May 11, 2026
After spending years on the integrated and independent sides of this industry, I can say something that might surprise anyone who hasn’t lived it: The independents aren’t the underdogs. Once you understand how the independent community operates with its relationships, knowledge-sharing, supplier partnerships, and its AICC-powered networking, you realize it functions like a giant.
A Nimble Network
In integrated environments, decisions often wind through layers of committees and alignment meetings. There are real strengths in that model, but speed isn’t usually one of them. Independents are different. A design tweak can be tested that afternoon, not next quarter. And this agility is multiplied across the independent landscape. When one plant finds a better setup or a clever approach to save time, the idea spreads through phone calls, plant visits, supplier touchpoints, and AICC meetups where people actually talk shop.
The Force Multiplier
AICC can be a force multiplier. Participation turns the many independents into one learning organism. Knowledge doesn’t move just top-down. It flows from peer to peer, from plant to plant, with suppliers acting as connective tissue. Members share what manufacturing innovations work, because helping another independent doesn’t weaken your position—it strengthens the network. What one converter figures out today can become common practice across dozens of plants tomorrow.
AICC is so much more than the two powerful annual meetings; it’s a year-round ecosystem of groups designed to accelerate capability through education and transparency. These groups are working forums in which peers surface challenges, benchmark new processes, and provide unbiased advice. Respectful debate is welcome, and the output is practical—new SOPs, smarter capex decisions, faster troubleshooting, and stronger customer outcomes. Consider participating in one of the several groups AICC makes available.
Suppliers as Catalysts, Not Just Vendors
In the independent ecosystem, suppliers are constantly cross-pollinating new manufacturing solutions. It’s common to hear, “Another plant cracked that exact problem. Want to see how?” Within AICC, that is routine.
Adaptation Without Bureaucracy
Independents excel at real-time adaptation. Decision-makers sit close to the work, so learning cycles are short and adoption curves are steep. When something works, the AICC network absorbs it almost instantly. Of course, AICC members are bound to uphold the letter and spirit of all applicable competition and antitrust laws, and they do so.
The Truth: Independents Aren’t ‘Small’ at All
Yes, independents may operate fewer plants and smaller headquarters than integrated giants. But that’s the surface view. Independents aren’t small. Through AICC, they operate as a collective giant—faster, more connected, and more customer-aligned than any single entity can be on its own. The independent community’s openness, peer accountability, supplier integration, and structured advisory networks add up to a decisive competitive advantage. If you’re a member of AICC, make sure you add to the momentum.
Mike Butler is senior director, packaging sales, at Domtar and vice chairman of AICC’s Associate board.
