other industries. In the media and on environmental watchdog websites, big names in coffee, air travel, insurance, oil, and tech have been accused of greenwashing the climate impact or recyclability of their products, packaging, or practices.

Despite the intricacies of sustainability, avoiding charges of greenwashing comes down to a simple rule, says Steinhausen. “Do what you say and say what you do, and be able to back it with data. Be super specific.”

In Europe, greenwashing breaks marketing laws. “You cannot lie, and you cannot lie about sustainability credentials,” he says.

In the U.S., the concepts are “basically the same. If you lie about what your business is capable of doing, it’s risky. It’s not good marketing. It’s not good ethics,” Steinhausen adds.

The go-paperless movement deceives consumers into believing that choosing electronic billing and communications saves trees—neglecting to disclose the environmental and economic benefits of the forestry industry and the renewability of trees. “We plant more trees than we harvest,” says Van Sant. “It’s an important part of our ecosystem and the environmental story we have in North America.”

The global picture of sustainable forestry has “evolved quite a bit,” she says, and in North America, especially, “paper has a really good story to tell, from the forestry all the way through the manufacturing and the recovery and recycling materials.”

Two Sides is an international consortium of organizations in the graphic communications and paper-based

packaging sectors that researches and advocates for the sustainability story of paper-based products.

When businesses and government agencies are found making false gopaperless claims, perhaps for the cost-savings created by communicating electronically, Two Sides North America approaches them for corrections. One well-known insurance company that Two Sides contacted required customers to opt in for paper communications, making digital communications the default option.

Largely through certified letters to legal offices, Two Sides North America exceeded its goal of changing at least 25 messages in 2025. Since its founding in 2011, Two Sides has engaged with about 400 companies to change or remove misleading claims, says Van Sant. “From a marketing standpoint, there has to be truth in what they’re saying,” she says. “That is what we’re tapping into when we reach out. We are asking you to change your messaging.”

Greenwashing can infiltrate marketing claims when leadership lacks a true commitment to sustainability, says Steinhausen. Most leaders, he says, “overlook the connection between sustainability and business, assuming that it is costly and demands compromise, but they know there could be a marketing gain.”

“Greenwashing is a typical sign that leadership doesn’t understand what sustainability is capable of, so then it becomes a tool for marketing,” he adds.

Telling the Paper Story

As greenwashing surges, the corrugated and other paper-based industries could do themselves a favor against competing packaging, such as flexible shipping bags, by printing its story on its boxes, mailers, and other products, Van Sant says. “We need to be forward on our packaging, on our boxes, stating very clearly that this is recyclable, and you are doing the environment good,” she says.

QR codes can direct consumers to the full story of forests replanted and facts about corrugated, including the powerful fact that it can be reused multiple times to make new products. Boxmakers could also work with their brands to educate consumers about sustainability and recycling, using packaging, mailers, and other avenues, she says.

Two Sides North America is playing its part by taking up the research from the former Paper + Packaging Board with its direct-to-consumer Love Paper campaign (www.lovepaperna.org ).

With “page-turning” facts on paper’s economic and environmental impact, the campaign reminds consumers that at least 60% of paper and paper-based packaging was recovered for recycling in 2024, and the recycling rate for corrugated was about 70%.

“It continues to get better,” Van Sant says, adding that the paper industry’s ongoing support for development of recycling systems has been part of the success story. Plus, the letters, mailers, and inserts not produced or circulated due to go-paperless claims deplete the supply of recycled content needed to fuel production of corrugated products. “If we start to see a diminished demand, we have a diminished supply,” Van Sant says. “We want to keep the demand up so we can continue this cycle of forestry into harvesting into production into recycling.”

Greenhushing and Other Greenwashing Variants

Greenwashing appears to be “increasingly sophisticated,” the environmental monitor Planet Tracker said in its 2023 report, The Greenwashing Hydra . Greenwashing has split into six forms, undermining the transition to a green economy fueled, in part, by the sustainable investment fund sector.

The types of greenwashing are:

• Greencrowding: groups, businesses, and agencies hide within

“Do what you say and say what you do, and be able to back it with data. Be super specific.”

