Green Bay Innovation Group
GBIG News

Category: GBIG News

GBIG NEWS CORRUGATED DECEMBER 21, 2022

Posted on by admin
Marty Ochs

Over a number of years, successful business executive and owner Marty Ochs recognized the impressive magnitude of the paper and paper-related industries in Green Bay. Even more than that, Ochs noted, Green Bay’s paper, packaging, printing, converting and support industries are advanced and thriving.  On the local, state and national level, the impact and innovation of Green Bay’s paper and related industries often seems to go unrecognized. Ochs grew up in Northeastern Wisconsin and began his career in the paper industry, so he felt determined to bring more recognition to the thriving paper field in Green Bay.

TRENDS AND UPDATES

  1. We are seeing E-commerce sales continue to grow and the consumer spending remaining strong supported by Christmas shopping. We anticipate after Christmas sales to continue through January and early February 2023.
  2. We are witnessing that box consumers are making progress working through elevated inventories.
  3. Amazon has received record-breaking sales over 5 days between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday.
  4. We are seeing more Board Paper Products imported from Europe and China. We welcome Billerud with their plants in Michigan moving forward converting two paper machines and supported with a kraft pulp mill to produce high end board grades in 2025. Due to the current high demand for printing papers along with other paper mills shutting down graphic papers, it could slow down their conversation plans to meet demand of their current graphic paper customers.
  5. SAPPI will convert their coated free sheet paper to solid bleached sulfate with the project date in early 2025. The company plans to convert its Cloquet, MN mill to packaging and specialty grades.
  6. Packaging Corporation of America older plant is laying off a majority of its 400+ employees citing weaker demand for its products.

Quad Plus: New Line Cannot Run at Capacity.

Posted on by admin

The purpose of acceptance testing is to evaluate new equipment following installation to ensure
it was built correctly and is operating according to specifications. When something goes wrong,
this process allows the new equipment owner to ensure that all problems are corrected before
the project is considered complete.

In many cases, a third party can help locate problems during acceptance testing, diagnosing
issues, and proposing or executing solutions.

Brand New Line Underperforming

man with tech equipment

A non-woven manufacturing facility recently upgraded its system to include new equipment for the entire line. The machines were still in the acceptance testing phase, and the facility was experiencing problems, primarily with system faults when attempting to operate the line at full capacity.

The facility utilized VFDs (variable frequency drives) in a three-roll calendar system configured to run in a speed-matching operation up to a thousand feet per minute. System faults presented consistently whenever the system reached about eight hundred feet per minute or faster. At lower operating speeds, intermittent faults were present on the calendar.

Troubleshooting the Problem

A third-party troubleshooting team was called out to the facility to diagnose the problem. They began with a systematic evaluation of the entire system, including the installation and the programming. Because the system was new, the team needed to verify that the equipment was installed correctly.

The team also ensured that the cabinet was designed well, that the Fieldbus was operating correctly, and that the motor leads were terminated properly using the correct motor cables. Next was evaluating the encoder feedback with instrumentation where switching noise in the encoder signal was detected.

Another issue discovered by the troubleshooting team was that the encoder was configured for unipolar operation. This wiring configuration is not the best method for heavy industrial applications. The team rewired the encoders to the optimal configuration, along with the rest of the system.

Once these problems were corrected, the non-woven manufacturing facility could operate its new line at a thousand feet per minute without additional complications.

Acceptance Testing & Troubleshooting

Brand-new equipment should deliver better, smoother operations. However, this is only possible when they’re working correctly. Acceptance testing is designed to reveal any problems with your new assemblies so they can be corrected immediately.

Should any issues be detected, it pays to enlist the help of qualified experts who can provide a systematic evaluation of your system to verify the installation and programming and correct any issues so you can enjoy the full benefits of your investment.

If you’d like additional information on how Quad Plus can help you with expert diagnoses and corrections, please reach out to Jim Woulf at (920) 515-4155 or via email at jwoulf@quadplus.com.

Box Latch Products shopping cart more than doubled over 25 days utilizing TikTok…a Wisconsin Success Story!

Posted on by admin

Like us, you may never have considered TikTok as a marketing option. Our introduction to this platform occurred as a result of one person stopping at our table at the PackExpo Emerging Brands Summit on October 23, 2022 in Chicago’s McCormick Place.

