AICC 2021 Spring Meeting - A Brave Independent World: Customers, Creativity, Confidence

More than 340 members, guests and 90 virtual attendees were welcomed by Jay Carman, President, Standfast Packaging, and AICC Chairman to the 2021 Spring Meeting April 26-28, in Amelia Island, FL. The first national industry event in over a year included a virtual plant tour of Packrite, a Sales Managers Forum and Emerging Leader training in addition to exceptional speakers and networking and social events.

With topics ranging from cyber security to industry projections, attendees learned from Steve Robinson, Former EVP & CMO, Chick-Fil-A; Al Randle, Director of Operations, COSEC Cybersecurity; Services, Matt Elhardt, VP Global Sales, Fisher International; Mitch Klingher, CPA, Klingher Nadler, LLC; Gene Marks, CPA, Columnist, Small Business Owner; Brent Lindberg, Founder, Fuseno; and Greg Tucker, CEO, Bay Cities.

Jeff Pallini, President, Fosber America, moderated a town hall discussion featuring Pat Szany, President, American Corrugated Machine Corp.; Joseph Morelli, VP of Sales & Marketing; Huston Patterson Printers; Greg Jones, Executive Vice President, Sun Automation; Tim Connell, Director of Sales, A.G. Stacker, Inc.; and David Burgess, North American Sales Director, JB Machinery; answering questions from the in-person and virtual audience on the top issues impacting the industry.

Michael D’Angelo, AICC President, presented the State of the Association and Kevin Ausburn, CHAIRMAN, CEO, SMC Packaging Group, AICC Chair of the Paperboard, Regulations & Sheet Supply Committee gave a containerboard and boxboard update.

Nearly half of the meeting attendees participated in the 7^th Annual Independents’ Cup Charity Golf Tournament held at the Oak Marsh Golf Course and  enjoyed the networking event where they could reconnect with old friends and make new ones. In addition, all the networking and social events were held outdoors at the resort and attendees were able to enjoy quality time and the beautiful weather with their colleagues and friends.       

The meeting, emceed first by Carman and then by Gene Marino, Executive Vice President, Akers Packaging Group, and AICC First Vice Chairman, was a true reflection of a brave independent world.

Awards & Recognition

Member Milestones

In 2018 AICC began recognizing the longevity of independent member companies. This year we honored six companies ranging from 40 years to more than a century in business.

100 Years

·       Isowa

·       Tiruna

65

·       Jamestown Container Companies

50

·       Progress Container & Display

40

·       The BoxMaker

Safe Shop Awards

This year AICC presented its Independent Safe Shop Awards, an annual recognition of AICC Member Companies for outstanding performance in plant safety in 2020 and 2021.

2021:

• Akers Packaging Solutions (Decatur)
• Akers Packaging Solutions (Huntington)
• Akers-Webster West Packaging (Evansville)
• Lawrence Paper Company, American Packaging Division
• Arrow Box Company
• Box-Board Products, Inc.
• Wunderlich Fibre Box
• Jamestown Container Rochester, HP Neun Division
• Jamestown Container Cleveland

2020

• Air Conveying Corp.
• Akers Packaging Service Group (Middletown)
• Akers Packaging Solutions (Decatur)
• Akers-Webster West Packaging (Evansville)
• Akers-Webster West Packaging (North Vernon)
• Lawrence Paper Company, American Packaging Division
• Hoosier Container Inc.
• McElroy Contract Packaging
• Tecumseh Packaging Solutions
• Unicorr Packaging Group / Vermont Container
• Wunderlich Fibre Box Co.

