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Good afternoon and welcome to today's episode of the freight insider podcast, where we are opening the doors to the business of freight. I'm your host Page Siplon. I always say that freight is the common denominator in this complicated math problem that we call our economy. Literally every business is touched by freight, but of how it touches us and how it touches. Companies really varies, greatly some exist to move the freight, others track it, some, manufacture it while others receive it and share it with consumers and other businesses. The business of freight is complicated, exciting, and frankly, all too well kept have a secret weapon for business today. I have a really special guest joining me, an old friend. You could say he has over 30 years of experience in manufacturing and marketing paper and tissue products, packaging, cellulose, specialty fibers, building products, and a whole bunch of other related materials. The list is long for sure. Starting with the company in 1989. He relocated to Europe for Atlanta in 92 and has led many divisions of his company for, for many years. In 2017, he was named president and CEO of Georgia Pacific today's guest is Mr. Christian Fischer. Welcome to the freight insider Christian,
Happy to be here. Thanks very much. It's so good to reconnect
With it too long. Thank you. Thank you. For instance, we've got a lot of great content to cover and a lot of great stories about your journey and about your Georgia Pacific's journey when it comes to freight. Um, just sort of kicked things off like we were discussing before the show started. Uh, we'd like to start off with your own personal freight journey and kind of where you built up to, to where you are now CEO and president of, uh, of Georgia Pacific, but you know, interesting. You know, I was in the Marine Corps and I often joke that I used to be freight, uh, and was shipped around the country and it shipped around the world, um, as cargo as freight. And you grew up in Germany, um, your Southern accent sort of gives that away, but you lived in Brazil, but I know you've got an interesting story of actually kind of being freight yourself and, uh, getting over here to the United States, uh, on a cargo vessel. Tell us, tell us a little more about that beginning of your journey
Together. Yeah, thanks page. Yeah, indeed. Um, you know, when I was about 1920, I had finished high school in Brazil and I knew for whatever reason, I knew that I needed to go back to Germany where I grew up as a kid up to the age of 10 to, uh, to, to go to university. And at that time, I mean, uh, tickets were just more of a luxury goods than they are today to many of us. And neither, my mom had that much money to kind of, you know, spurge on an airline ticket, but at the age of 20, you got time. Right. And, uh, I, I had time. So I had heard from a friend that you could actually get over the Atlantic ocean from Brazil, Europe on a cargo ship, a container vessel who qualified to work on there. So you had to work while you're on.
At that time, it took, I don't know, more than two weeks, maybe 17 days, I don't remember. And, uh, you know, all you had to get on and then you had to work yourself over that then, and that was it. And I said, wow, that's what I'm going to do. And I, after a few attempts, right, I really got hired. I remember one thing painfully, uh, page I had just, I think, broken or at least severely injured. Uh, I think it was the ring finger of my right hand. And I'm a right-hander and thing. Well, that's going to be both very well for physical labor or for two days, but of course I couldn't tell anybody about that. Right. And as soon as they agreed with the captain and he squeezed my hand, I was just saying, oh my gosh, this has got to be a long trip anyway, but really so container vessel, and, you know, as the, the, the guy on the bottom of the totem pole, you get to do all the work that, uh, that nobody else wants to do. And this was like cleaning out rust, painting, fixing little things, washing the deck every day. And you've got a little bit of an insult and injury to, from, from the crew that says, oh, here's the new guy let's, you know, throw a bucket of water on him at 6:00 AM. That kind of stuff. Yeah,
Absolutely. Absolutely. So look, this was, I would just say my, my first personal, longer, more intimate, uh, you know, uh, journey and if you will really figure it again and, and, uh, and really with freight where I felt a little bit, like I was part of the cargo, right? She will, uh, but you know, uh, many learnings, of course, I picked a few things up about how our vessel works and what it does and let's cetera, right? That freight piece, if you will. Uh, but secondly, I would just say the lessons, uh, there too, and the respect that you build for the people that are in that, that profession of making freight happen in this age, people on a boat, the crew, uh, but it's, it's not easy. It's not hard to connect that to pilots that spend a lot of time away from their family to drunk drivers who spend endless days and weeks on roads, et cetera, you really gain a lot of respect for the personal sacrifice, uh, and contributions. These people in those professions make, and last but not learn, at least you learn something about life on the tool and you learn how big the ocean is because there's nothing else to see for 17 days or so. So anyway, I leave it at that, but, uh, again, uh, a journey that, that, that really made frightened, afraid come alive for me,
It's a people business for sure. And I think it's, uh, I think it's probably why you're such partly such a great leader at Georgia Pacific and everything you've done through your journey. Uh, you know, learning about the people first and foremost, and that, that it is a people business. We, we joke in the trucking industry, those trucks don't drive themselves. Right. I mean, it's coming, it's a whole other podcast we can do, but, um, but it's certainly, um, it's certainly a people business. So, so you got to Brazil and then you continued your journey. Um, professionally I have my notes here. You were a market pulp sales manager, which I guess describes itself. Tell us kind of where you went from there.