A picture containing text, indoor, wall, office

A guy named Corry Connors asked to shoot a short video and post it to his 80,000 TikTok followers. We said, “Sure, why not?” Within days of its November 3 posting it went viral. It has now been seen by nearly 2 million viewers with 39.4k likes, 1,773 comments and 574 shares. Though not all sales could be linked to the TikTok video, purchases on our BoxLatch™ Products shopping cart more than doubled over the next 25 days.

As it turned out Cory also hosts a sustainable packaging website and does podcasts. The amazing success of the TikTok video prompted Cory to invite BoxLatch™ CEO, Jim Wilson, to do a podcast. It was posted on December 7. Wouldn’t you know it, the success of that has led to an invitation for Jim to apply for a position as a speaker at the AICC (Independent Packaging Association) Xperience Conference in 2023.

Everyone knows that marketing is kind of like fishing; you never know what the next super lure will be or where the big lunker is lurking. As a company who knew nothing about the effectiveness of TikTok as a B2C and B2B marketing platform, is it time companies like yours and ours learned more about it?

If you have had success, please let us know.

Jack & Jim Wilson and the BoxLatch™ Team

Pewaukee, WI jack@boxlatch.com, james@boxlatch.com 

2023 INDA Calendar of Events

Posted on by admin
INDA logo
  • Elementary Nonwovens Training Course
    January 24-25, 2023
    INDA Headquarters
    Cary, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Intermediate Nonwovens Training Course
    February 7-10, 2023
    INDA Headquarters, Cary, NC &
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Introduction to Spunbond & Meltblown Technology
    February 28-March 3, 2023
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Elementary Nonwovens Training Course
    May 23-24, 2023
    INDA Headquarters
    Cary, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Absorbent Hygiene Training Course
    June 6-8, 2023
    INDA Headquarters
    Cary, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Nonwoven Product Development & Innovation
    June 20-23, 2023
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • WIPES Academy
    July 17-18, 2023
    Atlanta Marriott Marquis
    Atlanta, GA
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference
    July 17-20, 2023
    Atlanta Marriott Marquis
    Atlanta, GA
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    worldofwipes.org
  • Intermediate Nonwovens Training Course
    August 1-4, 2023
    INDA Headquarters, Cary, NC &
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Elementary Nonwovens Training Course
    August 22-23, 2023
    INDA Headquarters
    Cary, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • Fiber & Filament Extrusion Fundamentals
    September 12-14, 2023
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • RISE® (Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics)
    September 26-27, 2023
    North Carolina State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    riseconf.net
  • Filter Media Training Course
    October 10-11, 2023
    Navy Pier
    Chicago, IL
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • FiltXPO™ | International Filtration/Separation Exhibition & Technical Conference
    October 10-12, 2023
    Navy Pier
    Chicago, IL
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    filtxpo.com
  • Intermediate Nonwovens Training Course
    October 24-27, 2023
    INDA Headquarters, Cary, NC &
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training
  • HYGIENIX™ | The Premier Event for Absorbent Hygiene & Personal Care Markets
    November 13-16, 2023
    The Roosevelt New Orleans
    New Orleans, LA
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    hygienix.org
  • Fabric Property Development & Characterization
    December 5-8, 2023
    The Nonwovens Institute, NC State University
    Raleigh, NC
    T: +1 919 459 3724
    Email: registrar@inda.org
    inda.org/training

Stop Outsourcing! Own Your Hiring Process for Great HR Results

Posted on by admin
15 Dots logo

When outsiders started commenting on a dramatic uptick in the organization’s talent, management took notice. That’s what happened for Bill MacPherson, of the Mercer Celgar pulp mill and 30-year veteran of the pulp and paper industry. While working for a previous employer, Bill received positive feedback from customers, vendors, and suppliers who noticed a remarkable shift in talent at the organization. What brought about the transformation? Game-changing employee selection. Instead of outsourcing the recruitment and hiring process to a consultant, the organization took ownership of the process.