—Jasper Steinhausen, founder and CEO, Business With Impact

organizations ostensibly promoting sustainability.

• Greenlighting: diverting attention from environmentally damaging practices by spotlighting a particularly green feature of operations or products.

• Greenshifting: implying that the consumer is at fault and shifting the blame to them.

• Greenlabeling: This is the commonly understood meaning of greenwashing, when companies make misleading or partially misleading claims about their packaging, products, and services. Users often rely on ill-defined or hard-to-implement terms, including “recycled content,” “biodegradable,” and “compostable.”

• Greenrinsing: changing environmental goals before they are achieved, constantly pushing targets for such goals as net zero farther into the future.

• Greenhushing: underreporting or hiding sustainability credentials as a way to evade investor scrutiny. As a sophisticated form of greenwashing, companies that greenhush “may be trying to gain a green valuation uplift without subjecting themselves to

proper investor scrutiny by suggesting that the company’s sustainability performance is stronger than its official pronouncements suggest.”

Companies that fear being accused of not doing enough for sustainability might engage in greenhushing, says Steinhausen. “People are afraid of having to be perfect and therefore don’t talk about the good stuff they actually do,” he says. “You can do all the right things in the world, but if nobody knows, you look like you do nothing, so there’s a high risk to greenhushing.”

Transparency about goals helps avert charges of greenhushing, says Steinhausen. He recommends that businesses prioritize their targets, making it clear which are getting attention and making progress, and which are slated for future action. “You tell people from the get-go, ‘I’m not perfect, but I have an interesting and appealing and meaningful mission,’” he says.

When one sector or business lobs unproven claims about the sustainability of another, such as go-paperless messaging, proactive messaging is easier to produce and manage than reactive defenses, Steinhausen adds.

“It’s a lot harder to try to stop something once it’s out there,” he says. “You can do all the disclaimers, and the people who started it can say they’re wrong, but nobody sees that. It disappears somewhere on page 75 on Google.”

Strategic Approach

As the corrugated industry knows, greenwashing can encompass competitors or unrelated industries misrepresenting the sustainability of paper-based products.

Targets of those claims should manage their responses strategically, says Steinhausen, who suggested that the choices are to “combat it, discourage it, or innovate and move ahead of the game and be better than them.”

“What’s the smarter way to go?” he says. “What type of leader am I? Do I engage

in this effort, or do I simply move away and elevate my game even more? Maybe I’ll say that I’ll go ahead and beat you anyway because I have a better product, and I’ll take this as my call to improve even more.”

A common misconception in business says that sustainability demands compromise, while in reality, “there’s so much opportunity to create far better solutions and be far more efficient, more innovative, better run, and better serving through this way of working,” Steinhausen says. “If you want to be more competitive, you should focus more on this, because there is a direct correlation between your use of resources and sustainability.”

Sustainability as a corporate commitment has ebbed and flowed but seems to be rising, Van Sant says. Young adults

“We need to be forward on our packaging, on our boxes, stating very clearly that this is recyclable, and you are doing the environment good.”

—Jules Van Sant, executive director, Two Sides North America

say that sustainability matters to them. Two Sides North America’s research has found that 18- to 24-year-olds want a choice, “and they want paper, because they’re digital natives,” says Van Sant. “It isn’t a shiny thing to them. This younger generation wants to read books. They like their packaging to be cool. They want that unboxing experience.”

And, she adds, “print is trusted,” especially against the backdrop of digital clutter and dubious AI creations. “If it’s printed on a box, you trust it,” she says. “There is a higher level of trust, and I think you’re going to see this rise among consumers. Claims about the recyclability of electronics are “squishy at best,” says Van Sant. “The environmental damage and the waste, let alone the mining to create them, are numbers that we really don’t have our arms around. Between cryptocurrency and AI, energy usage numbers globally will double in 2026, with demand roughly equivalent to the electricity consumption in all of Japan in one year.”

Paper-based industries can “get ahead of the negative conversation about power usage, about forestry, about water use,” she says.