Yeah. I mean, I've even started a little bit earlier, but it's just for context and not for your audience, but when I then got to Germany and I needed a job to get me through college, on the other side, I found a job in a Brazilian pulp company. And that's how I got into the pub or send you those business. This was a small office, four or five people that manage all aspects of selling and distributing the product in Europe. And, you know, as, as in such
Everything, right, because it's just too small and office to kind of compartmentalize things. So I, one of the tasks I had was cargo inspection, bill of lading, reconsideration of distribution, um, you know, booking freight that could be truck that could be inland Marine transportation, you name it. I got into that when I got into five years later, I was hired by Georgia Pacific in Europe as a pop sales manager. Uh, also very small office, I would say with more capability coming back out of the United States, but still a heavy element of what I described in my earlier job. And, you know, so I think the moral of the story here, uh, this was my, my, my upbringing, if you will. And learning in freight business, was I doing by looking around by doing, by learning a lot from freight forwarders, from truckers, from boat people, et cetera. And it was a kind of, you know, a super education in that, in that context. And I think the other thing you will learn that I learned is how important that, that is to actually service your customer as well.
Yeah. And actually doing it. I, you don't learn that in college that's you don't get that out of a textbook. So yeah. Well, I think a lot of great leaders are like that who have done it. You look at the stories have been told about ups, for example, you know, all the executives in your role at CEO started off as a driver and home Depot. I know more Coalfield we both know, well, spends time going into the stores and interacting with customers and really getting down to the grassroots, if you will. I think it's an important part of, of all the freight journeys that we've, we've talked about, um, with guests. Um, so then we, fast forward, you you've had multiple roles and people can check out the website and read your bio, the different roles you've had over the years, a long tenure with Pacific.
Uh, and now you're the president and CEO, um, just for our audience's background, uh, unless they've been asleep under a rock, Georgia Pacific is one of the largest consumers of, uh, Forrest and consumer product or largest manufacturer of consumer and forest products. Uh, nearly 30,000 employees based in Atlanta, Georgia, Georgia, Pacific operates three key businesses, building products, lumber, plywood, panels, wallboards, um, packaging and cellulose container, board boxes, um, and, uh, and consumer products, um, bath tissue, um, paper towels, disposable plates, cups, cult, doing variety of other consumer products. Um, both for the home and away from home. Um, Georgia Pacific's big brands include angel soft, um, quilted, Northern Brawny Dixie cups. I really, if you're looking at a paper product or anything consumable in the grocery store or at the home Depot it's probably made, or Georgia Pacific has their hands in it as well, Georgia Pacific is part of Koch industries, one of America's largest private companies. Um, and so with all that going on and all that freight moving around it same seems like sort of a rhetorical question, but why is freight so important to Georgia Pacific? I mean, you're not a logistics company, but it seems like you couldn't do what you do without freight and logistics.
Number one, first of all, you've spent in the homework, you summarized what GP does and where we are. Right. And the only thing I add is, uh, again, most of our manufacturing and that's key to you. And to answer your question page is actually done in the United States. But again, we source materials for it and we ship our goods all over, all over the, the globe. So we, we make a lot of stuff. We buy a lot of stuff and we ship a lot of stuff and that's where freight come comes, uh, comes in. So, um, really, I mean, it's, it's, I would, I would just say this, I mean, you, we, we, we couldn't do what we do if we didn't know the business of freight. Well, although I don't know, we probably, uh, on a couple of flatbed trucks and some rail cars here and there, but you know, that, that pales into comparison, but what we ship every day, uh, but we got to do it really well, be really knowledgeable about it. And, and it is a source of, you know, competitive advantage one. I mean, if, if you don't pay attention to that, uh, with the billions of dollars we spend in a year of, again, moving stuff around, um, then, then you can be uncompetitive and two it's really, I mean, it's the key to serve your customers well, and I think these are the two key takeaways page, so that you say without it, without knowing it, we couldn't be successful. That's
Right. Yeah. I mean, freight, I mean, just a couple of stats here that, uh, you had, you know, 1800 trucks coming into your facilities every week, day, 5,000 loads of 1500 loads of chips every week, day, 50 million pounds of finished goods coming out of your facilities. Uh, it's information that your team has provided. Um, you know, just incredible. And you talked about serving the customer and those are all things your customers are depending on whether it's, you know, toilet paper during a pandemic and other times, for sure. Um, whether it's logs and for our building communities, um, it's, it's huge and what you guys do. So understatement of probably the century saying you guys ship a lot of stuff most about everything. So tell me a little bit more, so obviously freight is a big focus of your role and your, your many employees and your team's role, but what are some of the things that Georgia Pacific is focusing on from a freight perspective or freight related perspective? Uh, these days in particular? Yeah,
Paige, I always like to start at a hundred thousand foot level because if people get that, then to know what guides, our thinking and actions and everything, not always perfectly, but that's the intent and the aspiration, what we, and some of that is timeless, if you will, but sometimes you really need to, again, refocus as an organization on those things. So at the highest level page, what comes to mind is really making sure that all of our employees, but also our business partners understand one thing. What we are really focused on in intentional and purposeful learning is to fulfill the best in what, how we interpret the role of business in society, plain and simple, right? But at what is that for us? Well, it is to really help our customers improve their lives, you know, in the space that we're in, right. And where we can make a difference.
