Back to Atlanta: AICC and TAPPI's SuperCorrExpo 2004 showcases industry trends and the biggest corrugated packaging machinery show in the Western hemisphere

Paperboard Packaging, Oct, 2004 by Stephanie Ricca

Has it been four years already? This November 8-13 brings the second SuperCorrExpo, back again at Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center. Building on the success of the first event in 2000, the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC) and TAPPI's Corrugated Division again bring together the best of the corrugated industry for this year's machinery show and full conference schedule.

The week begins with the TAPPI International Corrugated Packaging Conference, organized around the "Staying Focused for Survival" theme. Keynote speaker A. D. "Pete" Correll, chairman and chief executive officer of Georgia-Pacific, kicks off the TAPPI conference on Monday, speaking on future trends in the corrugated industry. Thomas Herlihy, executive vice president of Green Bay Packaging, continues the theme, speaking on global impacts on the corrugated industry, business model trends and new customer trends.

Monday's session concludes with an open forum discussion moderated by Paperboard Packaging Editor Jackie Schultz and Board Converting News Editor Jim Curley. Panelists include John Fox, vice president of manufacturing at Weyerhaeuser Co.; Craig Garbarini, manager of engineering at Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.; John Martin, vice president of manufacturing at Packaging Corp. of America; Roger Mills, manager of manufacturing, engineering and capitol investment at International Paper; Michael Donnell, vice president of manufacturing services at Temple-Inland; and Craig Hoyt, president and chief executive officer of Buckeye Boxes.

Tuesday's TAPPI session covers RFID adoption in depth, with a Masters Forum featuring experts from every link of the packaging supply chain. RFID insiders like Procter & Gamble's Bud Babcock, Wal-Mart's Ron Moser, Auto ID Lab's Daniel Engels, Matrics' Liz Churchill, and Eastman Kodak's Edward Zogg will share their stories on steps from pilot programs through retail application.

Wednesday's general session covers economic, market and employee trends facing players in the global corrugated market. Simon Southern of PRISM, Michael Brunton of International Paperboard Industry and Ann Atkinson of Atkinson & Associates explore threats and opportunities on a global scale.

AICC's Annual Meeting sessions begin Thursday with keynote speaker Stuart Varney, former host of CNBC's "Wall Street Journal Editorial Board with Stuart Varney," discussing "New Realities of the Global Marketplace." Thursday's concurrent AICC workshop sessions cover equipment options.

Friday is lean day for AICC participants. Larry Rubrich of WCM Associates discusses World Class Enterprise, and workshop sessions cover lean and kaizen implementation.

On Saturday, AICC keynote speaker author Dinesh D'Souza shares thoughts on "What's so great about America," followed by AICC President Steve Young's state of the association address.

Throughout the week, visitors to the show floor can interact with more than 250 exhibitors from 14 countries showing new and innovative products and technologies, many making their U.S. debuts at the show. Many exhibitors feature complimentary scheduled training sessions at their booths. This year, companies providing services like safety, maintenance and security join the mix of exhibitors.

Celebrate during the week with winners of both organizations' annual awards. TAPPI CorrPak[R] 2004 winners will be announced, and AICC will present its student packaging competition winners, scholarship winners, Innovator of the Year award, and Paperboard Packaging Hall of Fame award.

Use the following exhibitor listings and at-a-glance schedules to plan your way through this year's event.

ADI/PDM Trade Group Booth 1400/1448

The company offers mounter proofers, counter ejectors, inline folder-gluers, freestanding folder-gluers, vacuum bridge guides, and viscosity controls. Visit www.arcdoyle.com.

Advanced Software, Inc. Booth 2940

The company's corrugated box software supports brown boxes, displays, sets, foam, folding cartons, farm outs, just-in-time, and distribution. The system is powered by Progress 4GL relational database software. Modules include an assortment of features such as request for quotes, cost estimating, quotes, order entry, purchasing, scheduling, e-business customer service, and CAD/CAM links. Visit www.advantzware.com.

A.G. Stacker, Inc./A.G. Machine, Inc. Booth 1835

Manufacturer of the AGS2000 rotary diecut stacker, the company provides upgrades, retrofits and parts for other stacker makes as well. It is also a supplier of quality Emba parts and service. Visit www.agstacker.com.

Agnati SpA Booth 930

Agnati presents its latest corrugator developments, including the dry end system with PowerSet slitter scorer and unique Gapless unit, the Master extended nip singlefacer without a metallic pressure roll or a belt, the GPA-VaryPress doublebacker and the recently introduced VaryBond glue machine with the innovative capability to apply a minimum glue film thickness of 0.04 millimeters (0.002 inches). Visit www.agnati.it.