SPRINGFIELD, MA - At the Paperboard Packaging Council’s (PPC) 2015 Spring Outlook and Strategies Conference, April 8-10, 2015 in Salt Lake City, UT, leaders in the folding carton industry learned to succeed in business by embracing failure, received insights into lean carton production techniques, and received information about the future of our economy.

Keynote speakers Caspar Berry and Don Yaeger provided eye-opening advice on how to guide a company toward success. A former professional poker player, Berry made a case for the risk and uncertainty inherent in life, explaining that like poker, successful leaders embrace short-term failure in order to achieve long-term success. Yaeger shared the characteristics of great leaders he distilled from twenty years of writing books for sports legends such as Walter Payton.

Attendees also learned lean converting techniques during a half-day Technical and Production Forum. A representative from Clearwater Paper Corp. delivered a presentation on reducing paperboard waste throughout the entire converting process. Representatives from MeadWestvaco Corp. and Frankston Packaging, Inc. explained how Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) metrics could be utilized to optimize operations.

In addition to forecasting future economic growth, acclaimed economist Alan Beaulieu emphasized the challenges our industry faces as our workforce ages, as well as the important role Millennials will play in leading business toward success over the coming years.

“At our conferences, folding carton executives pick up technical knowledge and management techniques they can take home and use,” said Ben Markens, PPC President. “Considering the direction our industry is headed, we also make sure to take young leaders into account when designing our programming.”

Other conference highlights included the Associate Member Showcase Breakfast, the presentation of the 2015 Volunteer Leader Award, the announcement of PPC’s 2014 Safety Boxscore award winners, a lively dinner and reception at the Natural History Museum of Utah, and a tour of PPC member International PaperBox’s (IP) facility.