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GBIG News

Month: October 2022

GBIG NEWS | 76 Stories and Links on the Internet 11/2/2022

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GBIG News

Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news sponsors. Our goal is to remind the decision makers in Wisconsin of the importance of our industry both historically, and more importantly, into the future.

Read the latest 76 Stories and Links on the Internet below.

Wisconsin

Customer Risk and Safety Success Stories | Quad Plus

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quad

While many areas of business demand compromise to achieve success, the safety of your crew  and equipment is not one of them. Recovering from the consequences of an incident can be  costly to your company and disastrous for the people involved. Risk assessments should be a  fundamental part of your operations to avoid the serious ramifications of an event. 

These examples demonstrate how our Machine Safety and Risk Assessment team helped our  customers avoid the worst consequences. 

OSHA Visit Leads to Speedy Solutions 

After an employee was injured while operating machinery and OSHA followed up with an audit,  this customer reached out for help eliminating the dangerous conditions that contributed to the  incident. 

The machine has two turreting mandrels that operators access once a cycle to unload a finished  roll while the other continues to wind. The rolls are relatively close to each other, and all  machines stay energized during this process. The customer’s lockout-tagout procedure was  also particularly cumbersome and drastically slowed production.  

We created a muting zone using an area scanner and light curtain to protect workers from  hazardous situations and applied similar solutions to potential hazards across the production  line. The muting zone eliminated the need for a lengthy lockout/tagout procedure while still  keeping to OSHA guidelines. Plus, LOTO is a solution that relies on people to perform the  procedure properly, so engineered solutions are vastly preferable.

Validation Services Prevent Serious Trouble

This customer recently upgraded their line to improve its speed and include new safety  functionality across the line. The commissioning process was nearly complete, but during the  validation process, we found several emergency stop buttons that did not initiate an emergency  stop at all. 

The failure of an emergency stop button could lead to unimaginable consequences. From  damage to equipment to injuries to workers—or worse— this situation received an immediate  remedy from our engineers, who were still on site completing the commissioning process. 

Had the customer discovered the malfunctioning buttons later, even if there were no damages  or injuries, they would likely have had to endure at least some downtime for repairs. Fortunately,  we encountered them during the commissioning process and immediately restored functionality  to the buttons. 

Risk Assessment Reveals Serious Hazards 

A severe hazard was identified when this customer called our team to perform a machine risk  assessment. Our machine safety consultant found that the in-floor conveyor equipment posed a  serious risk to bystanders and operators. As the area already had several audible alarms, an  alternate idea was needed.  

Our solution included using warning lights to provide clear directional visual warnings that won’t  be confused with other audible alarms and sounds. Blue warning lights were mounted on the  machine frame that would activate five seconds before the conveyor activated and remain  illuminated during use. We then implemented this solution in three other conveyor areas.  

The customer reported a considerable reduction in near-miss incidents. Their staff said that the  conveyor area is now a more comfortable work area, and the conveyor can be used more  efficiently, too.

Risk Assessment is a Smart Investment

The risk assessment process should be an integral part of every operation. Worker injury and equipment damage are far more costly to your crew and the company’s bottom line than addressing safety issues before an event occurs.

If you’d like additional information on reducing your risk while providing a safer, more productive work environment for your crew with a machine risk assessment from Quad Plus, please get in touch with Jim Woulf at (920) 515-4155 or via email at jwoulf@quadplus.com.

How to Nail Your Job Interview in 3 Easy Steps

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When Scott Valitchka began interviewing candidates for mill operator jobs at the James River Green Bay Mill 35 years ago, he noticed a common pattern. Job candidates often missed out on a desired job because they failed to prepare for or understand what to expect at an interview. 

