Mike
Bacior of FedEx Achieves CPLP Professional Status
Michael L. Bacior, Manager of Package Engineering for FedEx in Lewisberry,
PA has become the eighth person to achieve highest status in ISTA’s
Certified Packaging Laboratory Professional program.
CPLP-Professional is attained by first being certified at
the Technician and Technologist levels, meeting
a minimum in-service requirement of three years, and then submitting
an extensive résumé substantiating significant industry
participation and achievement. The résumé covers employment,
education, packaging industry activities, recognition, and –
most importantly – “giving back” to the field through
speaking, writing, and teaching.
Mike Bacior has been with FedEx for 12 years and in packaging for
26 years. During his career he has worked in engineering, line automation,
sales, materials, and laboratory testing; he currently develops corporate
policies, manages field packaging engineers, and assists major customers
in loss and damage prevention.
Mike received his packaging degree from Michigan State University’s
School of Packaging in 1979. In addition to his active ISTA membership,
he has been a member of IoPP for 16 years, is lifetime CPP certified,
and is currently VP-Technical of the Central Pennsylvania Chapter.
He is a former AmeriStar package-design award winner, and in 2002
received the “FedEx Five Star Award for Service and Quality”
– prestigious recognition from the President and CEO of FedEx
Ground for “truly superior performance”.
Mike has attended almost every ISTA Con and Dimensions annual forum
since 1994, many Pack Expo shows, several NIPHLE annual conferences,
and many IoPP Chapter meetings. He has taught “Proper Packaging
in the Small Parcel Environment” to FedEx personnel and numerous
FedEx customers, has spoken to NIPHLE and IoPP groups, and most recently
was a presenter at Dimensions.06. He also helped to create FedEx Ground’s
popular “Smart Packaging Folder”, a guide to packaging
for the parcel environment.
Heartiest congratulations to Mike Bacior for becoming ISTA’s
most recent CPLP-Professional !
Click
Here for complete information on the CPLP program and a list of
all recipients.
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Upcoming
CPLP Workshops in San Francisco and Tianjin, China
ISTA is presenting two Certified Packaging Laboratory Workshops this
fall, on different sides of the globe. A Technician class
will be held in Tianjin on October 11, and both Technician
and Technologist classes will be presented in San Francisco
on November 15 & 16.
While the typical approach to CPLP certification is through a self-study
program (either on-line or in printed form), these Workshops offer
an in-person, fast-track alternative which is preferred by many. Each
day consists of presentation and discussion of the material in the
morning and early afternoon, followed by a break and then administration
of the exam. Lunch and refreshments are provided, and each successful
applicant receives a certificate, lapel pin, and recognition in ISTA
publications and on the website.
Study materials and a 2006 ISTA Resource Book will be furnished to
applicants in advance of the Workshop. Click
Here for further details, and for registration and fee information.
For the San Francisco Workshop, you may register for each class individually
(Technician on Nov. 15, Technologist on Nov. 16),
or for both.
For a complete description of the CPLP program, Click
Here.
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PreShipment
Testing Seminar to be held in Tianjin, China
A seminar
entitled “PreShipment Testing: Benefits, Technology, and Organization”
will be presented in Tianjin on October 12 & 13, 2006. Speakers
will be from ISTA-U.S. and ISTA-China.
The seminar goals are to develop the technology of transport packaging
in China, to exchange views on technical issues, and to discuss Chinese
transport packaging organizations (ISTA-China and the Transportation
Committee of China Packaging Federation, TCCPF). A brief outline of
the topics includes:
• ISTA-China: Purpose, scope,
membership, service, and support
• Pre-shipment testing, importance
and benefits
• Test categories and elements
• Testing related to distribution
hazards
• Laboratory simulations
• Laboratory testing operations
• International packaging research
and future trends
• Future programs and services
of the TCCPF
The principal presenters will be Ed Church, Meredith Dougherty (who’s
Meredith Dougherty?... see the "Happy Events" article below),
and Bill Kipp from the ISTA-U.S. staff, and Mr. Li Hua of ISTA-China
and the TCCPF. Click
Here for further information about the seminar and to register.