‘You Can’t Outsource Thinking’

“You can’t outsource thinking,” is one of Bill’s principles. Consultants play a role in certain scenarios, but not in every circumstance. Definitely not in hiring. Instead, organizations gain the most by using the talent, leadership, and teams inside their walls to own their problems and solve them together. Organizations should be as engaged as possible in attracting and hiring talent. In Bill’s experience, employee performance was noticeably better a couple years after implementing the 15dots® hiring techniques. New hires were naturally acclimated to work in an environment that was collaborative, team-based, and problem solving. Very quickly, people inside and outside the organization began to see a shift.

Employees as Interviewing Experts

The 15dots® Selection Process trains employees to be interview experts. Employees gain the knowledge and tools to repeatedly and reliably choose the right match(s). There’s nothing more important than selecting the people who are going to be your teammates and colleagues. 15dots® helps organizations eliminate bad hires and performance nightmares.

Developing Leaders Ready for Promotions

By engaging in the hiring process, organizations create a development opportunity for their people. Interviewers learn the skills necessary to become future leaders and managers. Learning how to hire in a complex 21st Century manufacturing environment is an important skill to acquire. Leadership skills are even more critical due to the massive retirements occurring in the pulp and paper industry. Whereas it previously took 20-25 years to go from entry-level to top-level position, now it happens in 4-5 years. Employees’ rapid rise requires an enormous amount of learning. To advance in the organization, employees must be active learners and problem solvers. The previous generations didn’t have the pressure to advance as quickly. So, that’s another huge reason to use an effective and reliable selection process. Organizations don’t want to mismatch people and set them up for failure in the workplace.

Cost-Effective Alternative to Recruiters

In addition to maximizing human potential, the 15dots® Selection Process is cost effective. Bill estimated that hiring cost about one-quarter of the expense of outsourcing. Recruiters and consulting agencies typically charge high-priced retainers. Plus, by outsourcing the hiring process, organizations let somebody else do all their thinking. Finding the right talent lays the foundation for an organization’s long-term success.

2023 Business Trends: Inflation & The
Economy Ahead – Northeast Wisconsin

Posted on by admin

You’re invited to an interactive, engaging presentation revealing economic trends nationally and in Northeast Wisconsin from First Business Bank experts.

How will national and international economic trends affect Northeast Wisconsin’s economy in the coming quarters? Join us at Butte des Morts Country Club where Nancy Johnshoy, CFA, Senior Vice President – Portfolio Manager & Market Strategist, will present national and regional economic data. A panel of local business leaders will discuss inflation, interest rates, employment, and more.

This event is designed for local business and organization leaders who rely on proven, timely data to make critical budgeting and operations decisions. Seating is limited, so please register now to reserve your spot. We look forward to seeing you there.

Register Here

Susan Finco (Moderator)

Owner & President –
Leonard & Finco Public Relations

Susan Finco

Nancy Johnshoy (Presenter), CFA

Senior Vice President –
Portfolio Manager & Market Strategist
First Business Bank

Nancy Johnshoy

Rick Hearden (Panelist),

President –
Northeast Wisconsin Market
First Business Bank

Rick Hearden

Cory VandeWettering (Panelist)

President/CEO –
Keller, Inc.

Cory VandeWettering

Bret Salscheider (Panelist)

President/CEO –
YMCA of the Fox Cities

Bret Salscheider

Komal Mehta (Panelist)

Co-Owner –
Triangle Manufacturing Company

Komal Mehta

Brightening the Holidays

Posted on by admin

GBIG donates $30K to Charity

The Green Bay Innovation Group and other supporters will be donating $30,000 in 2022 to local Food Pantries, Homeless Shelters, Community Outreach Programs and a number of other Non-Profit Membership Organizations. The Green Bay Innovation Group Mission Statement supports our communities for those who need it the most. The Green Bay Innovation Group brings together the 5P, Converting and Supporting Industries through education, collaboration, networking and innovation!

The Green Bay Innovation Group wants to thank ALL of our 2022 sponsors for their support. One Half of our Sponsorship revenue goes back to our communities! If you want to become a member in 2023, go to: www.greenbayinnovationgroup.com and go to join. Click on JOIN GBIG NOW! We have 3 options for a Bronze, Silver, or Gold Annual Sponsorship.

