All Stars

✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ NEW MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE All Star S P O N S O R P A I D P R O F I L E GREAT NORTHERN CORP Appleton "I JOSH ROLFING ✯ ✯ ✯ Metals Engineering Green Bay Job title: General manager Job duties: We are a small company so everyone fills multiple roles. Chiefly, I oversee plant processes and throughput, scheduling, maintenance and repair and employee training. What's most interesting or rewarding about your job? We have the opportunity to work with highly skilled customers that manufacture parts for incredibly unique applications. The range is astounding. We see anything from parts used to fold gum wrappers to track links for industrial machines. The equipment and processes we use are impressive. Maintaining, repairing, and upgrading provide unique experiences as well. How did you decide on a career path? Seven years ago when I arrived, I was just looking for a job! I was out of work and had no heat treating experience. I was hired on to help with a production line and since have learned our other processes and arrived to where I am today. Go online to www.newmfgalliance.org to view videos of the NEW Manufacturing All Stars 12 NEW MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE N 2012, WE'LL CELEBRATE 50 YEARS IN business. As a company founded in box making, recycling and recyclability have always been fundamental to our daily business. Our industry is based on responsibly managing the paper supply chain," says John Davis, CEO of Great Northern Corporation. Today, that responsibility is even more far reaching in its impact. Great Northern's business has doubled in the last five years and their investments in technology, process and people are focused on providing a more eco-friendly product and manufacturing environment for its customers, employees and the communities in which they work. Recent investments include a cooler corrugator that uses less energy, with a new glue machine that uses less starch and produces better board with less waste. SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative) and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certifications that ensure our paper comes from sources that practice responsible forestry. The firm is committed to sustainability initiatives that challenge their packaging and display designers to create innovative ways to help our customers "ship better'"and "sell more product" using less materials. "From lean initiatives focusing on waste to putting more energy efficient lighting in our operations, we take our responsibility seriously and make every effort to find more sustainable ways to run our business," says Davis. "Using fewer resources to produce more product offers cost-effective solutions for our customers and contributes to improving the environment." Privately-held, Great Northern Corporation is a designer and manufacturer of commercial and consumer packaging and in-store displays. It employs 985 people with operations in seven states. The firm offers a range of employment opportunities including general laborers, skilled maintenance positions, press operators, packaging engineers, graphic artists and Lean/ISO/supply chain specialists. Great Northern Corporation www.greatnortherncorp.com COURTESY OF ALEX ZACARIAS, EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION PRODUCTIONS OF NORTHEAST WISCONSIN

• Cover