DC Velocity - March 2018

inbound

As the president and CEO of a company that develops supply chain management
software, Eddie Capel copes with complexity every day. But last month, standing
in a boxing ring erected on the field of Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the boss
of Manhattan Associates Inc. had a simple mission: Hit or be hit.

The 57-year-old Capel entered the ring for the first time in 36 years as part of a four-hour exhibition called “Brawl for a Cause,” where each fighter in multiple bouts threw punches for the charity of his choice. For Capel, it was “Camp Hope,” an Atlanta group that provides a free week’s vacation to kids of incarcerated parents. Approximately one in 28 American children has at least one parent behind bars, according to data provided by Atlanta-based Manhattan. Children of incarcerated parents are three to six times more likely to be arrested or incarcerated than are kids of parents who have never been in prison, according to studies cited by the company.

Although he had last fought competitively at age 19, Capel trained hard to get back in shape and even got some advice from boxing champion Sugar Ray Leonard, an inspirational speaker at Manhattan Associates’ last user conference. In the end, Capel handled himself well in the three-round bout, getting in a few punches before dropping the fight in a split decision to his opponent, 47-year-old Marshall Chiles, a comedian and owner of an Atlanta comedy club. And his financial results were even more impressive—Capel raised more than $102,000 for the Camp Hope charity.

Street fighting man

As environmental threats go, custom bar-code labels might not strike you as much cause for concern. But according to one source, the label manufacturing process can actually produce a fair amount of waste, from set-up material and edge trim to “matrix” and container waste. And about 85 percent of that waste ends up in landfills, the source said.

Now, one industry player is doing something about the issue by converting its manufacturing waste into clean-burning fuel pellets that can be used as a substitute for coal, gas, and other fossil fuels.

Lake Villa, Ill.-based custom bar-code label vendor ID Label Inc. said in February it had teamed up with alternative fuel manufacturer Convergen Energy to make the fuel pellets from its label manufacturing byproducts. The finished fuel pellets are about the size and shape of pet food kibble and can be burned in stoves or boilers to produce heat.

The company, whose major product lines include warehouse and pallet labels, says the initiative’s benefits go well beyond providing a greener way to dispose of the 500-plus tons of manufacturing waste it produces each year. “What’s exciting about this program is that we’re not just greatly reducing landfill waste,” ID Label President and CEO Neil Johnston said in a statement. “We’re also reducing our carbon footprint by contributing to sustainable alternative fuel sources that are much cleaner and eco-friendly.”

Label this green!
Bar-code supplier
turns waste into fuel

During its 35-plus years of operation, Ashland Conveyor Products has done the majority of its business within the industrial sector. But every now and then, it gets to branch out into something a little more unique and fun.

That was the case late last year when the company took on a custom job for the Museum of Ice Cream, a popular tourist attraction in Miami. The museum needed a conveyor to transport mini chocolate milkshakes to visitors in the “Bunn’s Shake” room, a glittery re-creation of a 1950s diner. In keeping with the popup museum’s tropical vibe, Ashland Conveyor supplied a power belt unit painted a light pink (Google “RAL 3015” to get a taste of this sweet color).

The Bunn’s Shake room is just one of eight rooms featured in the museum, which might be best described as a dessert-themed funhouse. Others include an ice cream-themed dance studio; a safari room equipped with, yes, a banana swing; a sand castle room; a sculpture studio; and a sprinkle pool. If this doesn’t sound like any museum you’ve ever visited and you’d like to know more, search Instagram for the hashtag #museumoficecream to see thousands of snapshots from recent visitors.