Better Together Podcast

Jan Bottiglieri
  • 5.0 (2)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED BIMONTHLY

Hosted by Paper3600 Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri, Better Together offers engaging conversations with the most innovative leaders in the packaging, pulp, paper, tissue and converting industries through wide-ranging interviews on current topics relevant to listeners at every stage of their careers.

  1. 1D AGO

    2026 Student Summit

    This episode was recorded on-site at TAPPI's 2026 Student Summit in Birmingham, AL. More than 200 students, plus scores of other attendees, enjoyed panel discussions, a Career Fair, an Engineering Challenge, and so much more. Pulp and paper engineering students came from more than15 leading paper, packaging, engineering, and technical programs to participate in a program focused on "Charting Tomorrow."   We asked students to "take the mic" to let listeners know what matters to them. As always, they responded with humor, candor, and their own unique insights. This episode includes student commentary from five TAPPI Student Chapter schools:  Georgia Institute of Technology   Western Michigan University  Auburn University  University of Wisconsin Stevens Point  North Carolina State University  Useful links:  How to Craft Tissue Paper Truffula Trees  Latest edition of Handbook For Pulp and Paper Technologists (The SMOOK Book)  TAPPI-sponsored Scholarships for Industry Students I'm sure you'll enjoy our student hosts for this energetic episode of Better Together!  Don't forget to share this episode to spread the word about opportunities in pulp and paper—and subscribe to TAPPI's Better Together podcast channel so you won'tmiss future episodes of Better Together: TAPPI's Live Event Podcast and Uptime: A Paper and Packaging Podcast. Thanks for listening!

    34 min

  2. 12/26/2025

    CorrExpo 2025

    At CorrExpo 2025 in Savannah, GA, more than 1000 industry pros gathered to "Explore What’s Possible and Build What’s Next." This recorded-on-site episode of Better Together includes three engaging mini-interviews that capture some of the engagement and excitement of being there in person. CorrExpo 2025 featured an active exhibit floor, memorable networking events, and an expert-led technical program. In this episode, we'll be speaking with: · Carl Mazzanti, Co-Founder and President of eMazzanti Technologies. Carl and Jan discuss some of the amazing benefits AI can offer box makers · Christine Little, director of sales/Corrugated Machinery Division, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. Learn how innovative machines can help our industry manage workforce challenges. · Jeff Buchanan, Director of Sales and Market Development, and Stephanie Falcone, Process Engineer, HarperLove. Jeff and Stephanie tell Jan about an intern program that's making a difference for young engineers. Click to read more about CorrExpo 2025 in Savannah—including CorrExpo LIVE! videos, event photos, Sponsor Showcase videos, and more. SAVE THE DATE for TAPPI/AICC's Corrugated Week, September 28-30, 2026 in Fort Worth, TX. Sign up for updates so you won't miss this exciting event. BIG NEWS: TAPPI is launching a NEW podcast series called Uptime! A Paper and Packaging Podcast, hosted by Jan Bottiglieri and Mark Rushton, editor of TAPPI's Tissue360° magazine. Uptime! will bring listeners 30-minute interviews with industry leaders and innovators that feature lively questions, thoughtful insights, and even a fun "lightning round" to keep guests on their toes. Better Together subscribers will automatically receive new Uptime! episodes so if you are not already subscribed, please do so—then share with colleagues, clients, and industry friends.

    44 min

  3. 07/03/2025

    TAPPICon 2025 Live! - Episode 1

    We're excited to bring listeners this first of two special episodes recorded at TAPPICon 2025 in Minneapolis, MN, May 4 - 7. We had a great turnout for TAPPICon 2025 and there was more than enough positive energy to go around. TAPPICon’s multi-track program is planned and executed by real working papermakers, and it shows – always a high level of learning and engagement, people meeting new friends and solving problems together. Here is YOUR change to experience some of that energy! We've assembled three interviews recorded with attendees at the event. Our eclectic group of guests for this episode includes: Frank Mignano—Manager, condition monitoring and Industry 4.0 solutions, Schaeffler Group:  "This kind of technology and toolsets are the things that entice and encourage the younger folks to get involved in the paper industry." Robert Bustin—Business development manager at Radix Engineering:  "We are taking data at mills and making it more valuable, useful, and available." Thierry LeBlanc— Software and EHS Expert at CONFORMiT:  "AI is going to continue to evolve—it's going to be much more integrated into everything we do." If you've never been to TAPPICon, what are you waiting for? Mark your calendars for April 22 – 26, 2026, and plan to join us in Atlanta, GA, for TAPPICon 2026. We hope this podcast captured some of the excitement but to really get it, you need to be there. Thanks to these three professionals for sharing their knowledge and stories. Be sure to check out our second TAPPICon 2025 Episode as well, where we meet three more of our TAPPICon attendees.