Boxmakers can support Two Sides North America, as well as AICC and other industry groups, to leverage their power to combat greenwashing and advocate for paper-based packaging.

“The corrugated industry has a great opportunity to be a good player, to be a good steward, to be a good citizen in the greater paper story,” Van Sant says. “We need those forests. We can tell the fact that the majority of the pulp used to make corrugated in the United States is sourced locally. That’s a great story to tell.”

M.

Diane McCormick is a freelance journalist based in Pennsylvania.

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JOHN BURGESS PAMARCO IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN JOHN.BURGESS@PAMARCO.COM

Smart Boxes, Smarter Business

BY MIKE BUTLER

I’m not an AI expert. I sell containerboard. I walk plant floors, talk to customers, and offer alternatives and solutions. But lately, everyone’s talking about AI and how it’s going to change everything. And they’re not wrong. AI can do some amazing things for our industry. But here’s the catch: It can’t replace the key thing that makes this business work—relationships.

Where AI Helps Us Win

In the packaging world, AI is showing up in ways that make sense:

• Forecasting demand: Instead of guessing based on last year’s numbers, AI can look at trends, seasonality, and even economic signals to help us plan better.

• Box optimization: Ever had a customer with 10,000 SKUs and no idea what size box they need? AI can crunch that in seconds and spit out right-sized solutions that save money and reduce waste.

• Maintenance alerts: Imagine your corrugator telling you it needs attention before it breaks down. That’s AI-driven predictive maintenance, and it keeps production humming.

These tools don’t replace us. They make us better by giving us time back to do what we do best: serve customers.

Where People Still Matter

Here’s the thing: AI can’t shake a hand. It can’t walk a plant and notice that a customer’s pack-out process is slowing them down. It can’t hear the frustration in someone’s voice when they’re facing a last-minute change and need a partner, not a program. Some other truly human areas:

• Design conversations: AI can suggest dimensions, but it can’t understand the branding goals behind a retail-ready display.

• Negotiation: Trust isn’t built by an algorithm. It’s built by showing up, listening, and solving problems.

• Innovation: The next big idea in corrugated won’t come from a computer. It’ll come from people who know the business and think creatively.

• Friendship: Yes, friendships matter. The best supplier-customer relationships often grow into real friendships built on trust, shared problem-solving, and time spent together. Sometimes that takes time, with conversations over lunch or dinner about family, graduations, or aging parents. AI can’t do that, and it never will.

I’ve seen deals saved over a cup of coffee and ideas sparked during a plant tour. AI can’t do that.

The Sweet Spot

So, what’s the answer? Use AI for what it’s good at—data, speed, automation. But don’t let it replace the human side of this business. In fact, engage more deeply in relationships. Because when everyone else is chasing tech, the companies that combine smart tools with smarter people will win. And until AI can take a customer out to dinner or play a round of golf, I’m betting the human relationships will always matter. AI is here and is helpful. But in this business, relationships will always be the real intelligence.

Mike Butler is senior director, packaging sales, at Domtar and vice chairman of AICC’s Associate board.

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What the Tech?

Beyond Dashboards: When Your ERP Starts Thinking for Itself

BY DAVID WIENS

It’s 4:47 p.m. on a Thursday. A supplier email lands in procurement’s inbox:

The paper shipment is delayed five days. In most plants, this information sits until someone notices it tomorrow morning. Tomorrow being Friday, that’s almost certainly after a cup of coffee (or two) and some water-cooler chat. Then, the panic begins. Customer service scrambles to identify affected orders. Production shuffles the schedule. Sales makes uncomfortable calls. We all know the drill.

But what if your ERP noticed first and had already executed the solution?

That’s the power of AI agents. Not chatbots and not the rigid automation you’ve been running for years. It’s proactive software that spots problems early, considers the trade-offs, and takes action long before you’ve finished that first cup of coffee.

The 40-Year Problem

For four decades, ERP systems have functioned as digital ledgers. They excel at recording transactions, but they remain largely passive. As Amit Sharma, president of manufacturing ERP at QAD, recently put it, “If a supplier sends a note saying delivery is delayed, that information should not just sit in ERP. That’s an action.”

