Executives Conference Theme: Delivering Value to a Changing World

Following the opening remarks of Marvin Pomerantz, Gaylord Container Chairman and CEO, IPST President Jim Ferris addressed the first Executives' Conference of the new millennium with a speech that focused on the need to deliver value to member companies in a world of change. Speaking to the attendees Jim noted, "The world is changing around us, and we must change as individuals, as companies, and as an industry faster than any of us would like. And to make it more interesting, we really don't know how this transition will end up or how it will affect us as individuals, as companies, or as an industry."

Jim emphasized three basic elements of change. First, the excellent companies of today and tomorrow will compete through their people. Excellent companies will always have a strategy to improve the contributions of their employee base. IPST's role as a key supplier of technical graduate education will continue.

Second, no matter what our final industry structure, we will remain a capital-intensive manufacturing industry for some time and excellent companies will focus intently to get the highest financial return from their unique set of assets. IPST has chosen to focus on being a strategic resource to member companies as they work to improve mill economic performance through advances in core process technology.

Finally, IPST sees itself as a lead resource in the development of innovative technology to fundamentally change the papermaking process. A new set of pulping and papermaking technology is urgently needed to free the industry from the limitations of capital-intensiveness, the high blood pressure of our technical system. The industry's capital intensiveness sours investors, prevents innovation, and reduces our attractiveness to good people.

These three elements were addressed by the presentations, which reflected IPST's ability to be a strong resource for people development strategies, mill improvement strategies, and critical industry improvement strategies. Through these three conduits, we plan to deliver value to a changing membership and a changing world.

Changing People Strategies: Change always impacts people, and the paper industry is no exception. IPST recently commissioned a study of industry professionals to determine their information uses and educational needs. Survey results led to strategic changes in access and delivery of IPST information. The new IPST Member Channel demonstrated how industry professionals have anytime access to current and historical research, over 200 educational programs for skill development, plus direct access to IPST resources for resolving manufacturing issues.

Changing Manufacturing Strategies: Effective products and efficient manufacturing operations are critical to the industry. As the fifth most innovative institution in the nation, IPST is very aware of the industry's need for efficient and innovative technologies. Reports on promising new technologies and breakthroughs in manufacturing processes were a key part of the program. IPST researchers and Ph.D. candidates presented talks on various work ranging from woodlands OSB to innovative solutions for evaporator fouling.

Long-Term Industry Strategies: Creative breakthrough manufacturing processes were recognized as the solution for long-term industry performance. Dr. Gerard Closset addressed the alignment of IPST with AF&PA's agenda 2020. This was followed by Dr. White's description of the economic impacts of breakthrough research. Examples of innovative thinking included presentations on bio-bleaching, brightness control and its relationship to trace metals in the fiber supply, and the creative use of existing technologies to deal with stickies in recycling.

The Institute of Paper Science and Technology is an independent, fully accredited, graduate research school located on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. In a unique partnership with the paper industry, the Institute awards M.S. and Ph.D. degrees. In addition, IPST provides the industry with innovative research, informational and technical services, and access to educational development programs.

For more information contact David Bell at David.Bell@ipst.gatech.edu.