PHILLIPS, WI – On March 10, a new world record for consecutive successful splices was set by Tony Jimenez of Independence Corrugated in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. Jimenez completed 3,741 splices on a MarquipWardUnited Splicer without a miss. This record surpasses the 1992 record of 3,531 splices set by Faalele Tuafuti of Kiwi Packaging in Auckland, New Zealand.

Representatives from MarquipWardUnited and Independence Corrugated celebrated the new record with Jimenez, presenting him with a crystal award, an embroidered world record jacket and, in keeping with the traditional belt-buckle theme for the MarquipWardUnited Century Club, a World Champion Splicer Operator Belt. 

When asked for the secret to his 11-month splicing streak, Jimenez replied that it takes, “A lot of dedication… [You have to] be consistent with every splice, by double-checking the splice, and double-checking the machine.” 

Jimenez acknowledged the importance of team support, saying, “If I know something’s not right, I call the maintenance department and they fix it for me. The operators and maintenance department work really well together. Any problems and they’ll be there for me.”   

The record was set in coordination with the MarquipWardUnited Century Club Program in which operators are recognized for achieving 100, 500 and 1000 consecutive splices without a miss. Enrollment in the program requires a training session with MarquipWardUnited Splicer Trainer John Podmolik, who audits the machines, materials and practices before providing detailed instructions on getting the best out of a MarquipWardUnited machine.

Independence Corrugated commissioned software to automatically track, and continuously displays operator performance by machine. The excellence in splicing performance has spread, with two of Jimenez’s peers currently over 2,000 splices.  

According to Independence Corrugated’s Terry Paulson, “It’s been a great tool for us with everyone saying ‘look, if Tony can do it, with the machine there and the training, we can’. And we’ve got New England Sheets fired up. Freedom is next, so for us, it’s a great tool.”  The New England Sheets Splicer operators are currently closing in on the new world record, but Jimenez has vowed to reach 4,000 splices.

Independence Corrugated, Oak Creek, will be featured this summer on the Ion network television show World’s Greatest. In addition to showcasing their excellence in manufacturing, they will highlight some of the world’s greatest corrugator operators.