Yet, in most plants, the data simply sits. The system dutifully records the delay, but the firefighting doesn’t start until a human notices the smoke.

The industry data reflects this gap: 65% of packaging manufacturers struggle with production costing, and 72% report inventory challenges. The software isn’t broken; it’s just obsolete. These systems were designed to document history, not decide the future.

Corrugated converters feel the pain of passive software daily. Paper cost swings catch plants off guard, revealing margin erosion weeks too late. The bottleneck between the corrugator and converting machines persists because static schedules can’t adapt to real-world changes.

Enter the Agent

So what makes an agent different from a chatbot? A chatbot waits for questions. Traditional automation follows rigid rules. An agent operates with a goal in mind: It observes conditions, weighs options, and acts without constant human direction.

Think of it as moving from “system of record” to “system of action.”

When that supplier delay hits, the agent doesn’t just log it. It immediately identifies affected orders, sources alternates, and

calculates the margin impact. It then either solves the problem automatically or cues up a “one-click” decision for a manager.

Whether or not the timeline holds, analysts at Gartner predict that by 2030, half of all supply chain solutions will rely on this level of autonomy.

What This Looks Like in the Box Plant

Here’s what this means on the floor:

A rush order arrives late in the day. Normally, a scheduler manually checks capacity and reshuffles the plan. An agent instantly evaluates machine availability, confirms board grades are in stock, proposes schedule changes that protect committed orders, and alerts the shipping team. All before the scheduler finishes reading the email.

What the Tech?

Agents can also help plants escape the margin trap. With paper costs fluctuating wildly over the last several years, monthend surprises have become common. Instead of reacting after the fact, an agent monitors margins in real time. It flags dangerous quotes, suggests material substitutions, and alerts sales the moment pricing models begin to drift.

Then there’s the classic corrugator-to-converting imbalance. Many plant leaders are familiar with the constant firefighting between bottlenecks and jam-ups, even after investing in better scheduling tools. With real-time visibility into corrugator output and converting capacity, the agent spots trouble forming and rebalances the load before small delays cascade into missed shipments.

The Market Is Moving

The major vendors have taken notice. Infor launched “Built for Industry AI Agents” in late 2025, preconfigured around manufacturing workflows. CEO Kevin Samuelson emphasized that the company “built auditing capabilities so customers can see exactly the steps the system took.” That transparency matters. For most manufacturers, trust is the real bottleneck to AI adoption, not the technology itself.

QAD is rolling out “Champion AI” agents designed to share the same KPIs as their human counterparts, from procurement agents focused on cost and availability to quality agents monitoring compliance. Microsoft has announced agent templates within Dynamics 365 for manufacturers. Corrugated-focused vendors are moving

in the same direction. Amtech Software has signaled that its Informer suite will introduce AI-driven ways to work with ERP information in the coming year.

Getting Started

The good news is that this doesn’t require ripping out what you have. Agents can layer on top of existing ERP infrastructure, reading data and triggering actions through established workflows.

If you’re considering this direction, a few principles matter:

• Pick one problem. Don’t try to fix the whole plant at once. Supplier delays, scheduling conflicts, margin monitoring. Start narrow.

• Check your data. Agents are only as good as what they can see. Fragmented or unreliable data will limit what’s possible.

• Keep humans in the loop. Begin with agents that recommend actions and wait for approval. Build trust before letting them run on autopilot.

• Demand transparency. Any system should clearly show what it observed, what it considered, and why it acted.

Early manufacturing industry adopters of AI-enhanced ERP report 30%–40% efficiency gains through autonomous decision-making in production scheduling, quality control, and supply chain optimization. As corrugated-specific implementations arrive, the real question is which converters move first.

It’s 4:47 p.m. on a Thursday. That supplier email just landed. Somewhere, a plant’s ERP is already working the problem.

David Wiens is CEO of

He can be reached at david@ bpsaisoftware.com

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Growth, with a future

Strength in Numbers

Top 10 Attributes of Successful Converters

BY MITCH KLINGHER

Over the past 35 or so years, I have come into contact with hundreds of independent converters, from large corrugator plants to tiny sheet plants and everything in between. While they all may have different specialties and niches that they work, there are a lot of commonalities among the best operations. So, let’s take a look at my top 10 attributes that the best operations have in common.