Why Candidates Struggled in Job Interviews

Valitchka, Managing Partner of 15 Dots LLC, realized that a combination of factors affected interviewing results. Oftentimes, candidates who struggled in a job interview:

  • Lacked a mentor, friend, parent, or teacher who could help them prepare for a job interview
  • Did not take time to reflect on the job opportunity and consider how it might fit with their prior work experience and career goals
  • Looked at the mill job solely to earn more money and failed to consider the combination of interests, abilities, or accomplishments that would make them a good fit for the job
  • Lacked a consistent way to provide interviewers with data about how they had behaved in past situations that might mirror their desired job

Green Bay Students Explore Manufacturing Careers

In mid-September 2022, Valitchka, who is a member of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (NEWMA) Talent Task Force, learned that several Fox Cities businesses were sponsoring a NEWMA program to help Green Bay charter school seniors explore manufacturing careers.

Starting in October, Green Bay high school seniors visited the booths of 11 Fox Cities NEWMA member companies at the Manufacturing First Trade Show. During early November, the same students will have the opportunity to tour each business and view their operations. Finally, during mid-November, each student will participant in a job interview for internships available at the 11 NEWMA member companies. Those who successfully complete the manufacturing internship will then be eligible for one of seven $1,000 continuing education scholarships. The goal of the business tours, interviews, and internships is to inform the students about manufacturing careers and help them to prepare for what it takes to land manufacturing jobs that cover business support, operations, or maintenance.

3 Key Principles to Excel in an Interview 

When Valitchka learned that the students would participate in a job interview as part of the manufacturing career program, he saw the opportunity for 15dots to create a free, online reference that the students and their teachers could use to help them to prepare for a successful interview. 

Drawing from years of interview experience, Valitchka and the 15dots team identified three key principles that are essential for any interview. They built the quick reference around those items: 

  1. Prepare – Learn about the work and job site and assess your interest, relevant skills, and knowledge 
  2. Understand the interviewer’s role (to collect behavioral “CARE® packages) 
  3. Respond with CARE® – Think Circumstance or Assignment, Response, & Effect when answering interview questions 

Helpful Single-Page Interview Guide

The quick reference specifically addresses gaps the 15dots team has observed through years of interview interactions with job candidates. Those items include:

  1. Three things to focus on when preparing for an interview. 
  2. The types of topics that most interviews will cover, along with examples of behavioral questions commonly asked to address a given topic. 

As an example, most interviews focus on work and personal achievements. A related behavioral question might be: What achievements have you experienced so far in your life? What are some things you are most proud of? 

  1. How to respond to behavioral questions using the CARE® technique (CARE means that the candidate responds to questions with the following framework in mind): 
    1. C=Circumstance (Describe the situation that you were in)
    2. A=Assignment (Outline the task or duty you were responsible for) 
    3. R=Response (Describe what action you took) 
    4. E=Effect (Note the results in terms of safety, quality, “wins,” or cost, etc.) 

The resulting quick reference, “Tips to Excel in an Interview” is now available on the Free Resources section of the 15dots website, and was distributed to the Green Bay charter school seniors participating in the NEWMA manufacturing internship program interviews. 

A Good Interview is a Conversation with a Purpose

Some might argue that giving interview tips to candidates dilutes the power of an interview for the hiring organization. However, through 40-plus years of employee selection experience, 15dots founder Dr. Joe Nowlin has seen the opposite. When candidates can provide relevant behavioral examples to an interviewer or interview team that illustrate their motivation and agility to adapt to the world of work, they set themselves and the interview team up for a successful outcome. 

Nowlin and the 15dots team report that the best interviews they have seen are “a conversation with a purpose.” This means that the interviewers know the data they need to collect, and the candidates are prepared with the combination of personal insights and examples of past work and experience that illustrate their fit for the job for which they are being considered. Contact the 15dots team to learn more about effective interviews and how to take the guesswork out of employee selection. 

DigiCOPY Continues to Grow with Ricoh High Speed and Fifth Color Capabilities

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With a loyal customer base fueling their growth, DigiCOPY felt a responsibility to continue to expand their capabilities to meet their customers’ ever-changing needs. When it came time to secure new technology, DigiCOPY chose EO Johnson and Ricoh for expertise and technology to take their organization to the next level. EO Johnson and Ricoh’s philosophies aligned with Craig’s corporate vision and the three created an alliance. The recent installation of two RICOH Pro C9210s, the flagship solution in Ricoh’s award-winning graphic communications cut-sheet portfolio, and a RICOH Pro C7210X 5thcolor capable solution is just the beginning. This investment is part of a larger acquisition which gives DigiCOPY a consistent footprint across the state of Wisconsin and empowers DigiCOPY’s clients to address changing market conditions and print requirements.

