CP: “How is the PAC membership structured?”
JDD: We are a “horizontal” Association, as opposed to a “vertical” Association which represents one specific interest group, with PAC positioned as the common link in the packaging supply chain. Our diverse membership base comprises retailers and quickservice restaurants; consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies; packaging converters; raw materials and graphic services providers; packaging machinery suppliers; professional services, academic institutions and students. All of our members have one thing in common: They are all connected to packaging in one way or another.
Our greatest strength of this broad membership allows us to, “Bring the customers to the table,” and to collaborate when needed to solve problems. We see our role as the advocates and facilitators of the strategic direction of the industry, as opposed to providing technical information and special
interest lobbying.
CP: “Can you expand on some of the other areas of PAC products”?
JDD: Education programs are a critical product. Providing various educational certificate programs has always been a PAC strength, but we saw a need to rethink how our courses were presented.
Not only did we upgrade the courses, but we’ve restructured them in the ‘module format’ to allow for one module to be taken at a time for maximum flexibility and cost effectiveness. Whereas in the past it was an ‘all or nothing’ program, now members can take one or all of them.
These modules are broken into specific areas to cover different disciplines:
Module One includes marketing, branding, graphic and structural design, prepress, and printing processes.
Module Two is built around plastic and polymers, bottle design, flexible packaging, injection and blowmolding.
Module Three covers metal containers, glass packaging, paper and paperboard, folding cartons, labels, closures and specialty package designs.
Module Four focuses on corrugated packaging, distribution, packaging equipment and packaging line layout concepts.
Module Five, covering The Essentials of Sustainable Packaging, was developed jointly with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition.
Module Six is all about PACsecure, HACCP food safety procedures, best practices, and standards.
We also develop custom-made courses tailored specifically to a company’s needs. For example, we have recently trained 175 Wal-Mart executives and buyers. This year we will be training Costco, FCPC members, and also teaching the Wal-Mart Packaging Scorecard to their vendors.
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