10. Hire Managers With Passion

It all starts with management. Hiring managers who are passionate about their departments and willing to share their knowledge and experience is fundamental to success. The best managers are generally outgoing and show their staff that they care and that they will advocate for them. They generally utilize all the data and analytics available to them and lead by example. The mistake that lesser operations seem to make consistently is that they allow subpar managers to become entrenched in their positions and become very reluctant to make changes with longstanding employees. Passionate managers are the first key to success in any endeavor!

9. Evaluate, Motivate, and Compensate Your Employees

That’s hard to do without passionate managers, but all employees need regular formal and informal feedback that is based on objective data, documented observations, and regular meetings. They also want to know that their compensation is commensurate with their abilities and experience and is at the high end of the standard for their positions. You all make big investments

in plant and equipment but sometimes neglect your employees in terms of feedback and compensation. The best of the best view their employees as their most important assets and treat them accordingly. What is the use of having passionate managers if they are not empowered to manage their people? They need to be free to set up competitions among their people, award bonuses and other rewards for exceptional behavior, and create an environment in which their employees feel they are valued and protected by their managers.

8. Don’t Coddle Your Salespeople

Always deal from strength, especially with your sales force. Your salespeople work for you, and the customers in their portfolios are your customers. Come up with compensation programs that incentivize them to bring in the business that you want. Do the basic marketing and company searches to help them understand where to go and how to get their feet in the door, and make them part of a focused team approach to selling. You also need to measure their performance and track how many calls they are making, how many new items you are getting from their customers, and how many new customers they have brought in. You should also consider whether your compensation program is motivating them to do what is good for the company. Good salespeople are the ultimate game players, and they always figure out

what is in their best interests. You need to make sure that your compensation program for them incentivizes them to do what is in your best interest. Many of you have switched to a program of paying them based upon contribution generated by the sale rather than the gross sales dollars to incentivize them to increase the contribution of the order. The table above is how that could work for you.

7. Take Control of Your Data

You are no longer bound by the constraints of your software packages and vendors. The best operators today are moving data from all of their software packages into a platform that integrates the data from all of your departments, including the following, and allows for far greater analytics:

• General ledger and other accounting data

• Cost estimating system data

• Order information

• Machine and other plant data

• Design data

• Delivery information

Custom dashboards can be designed for each manager, and reports can be pushed to them daily. Enhanced

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Strength in Numbers

analytics can be formulated to help you keep your finger on the pulse of all your key performance indicators in real time, and AI can be utilized to help you analyze the data. The future is here; it is not as expensive as you think it is, and you need to get started on this process immediately.

6. Know Your Costs and Keys to Sustained Profitability

The best of the best excel in understanding the real contribution generated by each and every order and understanding the fixed costs associated with operating their businesses. They create profit centers to understand the profitability of the different lines of business that they are in and cost centers to help their managers manage their departmental costs effectively. This is a much more difficult process if you have not taken steps to take control of your data. But even if you’re just starting that process, you need to separate out manufactured sales from brokered sales, from labor intensive sales to understand the profitability of each category and create departmentalized cost centers. The days of sales and contribution being just one number and all of your expenses being put into selling and general and administrative categories are over, and you need to break your company down into its key profit and cost centers to make sure you are competitive in the marketplace.

5. Initiate Waste Control

No matter what your niche is, materials are going to be the largest expense on your income statement. If materials are 50% of the income statement, then every 1% savings in materials will add 0.5% to your profit percentage. So, if sales are $20 million and materials are $10 million, every 1% savings on materials will add $100,000 to the bottom line.

You should start with a simple shrinkage calculation (see table at right). Track this month by month and see what the trends are, as there may be some cutoff and other reporting issues in any given month, so the year-to-date trend is a better indicator. As to what the number should be, it depends on the complexity of your orders. The more orders you have that go across multiple machines and require lots of ink coverage and/or high graphics, the higher your shrink percentage will be. Get your baseline number and see what the potential for savings is, but if it is 4% or higher, there is probably room for a lot of improvement and savings.