    39 min

  4. 07/03/2025

    TAPPICon 2025 Live! - Episode 2

    We're excited to bring listeners our second of two episodes recorded at TAPPICon 2025 in Minneapolis, MN, May 4 - 7. TAPPICon 2025 was a huge success, with strong attendance and a revised multi-track program that let attendees plan exactly the experience they needed. As always, there was a high level of learning and engagement, people meeting new friends and solving problems together. To try to capture some of that energy, I set up my podcast table right off the exhibit floor and talked to folks from throughout the industry. Our three guests for this episode include: Priya Venkat—Co-founder and COO of Haber: "There is so much pressure in terms of costs, maintaining a workforce, achieving net zero—the only way our industry can get there is by leveraging AI." Rich Ermlick—Principal at Boring Excellence: "If you find yourself doing the same improvement projects every three to five years, you're not improving. That indicates there is not an underlying system." Curtis Stone—Application engineer, Pulp & Paper, at Schaeffler Group:  "Bearings in a paper machine are one of the most highly engineered pieces of equipment... there is no one silver bullet." Thanks to our three guests for sharing their perspectives with Better Together listeners. Be sure to check out our first TAPPICon 2025 Episode as well, where we meet three more of our TAPPICon attendees. I hope we were able to capture some of the excitement of a live event – but to really get it, you need to be there in person. So if you were not able to make it to Minneapolis this year, we hope to see you in Atlanta for TAPPICon 2026 – put it on your calendars, April 22 – 26, 2026.

    45 min

  5. 04/02/2025

    Live @ Student Summit 2025 - Ep. 1 "Papermaking is a Miracle"

    This episode was recorded on-site at TAPPI's 2025 Student Summit in St. Petersburg, FL. More than 300 attendees—including pulp and paper engineering students from 13 different universities—enjoyed panel discussions, a Career Fair, and Engineering Challenge, and so much more. We asked students to "take the mic" to host their own interviews and share their unique voices. First up, Western Michigan University students Parker Langellier and Toby Archer interview Dr. Med Byrd, Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator for the Paper Science and Engineering program at North Carolina State University.  "The paper process is very unique, very specific, and—let's face it—delightfully funky," Dr. Byrd tells our hosts, as they explore what makes pulp and paper such an amazing career choice. Next, veteran Student Summiteers Tanner Stogner and Michael Reuss interview first-time Summit attendees Conyers Preveaux and Gavin Knight. All four are students at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. As one student comments, "You see familiar faces all around. It's really nice that we have 300 people here and we all want the same thing: to grow our industry." This is the first of two episodes hosted by student volunteers at the 2025 Student Summit. Make sure to Subscribe to Better Together so you won't miss the next episode!

    43 min

  6. 04/02/2025

    Live @ Student Summit 2025 - Ep. 2 "A Swiss Army Knife of Knowledge"

    This episode was recorded on-site at TAPPI's 2025 Student Summit in St. Petersburg, FL. More than 300 attendees—including pulp and paper engineering students from 13 different universities—enjoyed panel discussions, a Career Fair, and Engineering Challenge, and so much more. We asked students to "take the mic" to host their own interviews and share their unique voices. Our first guest hosts are Tabitha Newberry, Katelyn Gyurich, and Shelby Conley, three students studying Paper Engineering at Western Michigan University. "I think my favorite part of student summit is making connections," says one of our students, as they discuss what makes this industry truly special. Their enthusiasm for TAPPI is contagious... and they may just have the next billion-dollar idea in specialty tissue. Next, Jacob Levesque, a chemical engineering student in the pulp and paper program at the University of Maine, interviews TAPPI's own Sidney Onyekwere, Standards Project Coordinator, about the tremendous knowledge-growing possibilities for students within the Standards and TIPs process. "We offer a Swiss army knife of knowledge and information—there's something for everyone," Sidney says. This is the second of two episodes hosted by student volunteers at the 2025 Student Summit. Subscribe today to Better Together and share this episode to spread the word about the amazing opportunities available to students who choose a career in pulp, paper, and packaging.

