History

The International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF) was founded to advance corrugated packaging education and to educate students on the many career opportunities within the corrugated packaging industry.  The ultimate goal is to enable the recruiting of more highly qualified new graduates into the industry.

To achieve its mission to generate a stream of increasingly qualified students to enter the corrugated industry, ICPF creates and builds partnerships with colleges and universities, assists in the placement of curricula, equipment and other resources to advance corrugated curricula, works to expand student internships within the industry, and promotes corrugated packaging career opportunities for packaging, sales & marketing, business, graphic design, engineering, supply chain management, and related graduates.

Co-sponsored by two major international packaging associations: AICC - The Independent Packaging Association and the Fibre Box Association (FBA), the concept of ICPF was initially presented by AICC leader J. Richard Troll who challenged AICC leaders to think of doing more for the industry, in some ways transcending short term association goals to enhance the image of the corrugated industry and, through education and outreach, attract bright, young career-minded people who would contribute to the ongoing creativity and performance of the corrugated packaging industry.  With the strong support of individual AICC corporate members, ICPF was launched in 1985.  In 1990, the Fiber Box Association joined as a co-sponsor of ICPF. 

Since that time, ICPF has established partnerships with over 25 colleges and universities; placed over $11.5 million in CAD tables, presses and corrugated testing equipment at colleges and universities; assisted in placing over $20 million in design software at colleges and universities; developed online corrugated curricula that is available through its website for universities, community colleges and local technical schools; developed a program (that can be used for instruction by local plants, colleges and universities as a weekend, weeknight or week long workshop) to introduce high school students to corrugated packaging & display; developed an online career portal to serve as a conduit for companies to recruit student interns and new graduates; expanded its work beyond packaging science schools and students to include outreach and placement of students and graduates with majors and minors in sales &  marketing, business, graphic design, supply chain management, engineering, human resources, and related degrees; and created a social network that assists ICPF in maintaining contact with over 800 students and new graduates who have indicated they are interested in a career in corrugated packaging & displays.  In just the past three years alone, ICPF's corrugated packaging & display corporate partners have hired hundreds of student interns and new graduates utilizing ICPF's tools and resources.

Details on ICPF's earlier accomplishments (1985 - 2006) are provided in the ICPF Historical Timeline of Accomplishments.