4.

Focus on Major Machine Hours and Overall Productivity

The biggest constraint that almost any manufacturing company encounters is the need for more major machine hours. There are only so many hours a day that you can operate, and that limits how many hours are available for producing goods to sell. Therefore, the best operators treat machine hour utilization as the most important statistic in their operations. They are on top of all unplanned downtime, they do everything possible to minimize setup times and improve run speeds, and they measure their machine efficiencies daily. Every order with a significant variance from standard is reviewed. This is an area where extra resources, whether in terms of software, systems, or employees, is generally money well spent.

3.

Define and Work Your Niche

The best of the best understand what types of business they have an edge in, and that is what they focus on. They understand their marketplaces and stay in their lanes. They also don’t give product away at

lower prices just to bring in business. If you have equipment you know no one in your marketplace can match, then make sure you charge for it. Conversely, don’t chase marginal business just to fill up your machines, under the theory that some contribution dollars are better than no contribution dollars and that you can always raise prices later. The best operators are disciplined, and even if they lose a piece of business to a competitor who offers lower prices, they maintain pricing discipline and are patient. Anyone can cut prices, but if their operations don’t support handling the business they take in efficiently and timely, they will not be able to take care of the customers’ needs long-term.

2. Be Careful With Capital, But Take Calculated Risks

For many converters, even in years when major pieces of equipment aren’t purchased, capital expenses can approach seven figures. So being careful with your limited capital is always part of the equation in this very capital-intensive business. Businesses that exist to fund the lifestyle of their owners generally don’t have staying power, so it all comes down to risk management. If you never invest in your business, it will be difficult for you to be competitive, but if you load yourself up with too much debt, your risk of failing increases dramatically. In my experience, one of the key differences between the most successful converters and everyone else is their tolerance for taking risks. The most profitable companies are always looking for an edge in the marketplace and often

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Strength in Numbers

buy newer, faster equipment that can increase the quality of their output, and the machine hours available for you to sell can give you that edge. They are also looking for new lines of business, which usually requires a capital outlay. My advice is to always have a five-year plan for capital spending so you can plan for obsolescence of your existing equipment, but every once in a while, you need to roll the dice when something new and exciting comes along. There are lots of complicated methods for making equipment justification calculations, but in my opinion, keep it simple and just calculate the new sales that you need to make the payments on the equipment, while you develop the new business. And remember, the 100% bonus depreciation that is now a permanent part of the tax code can give you a tremendous amount of cash flow in the first year.

1. Consistent Pricing Decisions Made by Senior People

This is probably the least “sexy” item on the list, but the most profitable companies have only their most senior people making pricing decisions and do not try to push these decisions down to others. The notion that customer service, salespeople, and cost estimators should be making these decisions can be disastrous. Pricing decisions must be made by people who understand the production side of the business and understand where you do and don’t have an edge in the marketplace. The old adage that costing is a science and pricing is an art is still true, and you should embrace it. You are not selling a commodity; you are selling important products and valuable services that are not going to be valued the same by everyone,

and this needs to be recognized in your pricing decisions. I can’t tell you how many times I have been at a meeting with a company CEO and key executives and had them tell me, “See you in an hour or two. I need to go price some orders.” Most of the time, these companies are at the top end of profitability. Whereas executives that run less profitable companies are often asking how they can get out of the pricing business. Consistent pricing decisions made by senior people is still the top characteristic of the best-inclass converters.

Mitch Klingher is owner of Klingher Nadler LLP. He can be reached at 201-731-3025 or mitch@ klinghernadler.com

Foundation for Packaging Education

Just the Facts

Now that 2025 is behind us, hopefully you wrapped up a successful year in the box business, and your accountant made you happy.

It is not too late to start planning for another happy result in 2026. The Foundation for Packaging Education is a 501(c)(3) education foundation that exists for one reason and one reason only: to ensure that your team members have ongoing access to paper-based packaging industry education programs and opportunities.

