August 24, 2026
If you supply anything to this industry, you’ve probably sat through conversations about specs, price per unit, lead times, maybe a mention of what’s “new.”
That’s the baseline. It’s also where most suppliers get stuck.
The converters you’re calling on don’t wake up thinking about your product. They’re thinking about uptime, waste, labor, customer demands, and how to deliver more value with fewer resources.
That’s the opportunity. And it requires a shift: Stop selling products and start enabling outcomes.
What Problem Are You Solving?
Your value is defined by what you make. It’s defined by what improves for your customer when they use it. Does your containerboard help a converter lightweight without sacrificing performance? Does your equipment reduce downtime or make changeovers faster? Does your ink run cleaner, reduce wash-ups, or improve print consistency? Does your digital solution unlock new types of work or shorten lead times?
Those are outcomes. And they’re what converters are willing to pay attention to. When you lead with a measurable improvement, you change the conversation.
The Best Suppliers Know the Plant Floor
It’s hard to enable outcomes if you don’t understand the environment your product lives in.
The best suppliers in this industry know how a corrugator runs and where bottlenecks show up. They understand how decisions made upstream affect performance downstream.
When you have that context, your recommendations get sharper. You’re not just suggesting a better product; you’re helping solve a real operational constraint.
Make It Easier, Not Just Better
Converters value partners who are responsive, transparent, and straightforward to work with. That means:
Clear communication when something changes.
Realistic lead times, not optimistic ones.
Fast follow-up when there’s an issue.
Technical support that shows up when needed, not after the fact.
If you’re hard to work with, someone else will win. In a lot of cases, “easy” beats “slightly better.”
Bring Ideas That Matter
Converters don’t have time for ideas that don’t translate into results.
The bar is simple: If you’re bringing something new, connect it directly to an outcome. Lower cost. Faster throughput. Better print quality. Reduced waste.
That’s especially true as the industry navigates pressures such as EPR, labor constraints, and rising customer expectations. The suppliers who stand out are the ones who help converters respond to pressures with practical solutions.
Earn the Right
Enabling outcomes is about consistency. Deliver when you say you will. Be transparent when things don’t go as planned. Show up when there’s a problem. Over time, that builds trust, earning you the right to bring bigger ideas.
That’s when you move from vendor to partner—and partners are the ones who win.
Mike Butler is senior director, packaging sales, at Domtar and vice chairman of AICC’s Associate board.
