SPRINGFIELD, MA - Leaders in global economics, leadership, recruiting, and packaging safety recently shared their expertise at the Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) Spring Outlook and Strategies Conference on April 3-5, 2013, in Nashville, TN.

At the meeting, participants heard comprehensive presentations from brand owners, economists, public policy experts, futurists, company executives, and employment experts. Attendees were also offered concise recommendations regarding positioning their companies for success.

Below are some highlights from the presentations:

“Look for the goodness in your staff and recognize, reward, and celebrate their progress and achievements. They must know that what they do and who they are matters.”

—Robert H. Chapman, Chairman and CEO, Barry-Wehmiller

“Future trends for packaging include packaging/product integration, mass customization, shorter product lifecycles, and the obsolescence of credit cards and cash registers.”

—Jim?Carroll, Trends and Innovation Expert

 “Because there should be strong economic growth from 2015 to 2017—and legislation recently passed that is going to make it more difficult to secure a loan—now is the time to borrow money for needed capital improvements.”

—Alan Beaulieu, President, Institute for Trend Research

 “If you do not offer an affordable 'minimum essential coverage' to at least 95% of your full-time staff, you may be penalized $2,000 annually (after tax) per full-time employee, pro-rated for each month you do not comply. So make sure you understand the new formula for determining what constitutes a part- and a full-time employee.”

—Rob F. Huffaker, Jr., Vice President, BB&T Huffaker & Trimble

“The most successful ways to engage an older workforce are to provide job flexibility, retirement options, and ongoing learning opportunities. Most importantly, ask for your staff’s assistance in choosing their successors.”

—Dr. Ann Bowers-Evangelista, President, Llumos LLC

“When interviewing a potential salesperson over the phone, reject them to see how they respond. Invite for a second interview only those who fight for another chance to prove their worth to you.”

—John Bacot, President, New Millennium Systems 

For more information on the conference, visit www.paperbox.org/smpost.