Integrate for Success

Invest according to the market

Sonoco's capital equipment investment strategy has been dictated by what Tiede categorizes as a shift from a more traditional homogenous market. "The North American market has historically been a very homogenous one," he says. "What we and other companies are realizing is that you can't sell a product the same way using the same messaging in vastly different markets such California and Florida." In short, he says, the days of exceptionally long runs don't exist now. "Everyone is fixated on managing their costs and reducing inventory," he adds. "They recognize that there are cultural and language differences in some of the markets and, as a result, shorter runs are a better choice in targeting these specific markets." Time to market and the ability to give customers the answers they need quickly are paramount. Although Sonoco has bought three presses within the last three to four years, its key investments have been for information systems.