With more than 1,500 employees at 11 locations in the US, Great Northern is a leading developer and manufacturer of creative solutions for packaging, shipping, merchandising and distributing products for industrial, commercial and retail customers.
It services customers in the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe and parts of South America, and is one of the largest independent producers of corrugated packaging. More than a year ago, the company decided to pursue FIRST (Flexographic Image Reproduction Specifications & Tolerances) Certifications, becoming the first direct corrugated company to embark on the training since 2012. The company has had employees working on all three FIRST Individual Certification Programs: Press Operator Certification, Prepress Operator Certification and Implementation Specialist Certification.
“One of the main reasons we decided to participate in FIRST Certification is that we are always striving to become better at what we do. Continually improving our processes and investing in our employees are core principles in our company culture,” says Kevin Krause, lead preflight/color technician at Great Northern. “As a company, we are always pushing for the highest-quality product to leave our facilities. An integral component to that is printing to the numbers and process control, which allows us to take much of the subjectivity out of printing a quality flexo product.”
Here, the company answers FLEXO Magazine‘s questions about what the process has been like, the benefits and takeaways.
FIRST Individual Certification
FLEXO Magazine: Your company had employees pursuing each FIRST Individual Certification. Describe the employee response to FIRST Individual Certification. Was there any resistance to doing things differently?
Great Northern: It made some of our team members think differently about their role and our internal processes. As with every change, there is some initial resistance, but we have great employees who are quick to adapt to changes when they can see the positive results.
FLEXO: Were employees permitted to go through training on company time and on company computers?
GN: Yes, we worked with our employees to schedule time during their regular shifts to complete the training.
FLEXO: Throughout the training, did employees provide any feedback?
GN: There were areas that had little to do with our current processes that some operators questioned the need for that part of the training. Other than that, the feedback was limited.
FLEXO: How do FIRST Individual Certifications change day-to-day activities at Great Northern?
GN: The operators with less experience definitely benefited the most from this training. It was great to have a third-party supplement our typical hands-on training by senior operators.
FLEXO: Do employees notice a change in what’s coming off presses?
GN: The printing quality from our least-experienced operators has improved as a result of this training.
FLEXO: Is employee confidence at a higher level, post-certification?
GN: I believe it has increased the confidence of our employees by solidifying the knowledge they already had and giving them deeper understanding in areas they may have lacked training or exposure.
FLEXO: Are FIRST Individual Certifications and the idea of continued education something new hires find attractive? Is it helpful when it comes to recruiting new talent?
GN: Most new hires see the value of a company that is willing to provide continued education for its employees. As far as it being helpful for recruiting, any prospective employees who are looking for a career that they can grow in, would see continued education as an attractive benefit.
FLEXO: How are Great Northern’s various FIRST Certifications integrated into promotional materials and conveyed to clients?
GN: We have promoted within the company that our operators at this facility have successfully completed FIRST Certification.
FLEXO: What would you say to a company considering any FIRST Certifications?
GN: It is always a great idea for companies to invest in their employees, and Great Northern has worked hard to make this part of its focus and culture. FIRST training gives employees a common language to communicate about flexography and helps bring understanding to other roles internally with other departments and externally with vendors. FIRST training has helped reinforce knowledge our team already had while filling in some of the knowledge gaps that may have been missing. It has also been a great tool to educate members of our team that may have less knowledge or experience with flexographic printing.
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