TAPPI Podcast Network

In September, 2022, TAPPI and AICC came together to put on another outstanding CorrWeek event. Jan Bottiglieri, editorial director for Pape360 ° magazine, set up the podcast booth on site to capture some of that Texas-sized energy from the floor. Here are the professionals you will meet on today’s podcast:

·      Jonathan Lust, corrugated industry manager, for Signode Industrial Group, will tell us why IIoT and Industry 4.0 are the future for box makers.

·      Christine Little, senior sales manager, Corrugated Machinery Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America, discusses whether new technology can help attract new talent to the industry.

·      Brian Kentopp, vice president sales, Sun Automation Group, will talk about on how machine learning can help corrugated plants keep up with supply chain stress, labor demands, and more.

·      And finally Sergio Menchaca Flores, director general, Eko Empaques Containerboard and Chairman of AICC Mexico will offer his perspective on working together for a strong industry

Also please check our first “Live from CorrWeek” episode from last month to capture some of that on-site magic. Don’t forget to subscribe and follow our podcast, share with friends and colleagues, and spread the word about Better Together: Conversations with Innovative Leaders.

Click to learn more about CorrWeek 2022—and bookmark for the latest information about CorrExpo 2023, August 28-30, 2023 in Cleveland, OH.

More than 1500 industry professionals were on hand for 2022 CorrWeek in San Antonio, TX, this past September. For those who were not lucky enough to be there in person, Better Together offers the next best thing: live-from-the-show-floor interviews to capture some of that show excitement. In this episode, we welcome four guests to the podcast booth to share their perspectives on the industry and this stellar event. They are:

·      Shlomo Nimrodi, CEO of Highcon, will share a leader’s perspective on transforming the corrugated industry from analog to digital.

·      Jonathan Fore, commercial lead, Baldwin Technology (a Barry-Wehmiller company), will tell us about some giant-width solutions offered by its new spectral UV technology for drying and curing.

·      Aleks Zlatic, general manager, packaging at E-Productivity Software, will talk about how boxmakers can save time with software and control systems.

·      Sarah Meiburg, director of industry outreach, Paper + Packaging Board, will discuss a terrific program that’s free to manufacturers and can help spread the word about the environmental performance of corrugated products.

We hope you enjoy the first of our two planned episodes capturing a few of the sights and sounds of CorrWeek 2022.  We will be bringing you another set of CorrWeek interviews on our next episode, so please subscribe and follow to make sure you don’t miss it.

Click to learn more about CorrWeek 2022—and bookmark for the latest information about CorrExpo 2023, August 28-30, 2023 in Cleveland, OH.

For this special “double episode” of Better Together, we’ve rounded up four interviews conducted live at TAPPICon 2022 in Charlotte, NC earlier this year. Our guests represent the range of attendees who were at the event, and each offers a different perspective on what TAPPICon is and why it’s so popular with industry professionals. Guests on this episode include:

·      Earn Sakornpan, Cosasco, on how he and his company have grown since their first TAPPICon last fall;

·      WMU paper science students Olivia Price and Emma Norwood, on what drew them to our industry and why they love studying pulp and paper;

·      Dan Schott, Panther Systems, on being a mentor – how it benefits the individuals involved, and how it can help strengthen our industry; and

·      Brian Hayes, Andritz, who offers a vendor perspective on TAPPICon and discusses digital technologies for pulp and paper mills.

These shorter, casual interviews capture some of the energy of our live TAPPICon event and offer four unique perspectives about what the future holds for pulp and paper.  They were recorded between May 2 – 4, 2022, in Charlotte, NC.

Learn more about next year’s TAPPICon in Atlanta, April 22 – 26, 2023, at tappicon.org.  We hope to see you there – maybe YOU can be a guest on Better Together!

Today we talk with Ed Stuczynski, an engineer with Menasha Packaging Company and this year’s program chair for SuperCorrExpo, coming up August 8 -12, 2021 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. Held only once every four years, SuperCorrExpo is one of the most influential corrugated packaging-focused trade shows in the Western Hemisphere—and Ed will be giving us a “sneak peek” at what’s in store.

We also talk about the effects that COVID-19 has had on the corrugated packaging industry and whether those effects are likely to last. For instance, Ed suggests that the pandemic effects are forcing the industry to look at automation differently. “Labor shortages have been an issue,” he says. “I think we’re going to look at ways to automate the process… and automation often leads to better-paying jobs.”

Join Ed Stuczynski and Paper360° Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri for an engaging look at what’s ahead for corrugated – and make sure to register for SuperCorrExpo!

 For SuperCorrExpo program highlights and registration: https://supercorrexpo.org

In this episode we explore ForestBioFacts, a new “digital learning platform” from the Finnish Forest Products Engineers’ Association (PI). Covering 16 different learning themes (see list below), ForestBioFacts is based on PI’s popular and comprehensive Papermaking Science and Technology book series.

