The Packology Podcast

Our guest for today is John Abplanalp from Tight Lines Advisors. His story is not only interesting, but also compelling and inspiring. I truly appreciate his willingness to join us on the show. During our conversation, we delve deep into his personal and business history, as well as explore his unique perspectives on enhancing productivity in the manufacturing sector.

On this episode, we'll talk about:

• John Abplanalp's background and how it relates to Tight Lines Advisors.
• Why do many companies struggle with collaboration and what is missing among stakeholders instead of shareholders?
• His opinions on how ESG plays into all of this and What about governance?
• The role of technology in improving businesses and John's recommendations for adopting new technologies.
• How the people element affects productivity and the company's responsibility towards its employees. 

John Abplanalp has over 35 years of manufacturing experience, starting as an assembly mechanic and eventually becoming CEO of Precision Valve Corporation. He has a wide range of expertise in strategic planning, management, and international business. He has also been involved in the Consumer Specialty Products Association and is a strong advocate for the aerosol products industry. John has been married for 24 years and has two children.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

 Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about John and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Company: https://www.tightlinesadvisors.com/

Phone Number: 914-282-3469

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/johnpabplanalp

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

At Pacific Packaging Components, we recently had the pleasure of hosting Chelsey Crofts, one of our exceptional employees, as a guest speaker on the topic of secondary packaging. Known for her unwavering passion and enthusiasm, Chelsey's expertise in this field makes her the perfect candidate to lead this discussion. Secondary packaging plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall appeal and functionality of products. With Chelsey's extensive knowledge, her insights into the latest trends and innovations were unparalleled. Her genuine excitement and dedication to the subject were evident throughout the episode, making it a truly captivating experience for our audience.

On this episode, we'll talk about:

• Which projects did she enjoy working on the most or learn the most from?
• When a beauty brand approaches her with a project, how does she begin the creative process? How does she set the project up for success from the start?
• What are some common mistakes that brands make when they think about or consider secondary packaging?
• where does want brands to be at their minimum order quantities (MOQs) when they're thinking about entering secondary packaging?
• The difference between manufacturing domestically and overseas and when brands should choose each option.
• Sustainability and packaging in the beauty industry have long been discussed. How can brands make their secondary packaging more attractive? Should they focus on sustainability or eco-friendliness?
• What does she think is the best option to combine with secondary packaging? Should it be glass dropper pipettes or tubes? Which ones would she recommend brands to consider?
• What are the common parts of holiday kits, ambassador kits, and retail displays, and how are they different from standard units, cartons, or shippers?
• Smart packaging, such as a QR code, has been around for a while. Are there other advancements in decorating or designing secondary packaging to encourage customer interaction?

Chelsey Crofts is the Senior Project Manager at Pacific Packaging Components, Inc. She is an outgoing person who loves to interact with others. She has a strong background in customer service, procurement, and supply chain management. She pride herself on her ability to build and maintain strong relationships with my customers, coworkers, and vendors. She is a very passionate person and She put her heart and soul into everything she do.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

 Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Chelsey and connect with her on LinkedIn.

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chelseycrofts/

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

In this session, we will discuss fulfillment with Harry Drajpuch, who has 43 years of experience in the industry. He possesses extensive knowledge of shipping and fulfillment for e-commerce DTC brands. Currently, he is particularly focused on the beauty personal care sector, but they offer many other services as well.

On this episode, we'll talk about:

• Amware ownership and Does the size of a business and the number of shipments it handles affect the ease or difficulty of shipping and logistics?
• How long has he worked in shipping and logistics? What are the biggest changes in the industry in the last 40 years?
• Do robots have any problems? Do they break or crash often, or do they work well without issues?
• How does he think AI will impact his space?
• Where should someone go if they are interested in working with Amware and how can they initiate the process?
• Who is their ideal customer that they can provide the most value to?
• How does the Amware platform integrate with a brand's e-commerce platform?
• COVID caused problems for shipping in recent years. Now, there is an excess of products due to overbuying during the pandemic. Brands are having trouble dealing with this. Products are staying in fulfillment centers longer than expected. Have he noticed this too?
• As a CEO, he need to balance customer service and what's best for his business during tough times. How does he approach this challenge?
• How does he plan to find new customers and grow the business? What is his approach to marketing and sales for this growth strategy?
• Are sustainability and social impact affecting his business? Have he considered setting sustainability goals? If yes, what are they?
• Is he seeing a shift to different kinds of pallets from a sustainability standpoint or lightweight or structure? Has there been a big shift there?

