Ben Graham

Summer 2011 has brought a spate of new hiring at Bell Inc., including 38 new positions, with more openings anticipated, and the addition of a director of sales, a new position needed to drive even more growth expected by Bell. The company also has added a new distribution center that adds 40 percent to the company’s existing warehouse space. CEO Ben Graham attributes the company’s continuing growth, despite the economy, to the ongoing execution of a strategic plan begun years ago. The plan includes aggressive investment in technology and continuous cost control—not always compatible goals—along with a commitment to

KENNESAW, Ga.—Bell Incorporated recently became the first U.S. company to purchase Heidelberg’s new Speedmaster XL 162 VLF press. Now, the Sioux Falls, S.D.-based folding carton producer is set to host the nation’s first installation of a Suprasetter 162 VLF CtP system to support its new VLF press.

The state of the folding carton industry is hard to pin down. Walking up and down the supermarket aisles reveals no shortage of folding carton containers. But as we all know, there’s far more to the folding carton market than just food packaging. The majority of large consumer electronics items come in corrugated or paperboard packaging. These items, however, are often manufactured in foreign countries, and are therefore packaged there as well. So the North American folding carton market takes a hit. Couple this reality with changes in the supply chain, and some might consider the North American folding carton market in difficult straits.