Paper360° Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri is joined by Markku Herrala, director, corporate communications, UPM; Heli Kankare, development manager at PI; and Dr. Antti Lindqvist, managing director at PI as well as the publishing company Paperi & Puu Ltd.

We’ll learn about the development of this innovative offering and how users can leverage the digital platform to educate those in both technical and non-technical fields—and our guests will also share their thoughts about exciting things ahead for our “wood-based future.”

To learn more, visit: https://forestbiofacts.com

 The 16 themes within the ForestBioFacts learning platform:

·       Introduction to Forest-based Bioeconomy

·       Wood Products

·       Natural Fiber Products

·       Recycled Fiber

·       Pulping and Biorefining

·       Energy and Biofuels

·       Process Control and Automation

·       Biomass Chemistry and Physiology

·       Forests and Other Biomass Resources

·       Supply Chain

·       Material Testing and Product Properties

·       Man-made Bio-based Fiber Products

·       Bio-based Nanomaterials

·       Business and Investment Planning

·       Asset Management

·       Environmental Control and Management

In this episode, Olli-Pekka Riippa, a product manager for AFT, tells us more about a challenging project – a new product developed the company developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. With team members in Ireland, Finland, Japan, and elsewhere, the team leveraged digital technologies to launch the product successfully.

In the end, Riippa says he found the process very positive. “Even if we were asking people to get up early or stay up late, everyone was willing to participate, because the project was very interesting.”

We’ll also hear about why the new product—a high-performance refiner—was designed to be exceptionally adaptable for papermakers. Join Paper360° Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri and AFT’s Olli-Pekka Riippa for a success story that shows that, thanks to both practical and virtual technologies, we really can be Better Together.

To read more about the MaxEdge refiner in the November/December 2021 issue of Paper360°, click here.

Welcome to Paper360°’s Better Together podcast, and our second “Live From TAPPICon” special episode. Designed and run by working professionals in the industry, TAPPICon features multiple program tracks, an exhibit floor, networking events, and more.

In this episode, we capture some of this exciting event for listeners by welcoming these guests:

·      Claire Hammontree, fifth-year student at NCSU, who tells us about TAPPI’s interactive Mentor Match event held right at this year’s TAPPICon;

·      Chris McMillen, senior product manager - condition monitoring at Bentley Nevada, discussing how condition monitoring can help papermakers make informed decisions;

·      Dustin Ziegelman, pulp and paper engineer at Footprint, sharing why molded pulp offers huge potential for replacing single-use plastics; and

·      Lu Athnos, account manager at ABB, who tells us about the very cool technology on wheels that ABB drove right onto the show floor at TAPPICon.

Be sure to check out “Live from TAPPICon—Part 1” as well, and mark your calendars for TAPPICon 2022, which will be held May 1-5 in Charlotte, NC. Learn more at www.tappicon.org.

This is the first of two special “Live from TAPPICon” podcast episodes, each including four of our live mini-interviews from the 2021 event. Designed and run by working professionals in the industry, TAPPICon features multiple program tracks, an exhibit floor, networking events and more. Our guests for this episode are:

·      Mike Grey, senior vice president at Valmet Inc., discussing technology, Resilience, and how both shape our industry;

·      Earn Sakornpan, product manager at Cosasco, who tells us how corrosion monitoring helps his customers protect their valuable assets;

·      Eric Blazej, national industrial sales manager at Proco, who tells us how their products help customers avoid catastrophic failure; and

·      Jennifer Piercy, executive director, Pulp & Paper Advisory Board at NCSU, who shares her passion for helping talented students find their place in our industry.

These interviews capture only a fraction of the energy of TAPPICon. To experience it in person, mark your calendars for the TAPPICon 2022, which will be held May 1-5 in Charlotte, NC. Learn more at www.tappicon.org.

Also, be sure to check out “Live from TAPPICon—Part 2”, where we welcome four more industry professionals to Paper360°’s Better Together podcast.

This is the second of two special episodes of Better Together recorded during SuperCorrExpo in Orlando, FL, in August 2021. Packaging professionals know SuperCorrExpo as one of the most influential corrugated packaging shows in the Western Hemisphere. We set up our podcast booth on the huge exhibit floor to try to capture some of the energy and enthusiasm generated by this highly anticipated event. To share their perspectives on the corrugated industry and tell us about the innovations on display at SuperCorrExpo, we welcome the following guests to this special episode:

·      Matt Miller, Helios, who will tell us about his company’s innovative machine learning platforms.
·      Frank Mallozzi, EFI, introducing a next-level technology that can enable the industry to envision, design, and create new products.
·      Heather Jennings, Bio Huma Netics, Inc., discussing diversity and innovation for the corrugated industry.
·      Johann Perera, Hummingbird/Georgia Pacific, showcasing that company’s incredibly agile new large-format digital printing.

We hope listeners will enjoy this special “Live from SuperCorrExpo!” episode.  Be sure to  listen to Part 1 as well. You can also view a highlight reel of the event at www.supercorrexpo.org.