The ASPI Customer Alignment Initiative

ASPI launched the Customer Alignment Initiative in 2007 to help its member company executives dramatically improve their understanding of how primary producer customers are developing their strategic directions.  At each Customer Alignment Meeting, the senior executives from these companies present how the supplier community can support their growth.  This allows the supplier community to better align their capabilities with their customers.  The ASPI Fall Customer Alignment Meeting takes place at or near the host headquarters.

In this regard, over the past several years, ASPI Customer Alignment Meetings have been conducted at Corporate Headquarters:

• 2023 – Green Bay Packaging, Green Bay, Wisconsin
• 2022 – International Paper, Memphis, Tennessee
• 2019 – Domtar – Charlotte, North Carolina
• 2018 – Graphic Packaging – Atlanta, Georgia
• 2017 – Sonoco – Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• 2016 – WestRock – Norcross, Georgia
• 2015 – Georgia-Pacific – Atlanta, Georgia
• 2014 – International Paper – Memphis, Tennessee
• 2013 – Boise – Boise, Idaho
• 2012 – Domtar – Charlotte, North Carolina
• 2011 – Temple-Inland – Austin, Texas – modified program due to merger with International Paper
• 2010 – Verso – Memphis Tennessee
• 2009 – NewPage – Dayton, Ohio
• 2008 – MeadWestvaco – Richmond, Virginia

Each of the ASPI Customer Alignment Meetings conducted to date were characterized by the open constructive dialogue taking place between the senior managers of a core customer and the supplier community. The shared objective of the formal and informal meeting dialogue was to address the need for significant improvements in the economic benefits of the evolving customer supply chain.

MeadWestvaco hosted the first ASPI Customer Alignment Meeting in 2008 to provide a unique forum for supplier executives to interact with the MeadWestvaco senior leadership team.  Since then, ASPI has worked with hosts NewPage, Verso, Temple-Inland, Domtar, and Boise to continue to provide executive-level engagement between customers and suppliers. 

“The ASPI Customer Alignment Initiative (CAI) presented an effective forum for sharing Verso’s business strategy with many of our strategic suppliers.  Verso took advantage of this opportunity to convey information that helped suppliers understand how best to positively impact Verso’s business results by helping us close operational gaps and improve together.” 

--- Glenn Sanders, Director of Sourcing for Verso (one year after Verso hosted the 2010 Customer Alignment Meeting)

“Kadant works on a daily basis with its customers, but ASPI’s Customer Alignment Meetings offer additional interactions at an executive level, bringing a new perspective of a more strategic nature.”

--- Carl Howe, Vice President, Sales, Kadant Paperline