It is a proven fact that providing educational opportunities for those working on your plant floor and in your offices is a motivating factor in

staff remaining loyal and in place in your enterprise.

It is a proven fact that providing educational opportunities for those working on your plant floor and in your offices is seen by them as an investment in their growth within your organization.

It is a proven fact that providing educational opportunities is an incentive for those seeking work to consider going to work for you.

It is a proven fact that your one-time contribution or ongoing pledge to the Foundation

for Packaging Education—in any amount—is 100% tax deductible to you.

It is a proven fact that you will find everything that you need to make the above happen at www.packaginged.org. The Foundation for Packaging Education thanks you!

MAKE YOUR PLEDGE

Scan to donate to the Foundation for Packaging Education today!

T E C H N I C A L

Q U E S T I O N S ?

A s k A I C C ’ s e x p e r t s y o u r

c o r r u g a t e d , f o l d i n g c a r t o n , r i g i d b o x ,

a n d r i s k m a n a g e m e n t q u e s t i o n s .

F i n d y o u a n s w e r s a t

A I C C b o x . o r g / E x p e r t s .

International Corrugated Packaging Foundation

Why Mentorship Matters Now More Than Ever

BY CAITLIN SALAVERRIA

The corrugated packaging industry has always been built on experience. Knowledge is passed down from plant floors to boardrooms, from seasoned professionals who understand the nuances of our operations, our customers, and our culture. But as workforce dynamics continue to evolve, one thing has become increasingly clear: Intentional mentorship has become a strategic imperative.

Across manufacturing and packaging, companies are navigating tightening labor markets, increased competition for talent, and a generation of students and early-career professionals seeking clarity, connection, and purpose in their career choices. Mentorship bridges that gap. It humanizes our industry, accelerates professional development, and creates a sense of belonging that no job posting or recruitment video can replicate.

Mentorship as a Workforce Strategy

For industry leaders, mentorship delivers value on multiple levels. It strengthens leadership pipelines, improves retention, and provides an opportunity for experienced professionals to sharpen their coaching and communication skills. For students and young professionals, mentorship offers something equally powerful: visibility into real career paths, confidence in decision-making, and access to professionals who can help translate classroom learning into realworld application.

Just as importantly, mentorship reinforces the collaborative, relationship-driven nature of the corrugated packaging industry. It creates meaningful touchpoints among companies, educational institutions, and future employees.

Creating Early Authentic Industry Exposure

One of the most effective aspects of mentorship is exposure. Seeing a corrugated operation firsthand, asking questions of someone who has built a career in the industry, and understanding how individual roles connect to a larger value chain can be transformative for students. These experiences help demystify manufacturing careers and showcase the innovation, sustainability, and problem-solving that define modern corrugated packaging. When students can envision themselves in the industry, not just as operators or engineers but as leaders, designers, problem-solvers, and innovators, the talent pipeline becomes stronger and more resilient.

ICPF’s Commitment to Mentorship

At the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF), supporting students and strengthening the industry’s workforce has always been central to our mission. Over the past several years, we’ve expanded our outreach efforts to meet students earlier in their career exploration journey and provide deeper, more meaningful engagement with industry professionals.

This spring, ICPF will take another step forward with the launch of Corrugated Connections, a new mentorship program designed to connect students with experienced professionals across the corrugated packaging industry. The program is intentionally structured to be manageable for busy professionals while providing students with consistent guidance, industry exposure, and professional development over the course of an academic year.

The goal is simple: to foster authentic career-focused relationships that benefit mentors, mentees, and the industry as a whole.

A Call to the Next Generation of Industry Leaders

As we prepare to launch Corrugated Connections, we are especially interested in engaging early- and midcareer professionals across the corrugated packaging industry who are passionate about sharing their experiences and supporting students ages 18–25. Professionals who have recently navigated early career decisions, transitions, and growth milestones are uniquely positioned to connect with students, relate to their questions, and provide practical, relevant guidance.

Serving as a mentor does not require decades of experience; it requires curiosity, openness, and a willingness to invest a small amount of time to make a meaningful impact. For many mentors, the experience is equally rewarding, offering opportunities to develop leadership skills, expand professional networks, and play an active role in shaping the industry’s future.

