August 5, 2016
As member companies evolve to remain vital in the current marketplace, so must AICC—
The Independent Packaging Association. The AICC board of directors has been leading the association through the creation of a three-year strategic plan. One of the first steps was to define the mission of AICC. It is this mission that will be the guiding principle for all that comes after. All actions and activities of AICC must ultimately help the association live up to this mission statement: Uniting and celebrating the success of inspired, independent packaging companies.
These words were chosen deliberately to reflect the work of AICC members and the role AICC wishes to play in member companies and the industry. To take AICC to the next level of member service requires significant investment. From those investments will come an organization providing you with more and greater tools to help you succeed.
AICC Chair Mark Williams, president of Richmond Corrugated Inc., explains the value his company gets out of AICC membership. “Our company has been a member of AICC for 40 years, but has received the most benefits during the past 15, while I have served on the board of directors. I joined the board in the fall of 2000, which coincided with a major downturn in the economy that had a terrible impact on our business. Eighteen months later we were on the brink of going broke. AICC and fellow AICC members were very instrumental in helping us turn our company around. We have made a profit 10 years in a row and 13 of the last 14 years. Each of the last six years has been a record year. We would not be here today if it were not for AICC.”
AICC wants to support you in your success stories, so we are investing in the member benefits that bring you the most value.
At the end of a recent machine training session, participants used their host plant to test the skills they learned. Attendees identified $800,000 that could be added to the host’s bottom line with less than $15,000 in needed repairs and expenses. To continue building your bottom line, AICC is investing nearly $400,000 in educational programs and infrastructure for you in the coming year. We are revamping our online Packaging University with more courses and instructional tracks in sales and production, and offering new seminars that will improve your bottom line.
AICC wants to support you in your success stories, so we are investing in the member benefits that bring you the most value.
Connections in this industry are a key to growth. Marco Ferrara, CEO, Cajas de Cartón Sultana, S.A. de C.V., Monterrey, Mexico, and AICC director at large, says, “Eight years ago, a fellow AICC member company approached us about an account that was opening operations in our region. After some investments and training, the account grew steadily, becoming one of our three main customers. The contacts and networking at AICC add huge value to independents.” To allow more members to connect, AICC is investing in our national meetings and membership.
In the last five years, AICC has seen attendance, especially among boxmakers, increase 10–12 percent at national meetings. To foster greater connections among members, AICC is investing in new strategies to continue this growth by offering more plant tours, learning opportunities, and networking events. And of course, this coming year AICC and TAPPI join together to present our flagship SuperCorrExpo® 2016, October 17–20, in Orlando, Fla.
We have also committed to growing AICC’s membership by bringing in 55 new companies. This year, we are investing in membership recruitment, as well as keeping you well informed about the benefits available to you to retain our consistently high 94 percent retention rate—your vote of confidence in us.
Virginia Humphrey is AICC’s director of membership.
