PPC's Spring Folding Carton Boot Camp Delivers Hands-On Learning
The Paperboard Packaging Council (PPC) hosted its Spring 2025 Folding Carton Boot Camp on May 20–21 at PPC headquarters in Springfield, Massachusetts. The two-day in-person event brought together a diverse group of industry professionals for a dynamic, comprehensive overview of the folding carton process—from fiber sourcing to finishing and delivery.
Boot Camp attendees engage with technical materials and real-world samples, building foundational knowledge in paperboard packaging production.
Attendees included new hires, non-plant personnel, and rising professionals from across North America, all eager to deepen their understanding of the industry. Through a combination of technical presentations, real-world demonstrations, and expert-led discussions, participants gained exposure to the materials, tools, technologies, and terminology that drive folding carton manufacturing today.
“Boot Camp is more than training—it’s a launching pad,” said Ben Markens, President of PPC. “In just two days, attendees gain a comprehensive perspective of our industry’s ecosystem, equipping them to communicate more effectively with clients, collaborate across departments, and return to their roles with renewed confidence about where they fit into the bigger picture.”
The program began with a state-of-the-industry address by Markens, who provided a broad overview of the paperboard packaging landscape, including regulatory developments, fiber trends, and market insights. Steve Rote of Metsä Board Americas Corporation followed with a deep dive into virgin fiber production, highlighting the environmental leadership and renewability of responsibly sourced paperboard. Quinn Garber of Integrity Fiber then broke down the recovered fiber stream and challenges facing North American recycling systems.
Rich Machovina and Jen Lechlitner of Graphic Packaging International took the conversation further with an in-depth look at recycled board manufacturing and substrate characteristics. The morning continued with a dual session from Markens on converting processes, formats, and sheeting operations, ensuring attendees understood key differences between web and sheet workflows.
After lunch, Susie Stitzel of Esko led a thorough session on structural design, workflow optimization, and color theory, laying the groundwork for prepress excellence. Joe Lyons of Wikoff Color Corporation offered a focused look at inks and coatings, including litho, flexo, UV, and aqueous systems. Eric Frank of diamond sponsor Koenig & Bauer (US/CA) Inc. concluded the day with compelling sessions covering printing processes, cold foil application, and rotary die cutting, blending technical nuance with practical takeaways.
Day two began with a deep exploration of digital printing by Harold Leete of Bobst North America, Inc., with a session on laminating, including both inline and offline methods and material considerations. Leete continued with a detailed look at sheetfed die cutting, hot foil stamping, blanking, and embossing.
Fernando Pires and Miles Guessford of Marbach Americas, Inc. provided expert insight on tooling design and maintenance, followed by a return from Leete to explain digital die cutting capabilities and when to leverage them. PPC’s Ben Markens briefly covered air hammer stripping processes, bridging into an adhesives and gluing session led by Kirsty Drury of Henkel, who demystified bonding technologies for folding carton applications.
In the final technical stretch, Gayle Harrop of Tamarack Products Inc. showcased windowing machinery and materials, while Bill Rice of Heidelberg walked attendees through folding carton styles and folder gluer operations. From straight-line and lock-bottoms to complex 6-corner designs, Rice shared decades of insights into how structure, speed, and setup align.
“Boot Camp moves quickly, and that’s part of the value—it’s a concentrated opportunity to learn alongside industry peers and get curious about the parts of the packaging process that likely impact your job, even if they aren’t part of your day-to-day,” said Emily Leonczyk, Executive Director and VP of PPC. “You’re not just hearing how things work—you’re seeing them, asking questions of industry experts, and building not only a clearer understanding of the ‘why’ behind each step, but also a deeper respect for the complexity and craftsmanship involved.”
Spring Boot Camp concluded with a celebratory graduation ceremony and a virtual address from Graphic Packaging International CEO Mike Doss, who challenged attendees to lead the next wave of innovation in the paperboard packaging industry.
PPC extends its deepest thanks to all presenters—Steve Rote (Metsä Board Americas Corporation), Quinn Garber (Integrity Fiber), Rich Machovina and Jen Lechlitner (Graphic Packaging International), Susie Stitzel (Esko), Joe Lyons (Wikoff Color Corporation), Eric Frank (Koenig & Bauer (US/CA) Inc.), Harold Leete (Bobst North America, Inc.), Fernando Pires (Marbach America, Inc.), Kirsty Drury (Henkel Corporation), Gayle Harrop (Tamarack Products Inc.), and Bill Rice (Heidelberg)—for generously sharing their knowledge and expertise.
Special thanks also go to PPC’s partners, diamond sponsor Koenig & Bauer (US/CA) Inc., sapphire sponsors Clearwater Paper Corporation, The Komori Group, Metsa Board Americas Corporation and platinum sponsors Bobst North America, Inc., Kallima Box, RM Machinery, Inc., and Sappi North America, whose support enables this industry-leading education.
The next Folding Carton Boot Camp will take place December 9-10, 2025. To register or learn more, visit www.paperbox.org/events or contact info@paperbox.org.
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within do not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of Packaging Impressions.