“EO Johnson and Ricoh took the time to learn about our business, our customers’ needs and our long-term strategy. Together they took a holistic approach to understand our challenges and goals, then built a comprehensive solutions package that most effectively addressed those needs,” said Craig Shuler, President of DigiCOPY. “They positioned us to keep step with our
customers’ current needs and prepared us to meet future demand.”

Of special significance to DigiCOPY is Ricoh’s ability to deliver consistent, repeatable, superb color and image quality. The RICOH Pro C9210 Graphic Arts Edition is designed for the most demanding, high-volume customer applications. It features quality comparable to offset print, high reliability for long runs, generous paper capacity, expansive media support, and ease of use. New technologies produce high-quality, predictable results on paper stocks up to 24 pt. and sizes up to 13 x 49.6” simplex and 13 x 40.5” duplex. With the Pro C9210, DigiCOPY can produce long-runs efficiently and cost-effectively including trifold 6-page brochures and newsletters, posters, packaging materials and Business Cards that really stand out. This provides DigiCOPY clients with a wider array of cutting-edge custom publishing, variable data, and on-demand printing applications that stand out from their competitors. DigiCOPY clients can choose from uncoated, gloss, matte, recycled, preprinted, textured, label, and carbonless paper stocks for their most demanding applications.

The decision to invest in the Ricoh Pro C7210X was based on giving customers new ways to create pieces that will help them stand out among their competitors. The RICOH Pro C7210X will enable DigiCOPY clients to go beyond CMYK and produce high-value, premium applications that stand out from the competition where the “medium is the message”, setting DigiCOPY apart from other print providers. The Pro C7210X can produce two-sided prints up to 27.5” and print on stocks up to 360 grams per square meter, including textured, synthetic, magnetic, metallic, and clear media for applications including window clings, posters, waterproof documents, and high-end brochures. With options to add Ricoh’s Clear and white ink, DigiCOPY goes beyond the standard color gamut.
With an easy-to-use on-line ordering system, state of the art color matching technology, unparalleled suite of mailing services, the ability to safeguard your data via regulated printing practices, combined with our customer service organization, DigiCOPY strives to become a valuable extension of your business. Our goal is to consistently deliver high quality print, meet your tight deadlines, and consult with you on a variety of print approaches and possibilities.
DigiCOPY opened its first facilities in Eau Claire and Stevens Point, Wisconsin in 2000. At that time, Craig Shuler laid the foundation for growth and development  which enabled DigiCOPY to add a third location just one short year later.

Under his leadership combined with an extensive background in the print industry, Craig   envisioned an organization that truly valued relationships in the workplace, the  marketplace, and the community.

DigiCOPY rivals other digital printers in its desire   to cherish and cultivate those relationships in and outside its walls. DigiCopy currently operates seven production facilities across Wisconsin. We welcome you to visit our website at www.dcopy.net to learn more about our services.

If you prefer, you can contact Craig Shuler, President and Founder at shuler@dcopy.net. 

More information on DigiCopy can be found at www.dcopy.net.

Strategies to Soften the Hard Market – A Flight to Quality

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Throughout the year, I have been sharing information on the significant rate increases that many carriers are taking place in commercial property and casualty insurance. 19 straight quarters of rate increases says it all.

Two Important factors creating headwinds today include:

Cyber Crime Insurance Rates are Up over 25%
Commercial Auto Rates have Risen for 44 Straight Quarters (CIAB, Q2 2002)

If your commercial insurance renewal is approaching and your agent has not communicated your renewal strategy to you, it probably means you are in for large increase in your premium.

Mitigating these rate increases is possible, but it requires an independent agency that loss prevention and other professional services that can guide you through the process. We are The Knowledge Brokers™, let one of our commercial insurance consultants help you. Please give me a call or visit us at myknowledgebroker.com to learn more.

