Transport Packaging Industry Leaders

Roger Young’s careers with the US government began 46+ years ago when he entered the Maryland Air National Guard (MDANG) in 1960 as a jet engine mechanic. Over the next 29 years in the MDANG Roger had the opportunity to learn first hand, the need for quality military packaging. In 1980 Roger began studying advanced packaging techniques at the School of Military Packaging Technology (SMPT) by taking a course in Defense Packing Design. Over the next 25 years Roger successfully completed 14 courses at the SMPT including all facets of safe material transportation. During his career, Roger attended an unprecedented 23 ASTM D10 Committee meetings, 20 National Institute of Packaging Handling and Logistics (NIPHLE) meetings as well as many more meetings of organizations that benefit our industry. Roger always felt it was helpful to understand the depth of packaging requirements so he began studying all aspects of packaging including surface treatment, electro-static protection, hazardous materials and more. In 2004, Roger’s private studies resulted in a BS degree in Engineering, Quality Control and Assurance from Kennedy Western University. Over the years he Roger has been acknowledged for the services to the packaging industry. His awards and industry achievements, just to name a few, include:

• Packaging Professional Certificate awarded by the SMPT - 1991
• Technical and Engineering Professional Award from GSA - 1997
• Award of Appreciation from the ASTM D10 Committee - 2002
• The John C. Wilford Memorial Award presented by NIPHLE - 2004

Roger is currently employed by the US GSA in Arlington, Virginia .

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Anybody involved in packaging standards development or US government packaging knows Roger Young from one organization or another. What some people don’t know is how Roger has always worked to improve all areas of transport packaging, from military to private sector, and from design to testing. As part of all that he has been a big supporter of the wood container segment. When Roger was the chairman of the D10.26 subcommittee at ASTM, the group responsible for developing wood packaging standards, he was dedicated to the cause. Roger is always thinking of ways to improve our industry as a whole. He has always worked to be a conduit between various agencies in the US government and private industry. Roger has always acknowledged the differences between the economic needs of individual companies and the requirements for top quality crating for the US Military. He has always looked for ways for both to benefit while working to bring the two together. In his slow speaking and quiet way, Roger has always worked from the top down and pushed for an understanding between different organizations that will bring the wood container industry together and allow us to strengthen and grow. Roger has never stopped turning the big wheels of bureaucracy slowly toward success for the wood container industry. Roger's current ambition is to to develop a truly commercial practice for packaging products beyond the manufacturers packaging being delivered by distributor as an acceptable way to ship smaller sales in different modes of transportation, storage and delivery.

Elmer Kuhlman is a 1951 graduate of the University of Minnesota in an engineering / business program with a BBA, Industrial Administration. He started his career as an Industrial Engineer for Montgomery Ward in 1951 until he left in 1955 to work for Honeywell Inc. as a Production Engineer. In 1960, Elmer was assigned as a Sr. Packaging Engineer in the Honeywell Ordnance Division. He was promoted in 1968 to Supervisor- Packaging & Handling Engineering for Government & Aeronautical Products Division (a merging of divisions). From 1979 to 1985, he supervised Packaging / Materials Handling / Industrial Engineering for a Department which provided support to three Divisions in five locations. His promotion in 1985 to a dual ladder position as Sr. Engineering Fellow (Packaging Engineering Consultant to those Divisions) completed his Honeywell and Alliant Techsystems, Inc. career in July 1991. During those years he held all officer positions in Society of Packaging & Handling Engineers (SPHE) Minnesota Chapter - - - now Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP). He was on committee in the 1960's which started the Packaging Engineering program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. He was also a member of its Industrial Advisory Board (1988 - 1994). From 1990 to 1994, Elmer was a member of the Industry Advisory Board for Chemical Abrasion Resistant Wood Research Program which was funded by the U.S. Congress, administered by the U.S. Army, and carried out by university research at Mississippi State. He has held chairmanship positions in Packaging Divisions for: * ADPA - American Defense Preparedness Association - and awarded its Bronze Medallion; * AIA - Aerospace Industries Association - and received its Distinguished Colleague Award; * National Security Industrial Association. After retirement in July 1991, he has remained active as a Packaging Consultant. This has included work as an "Expert Witness". He is a Director for the American Wood Packaging Association. Current memberships in national organizations include: * Institute of Packaging Professionals (loPP) and its College of Fellows * American Society for Testing & Materials (was co-chair of D10.26 Subcommittee a few years) * Material Handling Institute (MHI) * International Standards Organization (ISO) and Convenor of its Working Group 5 for "International Packaging Terminology and Vocabulary". Elmer has been an active member of National Institute of Packaging, Handling & Logistics Engineers (NIPHLE) since 1975 and is included in the School of Military Packaging Technology (SMPT)’s Military Packaging Hall of Fame. WoodenCRATES.org feels that Elmer's greatest contribution is that he retired in 1991 and has spent his retirement years aiding the packing and crating industries. For more than a decade he has attended meetings around the world and worked to improve our industry; and all without profit. Thank you Elmer.