One of the 2022 recipients was Apricity, a Neenah company providing treatment, employment, and support services to those impacted by substance use disorders. Through the magic of Christmas, a matching donation turned GBIG’s donation of $2,500 into $5,000.

We are donating to the following organizations:

Three red gifts boxes

We want to thank our Board of Directors

  • Steve Van Dyke – President
  • AJ Buran
  • Bill Koehne
  • Bryson Machonga
  • Cassie Diedrick
  • Karl Beese
  • Lisa Reynolds
  • Marty Ochs – Executive Director

Merry Christmas And Happy New Year

GBIG NEWS | 78 Stories and Links on the Internet 12/7/2022

Posted on by admin

GBIG News

Get links to the latest news, events, stories, and interviews from our 5P news members. 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 78 Stories and Links on the Internet below.

GBIG News Banner

Wisconsin

Industry

Corrugated

Member

Packerland Websites – a top marketing company

Posted on by admin
Packerland Websites logo

Packerland Websites has been selected as one of the Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Green Bay, Wisconsin, by expertise.com.

“Our team is honored to be recognized for helping clients accomplish their digital marketing goals and earn a solid return on their marketing dollar,” said Bill Koehne, Packerland Websites owner. “Digital marketing is much more than just hanging a nameplate on the internet. We help clients engage their target market with website design and SEO strategies that lead to results.”

Expertise uses public databases and customer referrals to check availability and service areas. The selection was based on the primary area of expertise, the variety of services offered, and years of experience.

Packerland Websites is on the “Best Digital Marketing Agencies in Green Bay” list for 2022.

Jason Mathwig joins New North Inc. as Industry Alliance Director

Posted on by admin

Will lead organization’s industry alliance engagement efforts through strategic partnerships

Jason Mathwig

NEW NORTH, November 21, 2022 – Jason Mathwig, a regional professional with extensive experience in developing community partnerships, will join New North Inc. as Industry Alliance Director, President and CEO Barb LaMue announced. The appointment becomes effective on Dec. 5, 2022.

In the role, Mathwig will lead industry alliance outreach and engagement efforts through strategic partnerships with regional employers, as well as workforce development, educational and community-based organizations. He also will provide operational support for the NEW Digital Alliance and NEW Construction Alliance, including project-management oversight for alliance-based activities.

“We are excited to have someone of Jason’s caliber join our team to advance regional support for key industry sectors,” says LaMue. “His knowledge and expertise in post-secondary engagement and other life-long learning options will help to drive innovative solutions as we address regional talent pipeline needs.

“He will increase our capacity to lead initiatives, expanding collaborative efforts, and to identify solutions to pressing challenges. We also anticipate that Jason will be able to facilitate greater alignment between regional talent-development opportunities and industry partners.”

Mathwig comes to New North from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he has served as executive manager of education outreach. In this position, he was the liaison with university departments and community organizations to create partnerships and outreach opportunities for K-12 students.

“I am honored and thrilled for this opportunity to be a part of the New North team,” says Mathwig. “It is an exciting time to be in the New North region, and I look forward to helping with the continued growth and innovation that serves our communities and targeted populations. I am ready to dive in and get started.”

Mathwig graduated cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication-public relations, with a minor in sports administration. He later received a master’s degree in sports management from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minn. Mathwig additionally is a graduate of the Leadership Green Bay program of the Greater Green Bay Chamber.

His initial post-graduation position was as an admissions counselor at his alma mater, UW-Eau Claire.

The NEW Digital Alliance aims to advance collaboration efforts that promote tech health in the New North region. It connects companies, academic institutions and other organizations dedicated to inspiring people of all ages to pursue IT and digital careers in Northeast Wisconsin.

The NEW Construction Alliance is an association of employers in the construction trades, collaborating to work with educators, workforce development, economic development and government organizations to promote careers in the building and construction trades in Northeast Wisconsin.

Green Bay Innovation Group

Bringing Green Bay Companies Together. Green Bay Innovation Group is committed to building an authentic networking experience where innovation can thrive.

Quick Links
Contact Information

Phone: 608-698-3333 
martinpochs@gmail.com
Subscribe to Newsletter

© 2021 Green Bay Innovation Group

Site By: Packerland Websites

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Share