Assemble an impressive array of automation technologists from AstraZeneca, Coors, Eli Lilly, Hershey, Miller Brewing, Procter & Gamble, Wyeth and more – and what do they talk about?

Financial performance, consumer marketing and boardroom strategies of all things!

The first Packaging Automation Forum, sponsored by ELAU and five other companies, made an impressive debut May 24 in Chicago. The audience at the sold-out event saw speaker after speaker emphasize the need for packagers, machine builders and automation suppliers alike to think in terms that business leaders will understand.

It was as if the packagers had huddled prior to the event to be sure and send a cohesive message. In reality, each of the speakers has enjoyed career success because they’ve learned to solve business problems with technology. And they’ve learned that “how” is less important to C-suite managers than “how soon.”

The Hershey Company’s controls engineering manager Joe Wagner gave a valuable chronological recap of reorganizations within the company’s engineering group that began in 2001 and have led to a short list of globally qualified automation suppliers that are accepted on machinery.

Get the whole story: Click here!