Hummin' in Humboldt: Pratt's corrugated box plant outside of Memphis is a hit with a growing customer coterie.(Evolution Of A Box Plant)

Official Board Markets, April, 2004 by Arzoumanian, Mark

Every corrugated box plant experiences setbacks. They could range from a missed delivery date to misprinted boxes. Such problems are almost always rectified in less than 24 hours. But how many box plants can snap back from a tornado?

On May 4, 2003, Pratt Industries' box plant in Humboldt, Tenn., had installed 95 percent of the red steel structure for its new building when a tornado struck mad completely knocked it down. Twisted steel lay everywhere. A major setback. Sure. But the Pratt plant only missed its original completion elate by a few weeks.

Robert Graning is regional sales manager at the plant. He started in the industry, 44 years ago as a designer at Alton Box Board. After the aforementioned setback, he could have easily called it a...