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Promotions in the ISTA Booth at Pack Expo
American Testing Laboratory, Green Bay Packaging, and Packaging Technology
Center have been added to the list of companies being represented
in the ISTA booth at Pack Expo 2006. In addition to these latest participants,
the roster includes Sealed Air, Lansmont, Signode, Container-Quinn,
Performance Testing Labs, SGS U.S. Testing, Southeast Testing &
Engineering, and NAC Image Technology.
Click below for links to each company’s website.
American
Testing Laboratory
Container-Quinn
Testing Laboratories
Green
Bay Packaging
Lansmont Corporation
NAC Image Technology
Packaging
Technology Center
Performance
Testing Labs
Sealed Air Corporation
SGS U.S.
Testing Company
Signode Packaging
Systems
Southeast Testing
& Engineering
This special promotion
consists of:
• Display of company literature
in the ISTA booth
• Signage with company logo in
color, company name, and website address –
plus a Pack Expo booth number
if the company is exhibiting at Pack Expo
• Promotion in a targeted email
sent to over 2,000 packaging professionals
• Promotion in iNews.
Click
Here if your company would like to participate. The fee is $350.
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Happy
Events at ISTA
September
has been a very memorable month for the ISTA family, with Lisa and
Jon Bonsignore welcoming their first child, and Meredith Young becoming
Mrs. Jon-Michael Dougherty.
On September 14, Lauren Frances Bonsignore was born in Lansing,
MI to Lisa (ISTA’s Education Manager) and Jon (of Lansmont
Corporation). Little Lauren weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. and measured 20.5
inches long. She’s beautiful, with perfect features and dark
hair. And (in our considered opinion), she’s blessed with
terrific parents! Of course Lisa won’t be back to work for
a number of weeks, but she’ll be checking e-mail and you can
send your congratulations to lisa@ista.org.
The very next day, September 15, Meredith Young was married to Jon-Michael
Dougherty (pronounced “Dock-er-tee”)
at a beautiful waterside ceremony in picturesque Saugatuck, MI.
Many ISTA members and staff were in attendance. Meredith and Jon
also welcomed family and friends from all over the U.S. - the combined
miles traveled by their guests was well into the thousands! Of course
it goes without saying, Dennis and Melinda Young were also there
to give their only daughter away…
Please be sure to update your contact records with Meredith's name
change; her e-mail address has also changed to meredith@ista.org.
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Dimensions.07
March 27-30, 2007 – Don’t Miss It!
Dimensions, presented by ISTA and IoPP, returns to Walt Disney World
in 2007. Planning has been underway for months, and next year’s
edition promises to deliver the combination of education, networking,
food, and fun which has made this Forum the premier transport packaging
conference.
The event will begin with a special Welcome Reception on Tuesday
evening (it’s a surprise!), and then continue with an outstanding
educational program. Topics include laboratory testing, recycling
issues, sterile packaging, cold chain, packaging economics, distribution
environment measurement, package design, technical management, material
properties/applications, hazmat, and more. Leading product and service
suppliers will be exhibiting during buffet receptions, and special
events include golf, a CPLP Workshop, family activities, and dedicated
networking.
Keep checking the Dimensions
Website for updates and on-line registration. If your company
would like to be an exhibitor, contact Meredith
Dougherty for full information.
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Parcel
Forum Workshop a Success
ISTA and Federal Express produced a pre-conference workshop at the
recent Parcel Shipping and Distribution Forum in Chicago. Larry
Rutledge of FedEx and Bill Kipp of ISTA presented “Packaging
Innovations” in the morning, and organized a tour of the nearby
CDW distribution center for the afternoon.
Larry
Rutledge of FedEx speaks to an
interested
audience at the Parcel Forum
Larry
used a broad range of case studies from the FedEx files to illustrate
how packaging issues and damage have been addressed through innovation
supported by laboratory testing. The examples sparked a number of
interesting comments and questions from the audience, and some lively
discussions ensued. Bill talked about laboratory testing approaches,
lab simulation of the parcel shipping environment, and specific
test techniques.
CDW, a leading
high-tech supplier, hosted an afternoon tour of their 450,000 square
foot Vernon Hills distribution center. Over 30,000 packages a day
are shipped from this facility, a feat that requires tremendous
organization, advanced technology, and attention to proper packaging.
The next Parcel
Forum is scheduled for October 29-31, 2007.
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