Matthew Prickette | R&R Insurance Services, Inc.

Commercial Insurance Consultant

Matthew.Prickette@rrins.com | MyKnowledgeBroker.com

Phone: 920-585-6022

GBIG NEWS: WHY BUILD PAPER CAPACITY IN WISCONSIN?

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It is said, that China and the iPad were the demise of the paper industry.  We can’t control the iPad.  However, we can control and determine the future of the paper industry in Wisconsin and the USA.  China has a lot of issues in their paper and pulp industries (See Below).  China closing and shutting down the older paper mills and putting in new state of the art tissue, fine paper and corrugated paper machines.  China has major issues with power, fires, water, labor and pulp resources.  Wisconsin has the resources to support the paper industry and we ALL have to move forward to re-build Wisconsin’s paper and pulp industries.  Paper built Wisconsin and the geopolitical, logistics, supply chain issues and resources will put Wisconsin in a very favorable position to support our printing, packaging, labeling, corrugated and packaging industries with suppliers.  Otherwise, these industries will be in serious trouble impacting the State of Wisconsin!

  1. Wisconsin needs more local ownership and control of the Paper and Pulp industries supporting our local communities with a bigger tax base and employment opportunities. We have seen over the past year a number of Private Equity companies purchasing paper and pulp mills in Wisconsin.  In addition, we have seen two Asia companies purchase Paper and Pulp mills and a Mexico Based Company purchase of Midwest Paper Group in Wisconsin. 
  2.  Wisconsin has a very large base of customers in the Great Lakes Region within a 5 hour radius.  Northeastern Wisconsin has become the HUB of the Paper, Pulp, Printing, Packaging, Converting and Manufacturing Industries.
  3. Logistics:  Short shipping distances to the customers reducing freight costs!
  4. Experienced and Educated Manufacturing Base of Vendors supplying services to the paper and pulp industries to shorten the supply lines to keep paper machines running!
  5. Wisconsin has Great supporting Universities and Technical Colleges supporting the 5P and Converting Industries and providing high skilled jobs to them building new paper machines, etc.
  6. Wisconsin has an experienced workforce familiar with the paper and pulp industry with exceptional pay and benefits to retain their talent! A new machine would ADD highly skilled jobs in areas that need it.  
  7. Wisconsin has access to our tremendous Northern Forests, Minnesota, Michigan and Canada for supplying pulp and raw material! A new paper machine would add more jobs in our remote forest areas.
  8. Wisconsin has a large number of companies building machinery for export to Asia and other areas around the world focusing on automation.  A paper machine in Wisconsin would be a great benefit to Wisconsin to support our local economy with jobs, etc.
  9. Wisconsin has fresh water that is needed to support the paper manufacturing industries with new technologies in water preservation being developed in Wisconsin.  China and Asia have used up or polluted their water supply with dwindling fresh water resources. Wisconsin has a number of organizations and Universities supporting and educating us on the importance of water providing a lot of data and research to protect our fresh water resources supporting the Paper and Pulp industries.
  10. Wisconsin has tremendous Manufacturing capabilities to shorten the supply chain supporting the Paper and Pulp Industries and we would create a lot of new job and new businesses for local companies.
  11. The Green Bay Chamber and the New North have made very good inroads to Italy, etc. to bring in European equipment companies to set up US companies in NE Wisconsin.
  12. We have seen states like Mississippi, etc. create very attractive deals for the paper and converting industries.  However, they do not have the support services like Wisconsin can offer these companies.  
  13. Wisconsin has become a major transportation hub supporting the 5P, Converting and Manufacturing Industries.
  14. UW Wisconsin Madison has a number of patents and support services for the bio-fuel industries.  With the increase of fuel costs and the movement to environmental friendly fuels, this would be a great opportunity to support a number of Wisconsin Industries.  With the shutdown of some of our pulp mills, we could set up a bio-mass facility on sight.
  15. The State of Wisconsin has a large cash surplus supporting our citizens, industries, universities, and our infrastructure.  The State of Wisconsin would support the Paper and Pub industries.   
  16. A healthy pulp and paper industry contribute to healthy forestry practices and sustainability of Wisconsin forests. This will reduce the risk of damaging forest fires, improve wildlife habitat, reduce carbon in the atmosphere, support our fresh water programs reduce carbon in the atmosphere, and support our recreation and tourism. 
  17. A healthy lumber industry supports Northern Wisconsin and our Wisconsin Tribal Nations.
  18. The Paper Industry is tied to renewable energy production to be used to support the needs of the state?
  19. UW Madison Wisconsin Energy Institute has tremendous resources in the Bio-Fuel Research Technologies to combat rising energy prices and reduce our carbon emission and create hundreds of jobs as energy prices rises.  The Paper Industry uses their waste pulp products as an energy source!  The Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center is focused on advancing a competitive and environmentally sustainable biofuel economy.
  20. The Paper Industry can be tied to the states agriculture industry through the use of alternative pulp sources for new product innovations.  For example, Paper and Forestry products are and can be used by the dairy or pet industry for animal for bedding.
  21. A BIG ISSUE is getting the environment permits to upgrade current paper machines or add new paper machines.  Wisconsin has some options with current facilities:  The GP Day Street Mill, Wisconsin Rapids, Park Falls, Clearwater, ST. Paper LLC., Midwest Paper, Neenah and others etc.  I expect Cities like Peshtigo, Marinette, Niagara, Port Edwards, Nekoosa, Rhinelander, Wausau and others would support a new paper and pulp mill.

