JB Machinery is a family-owned company founded in 1998 by John Bird, whose family now spans three generations of the business. Based in Westport, Connecticut, it serves corrugated printing and packaging companies worldwide, with more than 60 years of industry experience and over 3,000 IR drying units delivered to customers in 56 countries. John Bird’s 2023 induction into the AICC Hall of Fame reflects the mark he and the company have made on the industry.
2021 Innovator of the Year
FEFCO Lifetime Achievement Award
JN WhiteJN White is a family-owned manufacturer founded in 1960 by James Neel White, with the third generation of the White family now working in the business. From its roots as an industrial screen printer, the company has become known for carefully engineered user-interface components made for demanding equipment markets, with two U.S. facilities and an ISO 9001:2015-certified quality system.PERRY, NY
Green Bay Packaging IncFounded in 1933 by George and Marguerite Kress, Green Bay Packaging remains a third-generation, family-owned company headquartered in Green Bay. Its vertically integrated operations connect forestry resources with the production of custom corrugated packaging and folding cartons, while its 5,000-plus employees work across more than 40 facilities in 16 states. Sustainability is central to the company’s identity, from managing company forestlands to pursuing major mill modernization and emissions-reduction projects.ARCHBOLD, OH
Kohler Coating, IncorporatedFounded in Canton, Ohio, in 1960 by John B. Kohler, Kohler Coating designs and builds coating and moisture-control machinery for paper, corrugating, and converting operations. Now operating as Kohler Coating, Incorporated since 2015, the company remains majority-owned by Herb Kohler and supplies equipment used in more than 35 countries. Its Canton-area facility also houses a full-scale narrow-width pilot corrugator for customer testing and process development.CANTON, OH
Equipment Technology IncFamily-owned since Rus Smith founded it in 1976, Equipment Technology Inc. has grown into a custom machine builder and precision machining shop serving manufacturers nationwide. Smith’s sons, Glen and David, now lead engineering and sales, while the company’s patented compact-disc packaging systems and more than 400 machines reflect its long history of solving unusual production-line problems. ETI also maintains relationships with some of its earliest customers.PECKVILLE, PA