Alfred H. McKinlay - 2001 Al's career in industry spans more than 40 years, including 27 years with GE, plus hundreds of hours lecturing, writing and teaching. He has provided highly specialized consulting and engineering services in the packaging and handling industry, which include analysis, design, and testing of transport packaging of consumer, commercial, and industrial products; unit load systems for packaged products; and material handling systems for packaged products.

During his career, he has developed, tested, and implemented protective package designs and systems for a wide variety of products, and has performed many comprehensive surveys of packaging and handling programs. He was also an internal consultant for GE for over 20 years.

McKinlay is a registered Professional Engineer in manufacturing and engineering; a Certified Professional in packaging and handling; and a Certified Manufacturing Engineer. He received his B.A. in Industrial Administration at Union College, and is a Fellow of ASTM and the Institute of Packaging Professionals.

A packaging professional for more than 40 years, Lejo Braña has distinguished himself as an expert in the industry and he has advanced the understanding and technology of the science of packaging on many continents. As Director of Packaging with Riviana Foods, Lejo was responsible for directing the company's world wide corporate technical packaging function and also managed its testing and consulting groups. Lejo's professional resume is extensive. He is a Packaging Hall of Fame Member, Honorary Life Member and Member of the College of Fellows of the Institute of Packaging Professionals; Honorary Member of the Packaging Institute of the Philippines; Honorary Member of the Mexican Institute of Professionals in Packaging; and he served actively on the ISTA Board of Directors as both a Director and Officer for many years. Lejo holds Professional memberships with ISTA, IoPP, ASTM, SPE, TAPPI, NIPHLE and IoP (UK). Lejo has participated as a Speaker/Moderator in international seminars and conferences in packaging In 2006, Lejo played a crucial role in the establishment of the School of Packaging at Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, Philippines. This is the first program of its kind at CPU, and it will provide the needed formalized educational training and practical application of packaging engineering designed to meet the growing requirements of the Philippine packaging industry. As Senior Consultant for International Relations, Resource Development and Lifelong Learning at the school, Lejo will develop international linkages and cooperation with packaging centers of higher learning, technical and professional organizations and industrial establishments and publications. Lejo has spent a lifetime helping to advance the packaging industry, focusing a great deal of time and effort on packaging education.

Education:

Ph.D. 1988 Michigan State University in Business: Logistics, Marketing, and Packaging.
M.A. 1977 Michigan State University in English.
B.A. 1975 Utah State University in English and Library Science.
Professional Experience:

2007-present Professor, Michigan State University School of Packaging

1997-2006 Adjunct Appointment
MSU Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management

1977-2007 Research Assistant, Assistant Professor, Associate Professor MSU School of Packaging

My research area is in the economics and performance of packages in production, marketing, and logistical systems.

My current research investigations include:
-The role of packaging and packaging education in international development.
-The history of shipping containers.
-The economic and operational effect of reusable shipping containers and pallets.

I regularly teach our undergraduate senior capstone course, Packaging Development. I also teach Packaging with Paper and Paperboard, for which I have published a textbook, and Packaging Economics, for which I am currently writing a textbook. I have led overseas study courses in the UK, Spain, Japan and Logistical Packaging in Sweden.

My adjunct position with the Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management serves as a bridge between our departments and colleges, and consists of advising Packaging students about Business courses, providing lectures to MSC courses and executive programs on the subject of packaging, contributing to textbook chapters and collaborating with MSC faculty on research projects related to logistical packaging.

I work with the United States Department of Agricultures Farm Service Agency to test the adequacy of packages for food aid. For over 25 years MSU has provided technical assistance and developed package performance standards for all of the food which the USDA pur¬chases and distributes--the largest food distribution system in the world--which includes such programs as price support commodity purchases, foreign food aid such as "Food for Peace" programs, and domestic feeding programs such as school lunches, charities, and disaster assistance.

Other research includes investigations of:
- historical shipping container forms and functions,
the causes and prevention of in-transit damage,
how firms financially evaluate returnable packaging investments,
boxcar and motor carrier lading dynamics,
the performance of shipping containers for food, and
- the changing role of pallets in grocery distribution.

Through the School of Packaging, I offer a semi-annual executive seminar on logistical, financial and technical aspects of reusable shipping containers.

I have served as an expert witness for personal injury, transit damage litigation and patent issues involving packaging. My private consulting experience over the past twenty years has been concerned with the social and economic implications of packaging systems, ranging from distribution system analysis and package design, to evaluation of specific packaging and vehicle loading operations.

I currently serve as editor, with David Shires, of Packaging Technology and Science, the top refereed journal in the packaging field.

I have served since 2001 as Senior Partner Advisor to the Packaging Department, which has since become Adalis Packaging Systems Group, in Minneapolis.

Professional Awards & Honors:

*Military Packaging Hall of Fame, inducted in 2006.

*2000 2002 President of the National Institute of Packaging, Handling and Logistics Engineers

*Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, 1999.
*Lilly Teaching Fellow, 1996 97.
*American Marketing Association Doctoral Consortium Fellow, 1987.
*Council of Logistics Management Doctoral Dissertation Grant, 1986.
*NIPHLE 1986 Annual Award of Achievement in the field of Packaging.
*Pi Kappa Gamma, honorary packaging fraternity, 1988.
*Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, 1988.