Packaging Group Realignment Enhances Customer-Focused Solutions

Great Northern's Container and Display Groups have recently undergone a strategic realignment of their resources and capabilities. These services will now be quickly accessible to customers through our new Packaging Group.

The realignment is a result of a number of recent business decisions, including the acquisition of Kell Container Corporation, the upgrade investments to the Appleton corrugator and the creation of a new business venture: StrataGraph. But the principal guiding factor was to ensure our customers have the fastest, most convenient access to the services and resources their particular business needs.

“We needed to clearly state our differentiating strategy based upon our new resources and communicate this with a coordinated marketing message,” said John Davis, president of the Packaging Group. “Our goal is to be the premier regional packaging and display provider. Our investments are directed toward this goal. Specifically, the key drivers behind our acquisitions and investments are to leverage our size to control costs, enhance our graphic capabilities and broaden our regional market presence. In turn, this will increase employee engagement and opportunities, leverage and secure our purchasing and supply and expand our offerings in specific markets.”

To accomplish this, the new Packaging Group will focus on two areas of customer needs: Commercial Packaging and Consumer Packaging & Display.

The Commercial Packaging business unit will focus on the needs of Great Northern's industrial customers. “Those needs include lowering packaging product costs through lean manufacturing, lowering transaction costs using supply chain strategies and solving distribution packaging challenges with innovative protective package designs,” said Davis.

The Consumer Packaging & Display business unit will focus on the needs of Great Northern's business-to-consumer customers. “We now have more graphic and structural design resources to create more innovative and unique point-of-sale solutions. We now offer the broadest range of graphic production options in the industry including the highest-quality print capabilities. And, with the combined resources, we are now able to support and satisfy the time-sensitive product promotion cycle with quick, error-free project execution,” continued Davis.

In addition to these increased capabilities, we have chosen two individuals to provide direction and focus to each business unit. Heading up the Commercial Packaging business unit is Jeff Michels and for the Consumer Packaging & Display business unit will be Mike Schliesmann.

In addition to offering expanded capabilities, minimizing costs, and streamlining how customers interact with Great Northern, the new realignment will bring with it a host of benefits in the near future, as we continue to ensure that key strategies and goals are accomplished.

For example, Great Northern will be investing in an upgraded operating system that will offer Web-based links to project-flow information. This system will connect customer information into on-time, as-needed delivery of packaging without orders, invoices, faxes or phone calls. Electronic receipts and payments can be made without invoices or checks.

“We need to meet the increasing logistical demands of our customers' businesses and at the same time bring specific market knowledge to help develop creative solutions to their packaging and promotional challenges,” said Davis. “We will be able to develop stronger customer relationships that will make it easier for them to do business with Great Northern. We will take more responsibility for orders and inventories, so our customers can focus on growing their business. Through this, we will help fulfill their unmet needs and continue to ensure we are their first call for packaging and display solutions.”