Carton company subject of MBA contest

The 2004 business case competition, "Supplier diversity at Procter & Gamble: The case of Specialized Packaging Group," will culminate May 14, when the three finalist MBA student teams present their analyses to Highsmith and other judges. SPG is the 10th-largest folding carton converter in the United States and the largest minority-owned carton supplier. It’s also P&G’s largest carton supplier.

In the process, individual African-American students or teams of up to five students, with the majority being African-American, from 29 schools were invited to compete. The finalists, one from UCLA Anderson School of Management and two from Harvard Business School, will vie for the top award of $20ꯠ by developing a tactical growth strategy for SPG.

"SPG is thrilled to have been involved in this year’s ELC case study competition," said Highsmith. "We are pleased to have had the opportunity to help African-American students gain exposure to the challenges and successes facing them after graduation, and we’re looking forward to learning more about our own organization through the insights presented in their analyses."