Phone conference focuses on vendor consolidation

So reported Andy Kerr, Kodak packaging technician, in an unusual meeting of the End User Advisory Committee of TAPPI’s corrugated container section. The committee, which is chaired by Kerr (shown), “met” during TAPPI’s International Corrugated Containers Conference and CorrExpo, held in Seattle in mid-October. However, Kerr and several other members and observers participated by telephone conference call because of company travel restrictions in the wake of the terrorist attacks Sept. 11. Dave Friedman of General Mills headed a group of end users and suppliers who were on-site in Seattle. Hewlett-Packard’s Alan Engmark originally brought up the question of the immediate cost savings generated by reducing the supplier base and leveraging the volumes. Although Kerr reported that the purchasing department would not be more specific about results, “they did say it was working wonderfully.” For more information on the TAPPI end-user committee, contact Andy Kerr at 716/588-5274. (AO)