That doesn't mean we alone will change the lives, but we will help them improve the lives one and how well by giving them better alternatives than be otherwise have one and two. And this is very, very important because at the heart of it, it has the message of stewardship and some people call it sustainability, but that is doing that while consuming fewer resources. So, you know, you don't waste stuff. You take care of the environment, you really are thoughtful about how you produce things and so on and so forth. A very key. So focus on that within that, you know, you have, you have a vision where you say, and that's what I meant by, from time to time, you've got to refocus the organization on that even more so than in the past, maybe, which is the focus on the customer. So you most important constituents.
If they pay the bills, if we don't have them, everything else becomes fiction. So focus on the customer pretty well. And how do you focus on the customer very well? Well, you, you, you are guided by a couple of call it principles or underlying key things that you always got to keep in your mind. One is to say, Hey, look, we're only working here for mutual benefit because if the customer doesn't take any benefit from dealing with us, I mean, I'll, you know, I'll write to you try to actually, again, give him better alternatives. Which means what you're really trying to do is become their preferred supplier. We call that developed those preferred partnerships, but they've got to choose you as the preferred partner. It's not just you choose. So you got to do that and, you know, and the better alternatives in a world that we interpret today, uh, as moving fast, to changing faster, being disrupted more fast, including on freight, uh, uh, more, more than ever in, uh, in, in history, certainly in most of our lives, uh, you just say, well, I got to stay.
I got to stay really in tune with what's changing and embrace something, which is key here, which is a concept of, we are in this game called perpetual transformation. Don't transform once and then think I've arrived. No, no, you've got to perpetually transform because the world's transforming it. Otherwise you don't serve your customers with better alternatives. That's that? And the last thing I'll say to that is, you know, uh, of course you try to, I say, of course, I want to call it out. There's more constituencies than your customers, but I started with the customer, but obviously if you are not a good partner and the best partner in the community in which you produce, if you're not a good, um, you know, uh, preferred partner of regulators, if you're not a best, uh, partner, um, of suppliers, well, then again, you've become weaker in servicing your customers. But the absolute key without which none of that happens is our employees. So really creating the environment where everyone can actually, to the best of their specific innate capabilities, contribute to the success and have personal journey of transformation and ultimately fulfillment. And we call it self actualization, then all bets are off. So we're, you know, we're focusing very much on. Maybe we'll talk more about that. Focusing very much on creating that environment where that is not just a bunch of nice words that is really lived everyday.
Yeah, no, that's a great point. I mean, that status quo is to use my words. Status quo can be a killer for business. I don't care if you're a paper company or not. I mean, even technology companies, I love the way you described transformation of your business, but also transforming and continuing to evolving your culture. Uh, you talked about your employees. Um, I know not to jump ahead too far cause we'll, I'm sure the pandemic and how it's affected your company will, will come up, but, uh, companies are transforming themselves now from a culture perspective on how they need to better serve their employees as their customers. Right. Cause you gotta think of them as customers as well. Uh, we've gone to more of a hybrid role here in our office here at team logistics. And, uh, it'd be interesting to hear how you are moving along, but, um, so talk a little bit about what you're most excited about, what are some of the, you know, maybe pet projects, if you can talk about them or, you know, what are you most excited about at Georgia Pacific, you know, now into the short-term future?
