May 27, 2016
Steve Young set the stage for the forum with his information on trends affecting packaging.
The AICC inaugural CEO Forum, held in conjunction with the 2016 Spring National Meeting, was an incredible success by every definition. The projected numbers of attendance were easily surpassed, cementing the thought process behind the program’s creation.
We all possess an innate desire to share challenges with our peers. This can be to solicit their input and advice or simply to swap war stories to affirm we’re not alone in the challenges we face. As owners, it can be easy to fall prey to the trap of routine behaviors. We rely on these familiar behaviors, as they helped formulate the successful companies we have today.
Questioning these behaviors and exhibiting a willingness to explore new terrain can be difficult. The participants of this initial forum stood against this allure of the known to actively engage in conversations focused on the present and the future, not history. They considered new perspectives regarding business challenges we all face and the methods we can use in developing the solutions. They demonstrated their dedication to continual improvement both in their companies and as leaders of their organizations. We appreciate their participation and feedback and applaud their desire and commitment to seek new ways to grow and improve their operations.
On the Agenda
There are many nuances to running a successful business. In this inaugural session, the agenda and speakers were selected to highlight five key areas impacting companies today.
Trends Affecting Packaging — Steve Young, president, AICC
Steve Young shared hard data regarding the state of the industry, including current and historical information on dollars and footage of industry shipments and changes to the number of plants producing this material on both the independent and the integrated side. He was able to further break down these segments to identify current market share and trends happening with the independents, including several acquisitions that have occurred in just the past few years. Young provided the group with a breakdown of end-use markets and growth potential, with a detailed profile of trends in the food and beverage segment. This served as a great opening to the inaugural forum outlining why it’s imperative to stay abreast of industry news, market trends, and technology advancements.
Financial Focus — Mitch Klingher, partner, Klingher Nadler LLP
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with the oversaturation of data, and it can be difficult to discern which numbers give us the necessary insight into the real status of our company. Mitch Klingher broke this down into an easy-to-digest methodology by explaining the benefits of moving from the historical cost-plus estimating method into one more applicable to today’s competitive market. He challenged this forward-thinking group to work with their own financial team to update the reports they use in analyzing their results. He stressed the importance of understanding your number and formatting the documents into usable and actionable information, rather than simply maintaining the reporting model originally built into your software.
“The participants of this initial forum stood against this allure of the known to actively engage in conversations focused on the present and the future, not history.”
Operations Assessments — Scott Ellis, partner, P2
One of the most important areas of operating a manufacturing plant is a continual focus on improving efficiency and reducing waste. This segment outlined the process of benchmarking operations by rating them against the world’s best manufacturers. Defining waste as “anything your customer would not gladly pay for, were you to bill for it separately,” Scott Ellis shared with the group details on several different aspects of analyzing your own operation. Gary Brewer of Package Crafters generously shared his own experience with Ellis—the assessment tools, processes, and the subsequent plan he built utilizing the data uncovered.
Emerging Technologies — Tom Anderson, partner, P 2
One of the biggest changes happening in the industry is the advancement in digital print technology. Utilizing this as an example, Tom Anderson shared the factors to consider in the decision-making process of when and how to invest in the ever evolving technology surrounding us. This segment gave us an in-depth exploration of key areas to consider and questions to ask regarding the internal and external realities and well-thought-out predictions involved in making the investment. The digital print example allowed the group to walk through this cost-benefit predictive model and gain a full understanding of the impact it has on the decision-making process.
Convergent Sales — Kim Brown, founder, Corrugated Strategies
Your blood, sweat, and tears built a successful company, and now new market conditions, technology, and younger generations of buyers and employees are impacting your growth and your margins. The follow-the-leader pattern forcing price wars is not sustainable. These changes compel us to create a new sales strategy. Kim Brown shared new perspectives and methods for developing an effective approach to the market. She demonstrated ways to identify your target audience, craft a differentiating message, get noticed by prospects, build a solid market presence, and eliminate the challenges of finding that elusive next sales hunter.
Key Takeaways
The participants in the inaugural CEO Forum came away with relevant and current data and methods to analyze and implement within their own operations. Each attendee received copies of each of the presentations. This binder provided the perfect location for detailing comments, making relevant notes on each section as it related to their unique operation, and creating action items to implement upon return to the office.
In addition to the presentations, the binder contained a few bonus takeaways for the attendees. Ellis included two assessment tools the group could take back and use to grade their internal operations. With these tools, they will be able to gather the necessary data and create action items to improve their operational efficiencies.
Brown shared her Sales Training Departmental Outline. She explained that most companies send their new salespeople on an internal training tour through each department of their operation, often without either side understanding the key takeaways for the trainee. She created this document to serve as a checklist for both the salesperson and the departmental trainer to use in ensuring the key components relating to their future function and success are thoroughly covered.
The comments heard from both the attendees and the presenters reinforced that this was only the first in a lengthy future for this program. Stay tuned for the next chapter in this exciting new venture.
Taryn Pyle is the director of marketing and communications for AICC.
