Can you name one corrugated converting facility that nearly tripled its sales over the past 5-6 years in what some have called the worst economy since the Great Depression? By the way, this growth did not come through plant consolidations or through big national account business.

It came from a 125,000-square-foot plant in Raleigh that was built in 1982, with 62 employees (11 temporary) and purchased by Pratt Industries in 1992. The plant is one of Pratt Industries Converting Division locations. Pratt is made up of 6 different divisions in the United States: Recycled, Mill, Corrugated, Converting, Display and Clean Energy.

My visit to Pratt began with a call to TAPPI member Roger Dooley of Stafford Cutting Dies, which supplies rotary and flatbed cutting dies as well as other tooling and training to the corrugated industry

I asked Roger, who's been with Stafford for 5 years, if he had some time to meet with me during my recent visits to North Carolina. He said that he could do better than that and asked me if I would like to tour one of his favorite customer's plants – the Pratt facility. Stafford, which was formed in 1991, has steadily added new capacity and equipment nearly every year since then. They have experienced sales growth of 30% over the past 2 years and currently employ 56 people. They already have 6 new hires in 2011.

Now back to Pratt. What a great group of people. They spent a great deal of time with me showing me around and telling me about the Pratt philosophy. Mike Keepers, General Manager, Jeff Bunner, Sales Manager, Brandt Gunther, Designer, Scott Strong, Technical Representative/Design and Tracy Stallings, Production Manager, all made me feel right at home during my visit. It is very easy to see why their business has grown so much with their Can-Do attitudes.

Mike Keepers shared the following about this plant: "Our service and quality are what set us apart. We've found our niche and focus on what we're good at. We don't try to be all things to all people. For instance we have the unique ability to manufacture a 2"x2"x2" blank to make a 6" box - one of the many different sizes we get out the door on a daily basis. We also offer 72-hour turn around as well as next-day releases. Plus, we use our own mills for 95% of our paper, and have narrowed our basis weights and can meet ECT with lighter grades. But the bottom line is our people. They really do make the difference. You cannot forget that your internal people are as important as the external people you deal with on a regular basis. This is something the entire Pratt company believes in. I'm proud to be a part of a Family Train that is on the right track and ahead of the curve."

For more information about Pratt go to www.prattindustries.com

For more information about Stafford go to www.gostafford.com

There are two types of people in our industry, TAPPI members and those who should be.

Until next time............ Larry

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Three world-renown course instructors are coming together April 30 for "Essentials of Market Pulp" before the Papercon 2011 convention to address the questions they encounter in their fields.

"In seminars and my interactions with paper mills, I've found considerable interest in all species of softwoods and for what each is best suited. Acacia, both Acacia Mangium and Acacia Cassacarpa, and cold-weather-resistant Eucalyptus (E.Nitens, E.Dunii) have gained particular attention. In this course, we will discuss these pulp selections, as well as species for specific use, such as Black Spruce, for example, found to be best suited for premium facial tissue; Douglas Fir for towelling; and White Spruce for fast response to refining."

- Dave Hillman, Course Instructor and Pulp Expert

View the Proposed Course Schedule to see the day's curriculum. You will learn how to:

- Demonstrate knowledge of a comprehensive overview of the global market pulp industry, pulp categories, supply and demand influences, regional pulps and trends in the market
- Describe how market pulps have transitioned over time, exhibit knowledge of the range and differing characteristics of market pulps
- Identify the characteristics of the fiber sources used to make market pulp, the common defects and factors influencing pulp quality
- Strengthen your understanding of pulp testing principles, test methods and pulp/paper relationships
- Understand the range of pulps available, rank them for particular paper applications and describe best practices for maximizing value from market pulps

Register before April 1 and save!

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Several paper company members of the SRW committee are interested in forming a Mill Working Group to focus on streamlining roll damage definitions, claims and reporting throughout the industry. Specifically, the Mill Working Group would:

• Define damage classifications (transit wrinkle, edge, water)
• Create a roll handling workbook
• Report damage on a monthly basis (lbs lost per damage type)
• Review reporting and create industry action plans based on findings.

One outcome is that mills could submit data to a confidential TAPPI database so that industry trends and benchmarking on roll damage could be possible. Several mills are already interested. If you are interested or would like more information please contact Scott Springmier. An organizational meeting is planned during TAPPI's 2011 SRW Workshop in Nashville, TN on April 12-13.