Harry Drajpuch is the Chief Executive Officer at Amware Fulfillment. He has worked in logistics for 30 years and has been a CEO and senior manager at big logistics companies. He has made many improvements in different logistics areas like eCommerce, retail, service parts, reverse logistics, and transportation. Harry loves making operations better and likes flying planes as a hobby. He lives with his wife in Chandler, Arizona but travels a lot to visit customers and Amware facilities.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

 Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Harry and connect with him on LinkedIn.

Website: www.amwarelogistics.com

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/hdrajpuch

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

EverestLabs.AI is a startup that focuses on the sorting facilities within recycling. They use a camera, a 3D camera, and robotics to sort valuable recyclable commodities. The AI model can detect hundreds of objects within a frame very accurately, which is a hard technical problem to solve. They are deployed in several facilities and are growing rapidly.
On this episode, we'll talk about:

• Does the robotics have the capability of even doing a better job than humans sitting there going through it?
• Does having these robotics sort out the materials at the end, boost the MRF's profitability, or is it a break even point?
• What are the materials that the robots are optimized to collect the most of, and which ones are they unable to capture?
• Does it ever get tricked?
• With materials like glass and aluminum, are there different ways that those are collected at MRF's currently? And can robots be used to improve that collection rate or not?
• How did they settle on the type of robot that they picked?
• Do they see that there's a lot of room for the robotics to continue to improve to make their robotics process that much more effective, or is it pretty good right now?
• When Apurba first started getting into the recycling industry, what surprised him the most?
• What does he put in the recycling bin as someone who has a solid understanding of what is genuinely recycled?
• Are we still in the early adopter stage for MRFs using robots, or have we passed that point? Is it approaching mass adoption?
• Of all the things Apurba could be focusing on, why did he pick this?

Apurba Pradhan has over 18 years of experience in the technology industry. He began his career as a Product Design Engineer at JDS Uniphase in 2002 and moved to Luxim Corporation in 2006 as Director of Product Marketing. In 2012, he joined Waterstone Management Group as a Management Consultant. In 2013, he became Vice President of Strategy, Marketing and Partnerships at LUMA Lighting Group. In 2016, he moved to Echelon as Head of Product Management and Senior Director. In 2019, he joined Adesto Technologies as Vice President of Products and Marketing. In 2021, he became Head of Business Unit and General Manager at Renesas Electronics, and in 2022, he joined EnOcean and EverestLabs.AI as SVP Strategy and Head of Product respectively.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! :arrow_down:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Apurba and connect with him on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/apurba-pradhan-a5962114

Website: https://www.everestlabs.ai/

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

Molecular recycled plastics are a new type of material that is attracting a lot of attention, especially in the beauty and cosmetics industry. Tara Cary, from the Eastman Chemical Company, is an expert in this field and will provide some insight on this topic. Tara's expertise will guide us through what molecular recycled plastics are and why they're important.
On this episode, we'll talk about:

• Tara Cary's experience at Henkel prepared her for Eastman Chemical Company's future development of new technology.
• What makes the cosmetic packaging market unique from other markets?
• Aesthetics are important in cosmetics and beauty.
• What characteristics about a molecular plastic is well suited for the cosmetic market compared to a manual machine recycled content?
• Molecular recycled plastic is the only way to get recycled content to have that really clear virgin plastic look and feel.
• In Molecular Recycling, how does it all work?
• The process use for recycling x-ray film that Eastman has used for over 40 years and Why hasn't this technology been more widely used?
• Why not recycle all plastics using a molecular process?
• The carbon emissions impact of molecular recycling is astronomically or exponentially larger than the manual machine approach, according to critics. Is it true, and what would her answer be to that criticism?
• different kinds of molecular recycled processes.
• How can brands or interested parties use it in their business? What is the process to qualify the material and go through those steps?

Tara Cary is an experienced Strategic Marketer with a demonstrated history of working in the consumer goods industry. Strong product management professional skilled in Research and Development (R&D), International Marketing, Polymers, Market Analysis, and Adhesives.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! :arrow_down:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Tara and connect with her LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/taracary-mkt-innovation

Website: https://www.eastman.com/en

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

Michael's background has little to do with how he got into sales, but he was a Marine right out of high school and went to UCSB. He got a degree in political science, and his first job out of college was in sales. He continued down that path and eventually ended up in tech sales. He was working at a startup in 2012 when he brought in an organization called Sandler Training, which is a global training organization. After going through a number of acquisitions, he decided to start the Sandler business.

Sandler is a franchise model, and then what is its ethos, like what is it trying to accomplish? Or what value does it provide to its customers?