    40 min

  7. 12/04/2024

    Supporting Pulp & Paper Sciences Students with Naomi Gehling of Auburn University

    On this episode of Better Together, host Jan Bottiglieri speaks with Naomi Gehling, Academic Programs Administrator for Auburn University in Auburn, AL. A former Auburn alum herself, Naomi shares her knowledge about what students in the pulp and paper sciences really want from a career in our industries. Our students are amazing—they're so smart, and they're ready to go," she says. "I've not met anyone in our Pulp and Paper program who is not excited about going into our industry. They're invested." Auburn has an undergraduate specialization that focuses on pulp and paper industry training; that specialization is open to students from a variety of engineering disciplines. The Alabama Center for Paper and Bioresource Engineering, hosted within Auburn's Department of Chemical Engineering, has a complete, controlled-conditioned, wettest laboratory for chemically and physically evaluating pulp and paper. The Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation (APPF) provides scholarship support for students  on the way to becoming highly skilled, entry level engineers in the pulp, paper and allied Industries. The APPF connects those students to engaging Co-op or intern experiences within papermaking or supplier companies, and then finally with full-time employment in the industry for those students as they graduate. The annual TAPPI-PIMA Student Summit is the premier event for students in engineering and technical programs nationwide. No matter where you are in your academic journey, it’s the perfect chance to network with fellow students, industry experts, hiring companies, and potential mentors. The 2025 Student Summit will take place January 18-20 in St. Petersburg, FL.

    35 min

  8. 11/07/2024

    SuperCorrExpo 2024 Live! - Episode 2

    Welcome to the second of two special SuperCorrExpo 2024 episodes, recorded on site and unscripted at this amazing event. We do these event episodes to capture some of the energy you might experience if YOU were there: meeting peers, learning new things, and expanding the limits of your professional life. Today's guests are: Bowman Mitchell, VP national accounts at Redlist Software: "In this world, operations is king. You've got to get as many boxes out that door as possible." Jason Hooston, CEO & co-founder at Two10 Technologies: "If I'm going to make a decision, the most important thing is that I want to have confidence in that decision... data is a big part of that." Christine Little, director of sales, corrugated machinery, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries: "We're focusing on what we're calling Declaration of the Independents. We're looking at the independent market a little differently." Jeff Buchanan, director of sales and market development; and Tyler Haggard, director of business development, for HarperLove: "If we can help improve productivity and reduce waste, it's huge in the marketplace not only for us, but also for our customers' savings." Teemu Salo, managing director at Adara Pakkaus Oy: "You need to rely on your partner. You need to keep good contacts and whatever comes up, you have to take it to the table and run through it." Rick Putch, director of technical services and process improvement, National Steel Rule: "If there's one thing in the corrugated industry that everybody's looking for, it's productivity gains. In class, I break it into three things." These conversations were captured at SuperCorrExpo 2024, held September 8 - 12 in Orlando, FL. Occurring only once every four years, SCE is the premier trade show and conference dedicated to the corrugated packaging industry. It is organized by TAPPI and AICC. SAVE THE DATE for SuperCorrExpo 2028, which will again take place September 8 - 12 in Orlando, FL. Please remember to share, like, and subscribe! And join us again for Better Together.

    1h 10m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Hosted by Paper3600 Editorial Director Jan Bottiglieri, Better Together offers engaging conversations with the most innovative leaders in the packaging, pulp, paper, tissue and converting industries through wide-ranging interviews on current topics relevant to listeners at every stage of their careers.

Information

  • Creator
    Jan Bottiglieri
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © TAPPI OnDemand
  • Show Website
    Better Together Podcast