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Shipping damage is a challenge for most mills. TAPPI's Shipping Receiving and Warehousing Workshop tackles the root causes and brings you up to date with the latest in paper mill logistics. It's not too late to attend this affordable two-day workshop, April 12-13 in Nashville, TN.

Program highlights:

• DDCT (Damaged Defective Car Tracking) Project Update
• Verso Success Story - Claims Reduction
• Warehouse Tutorial: Handling Paper Rolls In Today's Environment
• qMetrixtm Pilot Project Results
• Claims Tutorial
• Membership Special - register for SRW and join TAPPI at a 60% savings!

See the full program.

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TAPPI is offering a two-part webinar series on Recycled Content Certification on Wednesday, April 13 and Wednesday, April 20 - both at 1 p.m. EST. One registration provides your entry into both online presentations where you can learn how to better interpret the standards of recycled content and how you can use it to its best marketing advantage!

Recycled Content has become increasingly meaningful in operations and the need for clarity in certification has become more important. As many of you might have experienced, problems can arise when there's too much room for interpretation, but there are many sets of standards to scrutinize. So, what do you do?

Eric Taub and Andrew Keenan of Verus Carbon Neutral will discuss:

- Making sense of the paper industry's primary standards, the differences between each;
- How to utilize the standards to your specific marketing advantage; and
- Properly defining recycled content for your products.

Pricing -- TAPPI Member Rate $10 TAPPI Non-Member Rate $174

Special Membership Offer

Non-members of TAPPI will become members ($160 toward membership and $14 for access to this webinar).

This webinar has limited capacity. Register  now for your online access to this valuable content.

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The Pulp and Paper Safety Association (PPSA) will hold its 68th Annual Safety & Health Conference at the Hyatt Regency in San Antonio, Texas, on June 19-22, 2011.

Program highlights:

• Meet and make valuable safety contacts within Forest Products Industry
• Hear first hand from companies like yours with outstanding safety records
• Find out what the latest OSHA activity and direction is
• Learn new accident avoidance techniques
• Learn about new industry specific training programs
• Find out what is on the cutting edge and currently available from safety suppliers
• Learn from both the positive and negative experiences of others in our industry

For more information download the conference program or visit the website.

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PaperCon's Sustainability Forum to highlight the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field during this one-day event.

Attend PaperCon's Sustainability Forum and discover the latest developments and trends directly from our industry's sustainability leaders - and learn what the future holds in this rapidly evolving field.

The Sustainability Forum, taking place Wednesday, May 4, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. will:

 Focus on the "Science Behind Sustainability" - providing a venue for technically based discussions on sustainability and reviewing the basics of sustainability grounded in science - from providing definitions and interpretations of existing/proposed standards and certifications, to sharing best practices, impacts and assessment of sustainability drivers.

 Share Knowledge Among Paper Manufacturers and Their Customers - and created a technically-focused learning environment for the paper/packaging industry and its suppliers - and bring togehter end users, technical marketers, paper merchants and buyers to enhance their knowledge about paper sustainability.

 Share and Leverage Best Practices and Lessons Learned - enhancing overall industry advancement in sustainability by sharing experiences and initiatives with product development, manufacturing improvements and customer relations.

 Bring Industry Issues to the Forefront - providing a forum to gather industry opinions and develop industry consensus (as appropriate) on sustainability issues and drivers to enhance the industry's performance.

Learn more about the Sustainability Forum and PaperCon, taking place May 1-4, 2011 in Covington, Ky., (Greater Cincinnati area).

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TAPPI's OpEx Maintenance Seminar: Operating Excellence through Advanced Asset Management is an important two-day seminar, taking place May 2-3 during PaperCon 2011. It is designed for mill maintenance and reliability supervisors who are interested in bringing the latest reliability techniques and best practices back to their mill. Organized by TAPPI's Asset Management Committee, speakers include mill personnel, consultants and suppliers.

Attendees will bring practical ideas back to their mill; meet and network with world class asset management experts and suppliers; and attend a roundtable of maintenance superintendants from TAPPI's Ohio Local Section. Up-to-date program information is available.

Learn more about this event and all PaperCon has to offer.

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