Additional details on how to participate as a mentor will be shared in the coming weeks. We encourage professionals who are interested in giving back, growing as leaders, and helping students see a future for themselves in corrugated packaging to consider getting involved.

Caitlin Salaverria is president of ICPF.

The Final Score

Corrugated and the CFP

Iwatched the recently concluded College Football Playoff (CFP) with a great deal of interest. Not because I had a horse in the race (I went to a basketball school), but because it made me think about the similarities between AICC membership and the CFP. My mind wanders in that way, an occupational hazard. While AICC and the CFP operate in very different domains, paper-based packaging manufacturing versus collegiate athletics, they share several meaningful structural and philosophical similarities.

1. Membership as a Platform for Opportunity

Both worlds function as organized systems that create access. AICC provides member companies and their employees with structured access to education, leadership development, and peer networks. Similarly, CFP participation provides schools and athletes access to national exposure, competitive stages, and monetization opportunities. In both cases, value is unlocked only through active engagement in the system.

2. Emphasis on Performance and Excellence

Success in both environments is performance-driven. AICC members that invest in training, safety, innovation, and leadership tend to see stronger operational outcomes and industry recognition. In college football, performance determines CFP qualification, media exposure, and downstream name, image, and likeness (NIL) value. High performers, whether companies or athletes, are rewarded with greater visibility and financial upside.

3. Education and Development as Core Benefits

At their core, both systems emphasize development. AICC focuses on professional and technical education to grow talent pipelines and future leaders. We can argue if some players are getting an education, but the CFP (and NIL) indirectly promote development by encouraging athletes to build skills beyond the field—such as branding, financial literacy, and media engagement—while also preparing them for professional careers, athletic or otherwise.

4. Networking and Relationship Capital

Relationships matter in both worlds. AICC’s meetings, advisory groups, and peer connections mirror how the CFP relies on networks of conferences, sponsors, boosters, and media partners. Success is amplified by who you know, collaborate with, and learn from.

5. Shared Value Through Collective Structure

Finally, both models demonstrate that collective organization creates individual benefit. AICC strengthens the packaging industry as a whole, which elevates each member. The CFP increases revenue that flows to schools and, increasingly, athletes. Individual success is tied to the strength of the overall system.

In short, while one world builds boxes and the other builds championships, both rely on structured membership, performance, development, and shared value to deliver meaningful benefits.

Make sure your team is getting the most from its member benefits, because AICC is a No. 1 seed every season!

Michael D’Angelo AICC President

Multicell Packaging Inc.

Lawrenceville, GA

Announces they have acquired the operating assets of

Bridgeport, CT

MITCHELL E. KLINGHER

Acted as financial advisor to the sellers

PREVIOUS M & A TRANSACTIONS WITH REPRESENTATION BY KLINGHER NADLER LLP:

- Empire State Container, Inc. in an asset sale to Buckeye Corrugated, Inc.

- Impress Packaging, Inc. in an asset sale to Pratt Industries, Inc.

- Jamestown Container Company in an asset acquisition from H P Neun, Inc.

- Central Florida Box Inc. in an asset sale to KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation

- Associated Packaging in an asset sale to KapStone Paper and Packaging Corporation

- Multicell Packaging, Inc. in an asset purchase from John J. Monaco Products Company

- Michiana Corrugated, Inc. in a stock sale to Akers Packaging Service Group

- American Corrugated Products, Inc. in an asset sale to Welch Packaging Group

- State Container, Inc. in an asset sale to Paige Packaging, Inc.

- Island Container Corp. in an asset purchase from Squire Corrugated, Inc.

- Abbott Action Packaging in a sale of its protective packaging division to Unified2 Global Packaging Group

- Packaging Logic, Inc. in an asset sale to Akers Packaging Service Group

- Gulf Packaging, Inc. in a stock sale to SupplyOne, Inc.

- Independent II LLC in an asset sale to Hood Container Corporation

580 Sylvan Ave, Suite M-A

Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632

(201) 731-3025 Fax (201) 731-3026

Mitch@KlingherNadler.com