• Has Michael had a lot of success in helping companies or individuals get over that taboo expectation of the typical salesperson?
• The Importance of Listening and Asking Good Questions
• Has Michael found that empathy is one of those skills that are difficult to train, but if someone has it, they can develop it a little bit more in a sales environment?
• What are some of the top mistakes or issues that Michael encounters when he's talking with a business?
• From a sales training standpoint or an organizational structure standpoint, are there the kinds of things that are like systemic problems that he often comes across? 
• What about sales training? Like, how much really good sales training is currently happening in the businesses that he's working with?
• How does he approach the topic of sales training? Like, what are maybe the categories that he focuses on? How does he structure it?
• With all of the changes and the evolution of technology in the world of sales, what does he think is going to happen in the future with the incorporation of AI or just automated systems?
• What does he recommends like resources, books, podcasts, and tools to help sales professionals improve their communication and persuasion skills?
• As like a fellow podcaster, has he enjoyed creating it? What's been some of the biggest takeaways for him?

Michael Gordon brings over 15 years of real-world sales, training, coaching and management experience ranging from seed stage technology startups to fortune 1000 companies. Michael was first exposed to Sandler Sales Training in 2012.  As a Sandler Training center owner, he helps corporate clients and sales professionals achieve higher levels of success through training, coaching and ongoing reinforcement.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! :arrow_down:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en
Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Michael on his website and connect with him on email and LinkedIn.

Website: https://www.gordon.sandler.com/
Email: [email protected]
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljgordon/

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

Andriy Pereuda is a packaging engineer living in Kiev, Ukraine, and his story is an interesting one. He talks about his hometown being destroyed, his new wife living outside of the country, and his potential to join the Ukraine military and fight against Russia.
On this episode, we'll talk about:

• What has it been like for the last couple of years, or at least since Russia invaded?
• How has it been being a packaging designer? What are some of his specialties that he's currently working on?
• Has he already been trained to serve in the military, or would he have to go get training first?
• Does he have any idea when this is going to end?
• How does he feel about his country and how it has dealt with Russia? Does he feel pride?
• Local crisis regarding packaging in Ukraine

Andriy Pereuda is an experienced packaging designer and process engineer. Deep knowledge in specialized software (ArtiosCAD, Adobe Suite, Rules, Cape Pack, Truck Fill, Autocad Mechanical, Inventor, Solidworks). Understanding of SDLC and QA process; Good knowledge of theoretical bases testing;

Knowledge of HTML, CSS; Good bug reporting skills and knowledge in bug tracking system – Jira; Good social and communication skills; Focus on continual process of obtaining new skills and qualification.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

 Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Andriy and connect with him on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/andriy-pereuda-76118364

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

Kimberly Sheehy has always been interested in science and aspired to be a veterinarian. She earned her bachelor's degree in biology before attending graduate school for biochemistry. She worked in a few academic research labs and at the University of Chicago for a few years, undertaking protein engineering research. She found out about a job at a consulting firm and took it. She loved it and eventually ended up managing a team of consultants in food contact. And now she's with McCormick & Company.

On this episode, we'll talk about but not limited to:

• What does a global food contact regulatory expert do?
• McCormick & Company
• What are some of the most interesting parts of testing packaging and food?
• When it comes to different packaging formats, glass versus plastic, what are some of the things that she have learned or she think would be important to know?
• The complexities of different types of packaging and how it actually benefits our life.
• In a multi-layer plastic package, what are all the different layers in there and what are the functions that they serve, ideally?
• What special considerations are made with that internal layer that's actually touching the food? Is that different than the other plastic layers at all?
• Have she worked at all with recycled content in flexible packaging? Or rigid plastic packaging?
• from her standpoint and what she's looking at, which is mostly food safety, is it worth the risk to use recycled content? Or would it just be better for the entire packaging value chain or even consumers to just stick with virgin material?
• What's her take on using glass for food packaging?
• What advice would she have for students that were thinking about getting into packaging?
• So what's her take on the BPAs and the PFAs that are in a lot of the headlines right now?

Kimberly Sheehy is a food contact regulatory professional with expertise in US FDA, EU, and China food contact regulatory compliance requirements. Experience with other global food contact regulatory requirements, FDA Food Contact Notification submission, and California Proposition 65. Skilled at multi-project management and providing risk assessment, compliance strategies, regulatory compliance review, and regulatory training. Strong operations professional with a Master of Science (MS) focused in Biochemistry from Northern Illinois University.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers
Follow PPCPackaging on social media!
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en
Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Kimberly  and connect with her on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kimberly-sheehy-081a6362

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

When it comes to creating a successful brand, Kevin Smith is the go-to guy. His packaging and launch strategies have been instrumental in helping many brands reach new heights of success. He doesn't shy away from challenges and knows his strength lies in understanding what appeals to customers on an aesthetic level.

