Finding "the right stuff": when it was time to bring standup pouch manufacturing capabilities in-house, Canadian converter Genpak did its homework. After an exhaustive acquisition process, the purchasing team is certain it's made the right choice.(Cover Story)

Not too long ago converters were able to differentiate themselves from their competitors by offering exceptional customer service and/or a superior product. Today, quality and customer service are a given. Quality products and top-notch customer service have become minimum requirements, a cover charge, in the age of global competition.

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Added to this new business reality is the fact that converters are being squeezed for profits from both ends of the supply chain. Converters are finding it difficult, for example, to pass recent increases in resin and film prices up to their customers. To survive, converters must become as efficient as possible in every aspect of their businesses. With inherent advantages in lower labor and materials costs, as well as government subsidies and export bonuses, overseas competitors are forcing North American converters to pitch a perfect game every time they take the mound.

Nowhere is the demand for perfection made more obvious than in the acquisition of converting equipment. Over the years Flexible Packaging magazine has published countless examples of how new, state-of-the-art technology has dramatically increased throughput and …