Paul Teachout of Harper Corporation of America stepped up last summer as chair of the Flexographic Technical Association’s Board of Directors. He tells Andy Knaggs about plans to develop the association and reflects on how the flexo sector has changed during his career.
An industry in transition, an industry trade body in transition – it is a good job that Paul Teachout is a man that embraces change.
These are issues that Mr Teachout will have to grapple with, in his capacity as chairman of the FTA (Flexographic Technical Association) Board of Directors, a post he was elected to during the summer of 2024, serving for a three-year term.
He is a man whose bearing conveys a sense of energy and enthusiasm and mixing his FTA duties with his work at anilox roller manufacturer Harper Corporation of America, with all of the travelling and commitments this will entail, means such an outlook will serve him well.
The FTA is undergoing a process of change. “We went through a transitional phase with the retirement of a long-standing president (Mark Cisternino) and the recruitment of a new president (Nathan Ridnouer). That brought an opportunity for change at the FTA around culture and operations. The new president is not a traditional industry person – he comes from the association management side. It had been managed totally by flexographers before.
“As we grew, we wanted to expand the boundaries of packaging, and we brought someone in that could get the operational side better; to give us a solid footing to continue our growth and our expansion for the next five to ten years. That has taken some of the business burden from the staff so we can focus on the growth of the technical and certification association itself. Putting the right people in place has been key to our strategic plans.”
Changing landscape
The evolution is much more profound than this, however, and the clue is in Mr Teachout’s comment about expanding the boundaries of packaging. In short, the flexo trade body must begin to represent more than traditional flexo printers.
He continued: “The industry landscape has changed from flexo printing to a broader packaging industry: digital hybrid presses, the corrugated market with the boost it has had from Amazon – these are wider marketplaces within the community of flexo that we want to continue to grow with. There are so many things that complement flexography, and they should all be within our home. We will welcome those technologies and communities in our association, and we want people to understand our vision that we are the organisation for the broader packaging printing industry.”
FlexoTech editor Andy Knaggs with Paul Teachout, following Mr Teachout receiving the Global Achievement Award at the Label Industry Global Awards, during Labelexpo Americas in Chicago, September 2024
Alongside this extended breadth of membership, will be expanded educational programs, and more modern ways of reaching a membership that is evolving demographically as well as in its technical expertise. In many ways, this is simply another symptom of a familiar reality in the flexo industry, and print as a whole: an aging workforce, and a need to attract and train a younger generation for the industry of the present and the future.
Mr Teachout says the FTA’s own research suggests that 60% of the industry is 55 or older, and 80% is male. Both statistics are in need of attention, and he expresses great satisfaction in seeing initiatives such as Women in Flexo taking off. The FTA’s Emerging Leaders community consists of people 35 years old or younger. He reports that Women in Flexo has more than 200 members, and many of these also fall into the Emerging Leaders category too.
“It is very important for us to continue to reach that younger demographic, to show what a highly technical and innovative industry we are in,” he continued. “When I came into flexo, it was a trade. When I leave, it will very much be a science. We have gone from very analogue, manual, mechanical operations to ‘clean hand’ technologies. It’s a priority and one of our core values is to target and engage with that younger demographic.”
Delivery of the FTA’s activities must change accordingly. “The new generation requires new training methods. We have to be innovative and creative in how we bring this educational content, to be more engaging and intriguing. With the industry moving from old analogue technology to more automated technology, it’s a perfect time for us to go through this transition of leadership. We are also bringing in educational representatives that come from academia, to teach the curriculum of our industry. We have brought in new community managers to manage these communities, and to make sure that our mission is being applied to the committees. It’s a very exciting time.”
Great lessons
Although he is far from finished, Mr Teachout can look back at a career that has already lasted 40 years – one in which he reflects on learning many great lessons from outstanding people and the outstanding businesses that he has represented or visited.
He is the second of three consecutive generations of his family to work in print, following his father and preceding his son, who works at CCL in Charlotte, North California. He is a keen golfer with his sons and plays off of a handicap of three. Starting as an offset press and converting machine operator in Florida in 1981, he has gone on to fulfil a variety of sales, technical, business development and marketing roles at companies such as Webtron/Aquaflex, Harper Corporation, Nilpeter, Anderson & Vreeland, and then back to Harper in March 2023.
Alongside all of this, he has always been keen to engage with trade organisations such as the FTA and the TLMI (Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute), and says he is “very privileged to work for a company like Harper that allows me to engage in this activity”.
“I have tremendous support from the leadership here that allows me to be an industry ambassador, which brings recognition to the business, and brings attention to the wonderful industry we are in. It allows us to show the world what a very sophisticated and highly innovative technological industry we are in.”
Getting involved with trade bodies and associations is something he recommends to everyone, especially young people looking to become leaders in the industry. “You will be rewarded ten times over, with recognition for you personally and your company,” he said. “I encourage all young people coming into the industry to participate early and often – it will serve you well later in your career.”
He is also optimistic about the future prospects of the flexo sector, describing it as “still the premier production method” for packaging, now complemented by digital to give printers and converters further opportunities for growth.
“I have literally seen this industry go from rubber plates and chrome aniloxes, to fully automated presses with smart ‘clean hand’ technologies: from the wheel to the space shuttle. The next generation is going to experience AI, machine learning, automation etc. The opportunities are still there for exponential growth and the next generation has a very exciting time in front of it.”
Mr Teachout closed by looking a few years ahead and considering the impact he would like to make at the FTA. He said: “When I look back at this in 10 years’ time, I want to be able to say that the FTA is in a great spot – with new methods for education and certification and bringing new faces in to be leaders. If I can say that it will be very rewarding.”
