NPTA has partnered with the iLumen Financial Information Network to bring NPTA members a phenomenal new tool: Financial Analysis and Industry Benchmarking. This service provides you with online access to analysis of the paper and packaging industry's trends and peer group comparisons on a monthly basis. Learn more about your company's financial performance and how you compare to others in the industry in real time. Click here to learn more.
NPTA has partnered with the Institute for Trend Research (ITR) to develop a series of customized economic reports produced exclusively for NPTA members. Produced four times per year by ITR Senior Economists, the NPTA Economic Outlook Report correlates macroeconomic data to specific product categories directly related to the paper and packaging industry. The report allows you to forecast what effect the economy has on your business and what you can reasonably expect for up to six quarters in the future. Click here to learn more.
Join the network of NPTA Young Leaders taking advantage of LinkedIn. This online social networking site provides a platform for members of the Young Leaders Division to maintain existing relationships while developing and expanding their current network of contacts. The group has 24/7 news feeds from a wide range of industry news sources, and provides up-to-date information on YLD activities and events. To learn more and join the group today, click here.
Want to know what's new at NPTA at any time? Follow NPTA on Twitter! To log on today and check in with NPTA, click here.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and the NPTA Alliance (NPTA) announced that they are joining forces to host a combined conference this spring in New York City, called Paper2010.
Early Bird registration deadline extended!
The conference will merge what was formerly known as AF&PA’s Paper Week and NPTA’s Annual Convention into a single event where industry leaders can come together and strategize ways to advance their respective companies and the industry’s shared interests. The event will be held March 21-23, 2010 at the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel and Towers in New York City. Click here to learn more.
Are Two-Thirds of Your Expenses Out of Control?
For the typical NPTA member payroll and fringe benefits account for 71.7% of total expenses. If you are not controlling payroll, you are simply not controlling your business. To be more blunt, if payroll is out of control, your firm is never going to reach its full profit potential.
The Cross-Industry Compensation Report sponsored by NPTA provides a wealth of information to make sure that both salaries and fringe benefits are attractive enough to attract top talent, but not so high as to be wasting money. The Report is the only source for such information in industrial distribution.
For the majority of firms, payroll expense problems are centered in three areas:
• Sales Force Compensation—Almost half of all payroll and fringe benefit dollars go to the sales force. The Report provides detailed information on sales force compensation levels, commission systems and rates. The information is broken out by 85 different geographic areas.
• Health Insurance Costs—Almost everybody complains about heath care costs. Some firms have stopped talking and started acting to get these costs back in order. The Report provides insights into the type and level of coverage along with deductibles, co-pays and related issues.
• Retirement Programs—Funding levels for 401(k) programs can be adjusted easily, but quite often cyclical changes reduces employee enthusiasm. The Report has detailed information on the structure of retirement programs including the time to vest, dollar matching amounts, catch-up programs and the like.
Getting your hands around payroll costs can be the difference between a 2.0% bottom line and a 4.0% one. The choice of your profit level is up to you. For more Information on the NPTA Compensation Survey Click Here