7^th Annual Independents’ Cup Charity Golf Event

Since this tournament began in 2014 our independent industry has contributed more than $200,000 to worthy local and national charitable organizations helping the homeless, victims of domestic violence; at-risk children; those overcoming addictions; and our military veterans.  With 120 golfers and 28 sponsoring companies, this year the Independents’ Cup made donations to Driving Out Darkness and the Foundation for Packaging Education

FIRST PLACE

-        Tom Bradford, Bradford Company

-        Ed Gargiulo, Equipment Finance

-        Tom Torosian, Torosian Tech Services

-        Pat Szany, American Corrugated Machine

SECOND PLACE

-        Cade Landeche, Air Systems Design

-        Rob Zacary, Air Systems Design

-        Gene Tyler, Blackhawk Corrugated

-        Michael Sanders, TranSouth Logistics

THIRD PLACE

-        Chase Haddon, Packaging Atlanta

-        Peter Haddon, Packaging Atlanta

-        Adam Kelly, Kelly Box & Packaging

-        Daniel Hammond, Stafford Corrugated Products

CONTEST WINNERS

-        Longest Putt: Kelly Webb, Meredith-Webb Printing

-        Closest to the Pin #4: Peter Haddon, Packaging Atlanta

-        Closest to the Pin #7: Stu Fenkel, McLean Packaging

-        Closest to the Pin #12: Adam Kelly, Kelly Box & Packaging

-        Closest to the Pin #16: David Moulder, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Sponsors

Meeting Sponsors

Poteet Printing Systems, A Flint Group Company

HP

SUN Automation Group

EFI

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America

Stafford Corrugated Products

Kolbus Hycorr

Oklahoma Interpack

Flint Group/Packaging Inks

Equipment Finance Corp.

Bradford Company

Domtar

WestRock

Haire Group

Huston Patterson

Domino

Baumer hhs

Golf Sponsors

Bobst

Fosber America

Bradford Company

Rusken Packaging

Litho Press

AG Stacker

BCM Inks

Poteet Printing Systems, A Flint Group Company

Dusobox

Pamarco

American Corrugated Machine

EAM Mosca

Bay Cities

BW Papersystems

JB Machinery

Haire Group

McLean Packaging

Printron

SUN Automation

Roosevelt Paper

Kao Collins Inc.

Metsa Group

Domino

Quotes

Virtual

I had the distinct pleasure of attending the AICC Spring Meeting virtually this year.  While I was extremely disappointed to not attend in person, I was incredibly encouraged at the level of interaction available via the virtual platform. I participated ‘real time’ in the Sales Manager Forum Sunday/Monday. Both speakers were engaging and thought provoking. I was able to participate, ask questions, and share thoughts freely during the meeting.

Amy Hudson, Sales Manager, Niagara Sheets, LLC

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The speakers have all discussed current hot topics, the meeting’s virtual component has gone off without a hitch & I have personally attended the 2 virtual networking opportunities. It has allowed me to feel like I am a part of the meeting while sitting 2100km away.

Terri-Lynn Levesque, Vice President, Administration, Royal Containers

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My initial reaction to AICC’s Spring Meeting as a virtual participant is overall satisfaction with the entire experience. I thought all of the presentations were very good and watching virtually did not make them less impactful.

I got some great takeaways from Gene Marks presentation.

I’m a fan of “How I Made This” hosted by Guy Roz on NPR and found Steve Robinson’s story of Chick-Fil-A on Tuesday fascinating.

As always Greg Tucker was entertaining and informative. Interesting to predict the future!

John Bolender, Director, Supply Chain and Strategy, Niagara Sheets, LLC

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Live

I just want to thank the AICC for putting this whole event together after this last year of all of us being cooped up at home and trying to get through our businesses and still connecting with our industry friends.  It’s great that we all get to come back and be together learn from each other, get out of the craziness of the everyday that we've all been you know struggling through but it's now great and it feels like it's normal again and we all get to do business again and be with her friends and just continue to grow.

Sahar Mehrabzadeh-Garcia, Director of Sales/ POP Displays, Bay Cities

It has been awesome to be back with my friends and colleagues at AICC.  I was telling my husband for weeks on weeks before this this event happened how excited I was to actually get back in person and not just zooming anymore, so it's been great to see everybody one on one.

Jana Harris, CEO, Harris Packaging & American Carton Company