Company Executives are working to de-globalize their production due to the lack of parts, improve lead times, shortages of material, bottle necks and sky rocketing shipping costs!  Simply, the buzzwords on-shoring, re-shoring or near shoring  are appearing in trade journals and articles at a much greater clip especially in the first 6 months of 2022 and the trend will continue!  We can no longer trust or depend on China for paper supply and other goods.

Green Bay Packaging is the first company to build a paper mill in Wisconsin for the past 40 years building a state of the art facility…made in Wisconsin!  We have seen construction of manufacturing in the USA soar 116% over the past year.  If you just take a tour of De Pere, the impact of the 5P, Converting and supporting Manufacturing Industries is very apparent with tremendous growth and expansions!

GBIG Events Update – PLACON Event and More

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The upcoming PLACON Recycling ecostar Tour in Madison has been rescheduled from Wednesday to Friday on November 18, 2022 starting at 10:00 am.  You can register online for the FREE event by going to www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com – EVENTS – PLACON recycling tour.  For scheduling purposes, we would appreciate signing up for planning and security purposes.  We will meet at the visitor parking lot on 6096 McKee Road, Madison, WI.  Placon requires you wear closed toed and closed heeled shoes.  Placon will provide safety glass and bump caps.  The EcoStar facility reclaims, recycles and extrudes post-consumer recycled (PET) for packaging and recycling it for reuse.  Placon launched a new ecostar plastics website. Go to www.placon.com for more information.  After the event, we will go out for lunch.  

We would like to thank George Huber UW Madison Professor of Chemical Engineering and Kevin Nelson at Amcor for an outstanding presentation at Amcor.

Finally, we want to thank First Business Bank, The New Manufacturing Alliance and Insight Publications, LLC. hosting the Manufacturing First at the Resch Center on Wednesday, October 26, 2022.  The event drew over 1,000 people. 

October 19th, 2022 Newsletter

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Read the October 19th, 2022 Green Bay Innovation Group Newsletter here.

READ NEWSLETTER

GBIG NEWS | 73 Stories and Links on the Internet 10/19/2022

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GBIG News

Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news sponsors. Our goal is to remind the decision makers in Wisconsin of the importance of our industry both historically, and more importantly, into the future.

Read the latest 73 Stories and Links on the Internet below.

Wisconsin

Paper

Industry

Sponsor

Wi5P Social Event at Titletown Brewing Company

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Tuesday, November 1st 5:30pm

Come and enjoy the Wi5P social event at Titletown Brewing Company. RSVP to Cassie (cassie.diedrick@robinsoninc.com) or Emily (ehanies27@gmail.com)

Tuesday Tacos are available for order in the Tap Room from 4 – 9pm.

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