Whenever we here at Boxboard Containers International (BCI) ask members of the corrugated and folding carton industry to describe the biggest concern facing them and their businesses, the response is nearly always the same: how can we better recruit, hire and retain qualified employees? What can we do to improve our own workforces? And what is the industry as a whole doing to promote the career opportunities it offers?

It was this concern that prompted BCI to develop the special report that you have received this month with your regular issue.

The purpose of the report is to provide readers with overviews of the various packaging programs available throughout the country, and how converters can connect with some of the young talent coming out of these schools. The report contains information not just on recruiting employees but on ways to train your existing workforce, as well.

The report involved traveling to many schools and interviewing dozens of students, educators and career placement counselors.

Education is something the staff of BCI feels very strongly about, thus we decided from the very beginning that in addition to executing the report and delivering it to our readers, we would also "put our money where are mouths are," so to speak.

That is why we have donated 10% of the advertising revenue derived from this report to the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF). Both Robin Jackson, president of the ICPF, and Steve Young, executive vice president of the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters, were instrumental in putting this program together, but those who deserve the most credit are the forward-thinking, generous companies that sponsored this report.

On behalf of BCI and the ICPF, I would like to express our gratitude to each of them for their support of education in the industry.

Artios Corp. Automatan Inc. Bobst Group Inc. CMI (Converting Machines Inc.) Corrugated Gear and Services Inc. Design Axis Dicar Harper Corporation of America Harper/Love Adhesives Corp. Hitek Equipment Inc. HRMS Inc. Hycorr Machine Corp. J&L Industries LLC Langston Corp. McKinley Machinery Inc. Sun Automation

It is easy to say that you support education; after all, who could argue with that? But it is quite another to actively support it. The above companies understand the importance of education and of a foundation such as the ICPF. Donations are much more than simply charity; they are a means of ensuring the future success of the corrugated and folding carton industry.

There are many exciting things happening in the packaging programs at universities today, and I would encourage everyone interested in the future direction of their industry to do what the members of this staff did: visit the schools, talk to the students, meet with the teachers.

To get a good feel for what the ICPF is accomplishing (and what still needs to be done) one needs only to visit the front lines of education. Positive changes have been occurring over the past few years in various universities. Corrugated has been elevated from a position of relative obscurity to that of preference in many cases. This did not happen by accident. It required the hard work and dedication of many individuals and companies who realize that the future of this industry is in their hands.