On this episode, we'll talk about:

• How did Kevin get started with all of this?
• Was it just something Kevin were interested in, or did he notice a white space in the industry?
• If Kevin is willing to share his secret sauce, what are some of the things he discovered or found that have led to his success with these brands?
• For Kevin, he always starts with the words, whereas most people start with the visual, or is it going to pop online, off the shelf, or whatever?
• How many brands that come to him or aware of started with the way most entrepreneurs go, which is basically by their gut, versus the more data-driven, analytic route that he's describing?
• What does Kevin think of Liquid Death's unique branding or their approach to the product that has contributed to their success? Was it a lightning strike that caused them to turn into unicorns?
• Is there any other brands he likes that are executing a really good idea, whether it was data driven or another unicorn?
• When it comes to AI and data and analytics that are happening in techs specifically in packaging design or data driven launching space. How does he think it will change the game for him?
• Is Kevin thinking of starting something in this space, or is he piggybacking on some company that's already there?
• Kevin top advice for brand founders and other people involved in launching or rebranding brands.
• How much it cost or does it really depend on each specific account?
• Is sustainable packaging really a thing with consumers? Is it actually impacting the decisions they're making when they're buying products?

Kevin Smith is currently the Founder/CEO of INC 5000 Company SmashBrand, the only CPG data-first brand development agency that can guarantee retail market outcomes and increased sales velocities. They help brands confidently put products on the shelf that sell. Combining strategy and design expertise with consumer testing at multiple points throughout our process, we create brands that win customers, not just awards. He is an established entrepreneur in the food + beverage and wellness industries with 20+ years experience as a Founder/CEO in four successful start-ups with over 50mm in profitable revenue.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers

Follow PPCPackaging on social media! 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/

 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/

 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en

 Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Kevin on his website, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
Website: smashbrand.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smashkcs/

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.

Bradley Kelley developed MRF processing systems, also known as MRFs or material recovery facilities, before joining GBB. It's a material recovery facility for recycling, and there are these great, big, huge machines that would pull all the material back apart. You'd sort your paper into one bin, your containers into another, and your metals into yet another so that you could get paid for the recyclables you put in the curbside bin.

On this episode, we'll talk about:

On this episode, we'll talk about:

• the state of the recycling industry as a whole. There is a lot of confusion around the topic of recyclability. What items are captured, why and how the whole thing really works
• How much damage does wish-cycling do to the recycling stream or process?
• when it comes to recyclable items, the material is important, but what's almost most important there is the right shape, that it's the shape of a bottle, a water bottle, soda bottle, or a milk jug for HDPE.
• most people don't realize that even though it is the same material, it does need to be treated differently. And that does impact its likelihood of being captured.
• any plastic that is black cannot be recovered in a MRF.
• The recycling or plastic industries choose the items they do because there is value later down the value chain.
• the reasons that smaller items aren't often collected or captured
• Many brands are switching over to aluminum instead of plastic. Is it true that it could be infinitely recycled?
• How does that Eddy Current work?
• Because glass is heavy and breaks easily, there are many different views and ideas about recycling it. What is his opinion of glass in terms of whether it will be recycled or not?
• What are some of the weirdest things he's seen in a recycling stream?
• What's his opinion of just the recycling part? Are all the claims made about biodegradable or compostable materials that are entering or already available in the market making things more difficult for the recycling stream? What effect does that have?
• Does he think that the molecular advanced chemical recycling process will be the solution for those hard to recycle items that mechanical or manual processes cannot collect?
• Do he think that the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs, which requires companies throughout the packaging value chain from manufacturers to retailers to take responsibility for the disposal of their products, is here to stay?
• The topic of sustainability is clearly becoming more popular, and it appears that more companies are developing goals or objectives. Has he noticed this in his line of work? More companies want to do more. They want to collaborate. They want to try to find solutions.

For more information and to explore other episodes, go to www.ppcpackaging.com/the-packaging-brothers
Follow PPCPackaging on social media! 
 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pacific-packaging-components-inc-/
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PPCPackaging/
 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ppcpackaging/?hl=en
 Website: http://www.ppcpackaging.com/

Find out more about Bradley on his website, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
Website: https://gbbinc.com/about/our-experts/bradley-kelley-bsme
Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/bradley-kelley-58388370

The views and opinions expressed on the "Packaging Brothers" podcast are solely those of the author and guests and should not be attributed to any other individual or entity. This podcast is an independent production of Packaging Brothers, and the podcast production is an original work of the author. All rights of ownership and reproduction are retained—copyright 2023.