Yeah, well, you know, I, um, and you can always follow up with more questions, uh, here, uh, and more specificity if, if your audience likes that, but there's a lot of call it tactical, um, or even structural stuff going on in our markets as we interpret it, that is really exciting, right? I mean, one of, one of them is coming out of the pandemic, for example, you know, while what people bought enough toilet paper along the way, um, and now are kind of destocking to kind of normalize what they have in their pantry, uh, for good reasons. Uh, one, one trend seems to be sticking around, which is a higher sensitivity need, want appreciation for hygiene in general. So we see a lot of that in, in, um, in, in, in our way from home business where people say, Hey, look, I had something else on my wall or nothing.
It could be an air blower. It could be, uh, you know, you just took towels out of a stack to dry your hands. I now want it to be not air blowing around there and disseminating germs or something like that, but I want it to be good paper towels, but I don't want to touch the device from which they come. So there's a lot of, of more emphasis renewed emphasis on touchless hygiene. Let's put away away from home, but also in terms of our towel business and you know, my competitors from the best we can tell are seeing the same thing, right. Uh, is people are just using more of that one time, clin cleanliness, uh, eight, call it a paper towel to dry your hands, to wipe off stuff more often at home. And we think that's a trend that will stay to what extent and for a long, I don't know, but anyway, so that's pretty exciting.
How do you position yourself to take advantage of that? The other one, you know, I could mention certainly about our building products, a business where, you know, it's just fascinating to see how much of an emphasis and spend and focus people had put during the pandemic, or do you think that the worst part of the pandemic and putting money back into their house and, you know, repair remodel, et cetera, that alone could have kept us busy. And now you get this pent up demand on housing that who, who knows how long that will stay around Paige, but it's just absolutely crazy. And how would you position yourself to service your customers better than that? And last but not least just to have one example for another business. I mean, I mean, obviously more stuff is landing in our doorstep state today, right? We all got that custom to, Hey, ship it home.
Right. And so more boxes are landing at our doorstep every day. And I mean, that in itself is a very, very interesting, uh, opportunity, but challenge because people say, oh, that's good. Oh, now I have all these boxes at home and you know, is it going to waste? Or how do you think about that? And there's a little guilt out there. So great opportunities to work with, you know, the broader consumer base to take advantage of that. But I put all those in tactical. I go back to a couple of things. What I really feel super excited about is one that transformation in that world that's going on and changing so fast. Does it cause some stress on me and my people? You bet, you bet it's a question of survival, but of course we want to thrive, but of course there's always tension to that, but that the transformation going through all that change in our lifetime right now, so fast and trying to figure out, you know, how to position myself super exciting.
Secondly, uh, again, we talk about these preferred partnerships. I think when you have that purpose and deliberately pursue it to really go deeper and say, what does this mean? And what do I really do differently and better? So all these different constituents choose us to be the preferred partner. I think that is, I mean, super exciting journey and last but not least, they go back to the people and saying, you know, enabling the 30,000 people, but also our business partners to really contribute to the best that they can. And then how do you actually wake up in the morning and say, this is my mission, because from that good stuff will happen. Just trust that it will happen. Uh, I think that gets me out of bed in the morning.
Yeah. Well, I think the first step is getting out of bed in the morning and say my mission and then going, like you're talking about and having to execute on it. I mean, that's, that's key. So you talk a lot about transformation. Um, both again, I think really important, not just from a business perspective, but from a culture perspective and transforming to make your, your workplace a better place to drive your internal customers, as well as your employees, as well as your external customers. What are some other examples of the way you're transforming, um, your approach to freight and supply chain partnership wise, perhaps, and how you're transforming your supply chains, how you handle freight?
Well, um, I I'll start by saying this again. Go back to what you, you, you observe. I mean, we, we do a lot of freight, but we're, we don't own any, uh, and as a big, uh, uh, an important facet that is a component of our daily business, um, we know that we don't have all the answers. So, um, you know, it's been a few years ago, maybe it's maybe it's decades. I don't, I don't remember it cause I don't w I wasn't in a consumer business at that time page, our consumer business. Um, but they had developed an in-house capability, which they call KDX logistics is still called KBX today. Right. Um, and, um, and, um, and KBX used to handle the freight for the consumer business division today. It's kind of morphed if you will evolve into a capability that handles the freight, not just for all of GP, but also for all of Koch industries.
Oh, wow. Add on, on top of that, they, that the capability, which gives us, we are convinced actually in many aspects, a competitive edge, uh, is also being brought forth and, uh, to third parties out there, anybody who wants to do business with us, those can be customers that can be suppliers. Um, and, and a lot of partners obviously did have the hard stuff, the rail, the, either the trucks and so on and so forth, we live by the partnerships and the mutual benefit again, that we create with those folks. Right. I mean, other than that be a one-sided story and it will be short term story. So by, by, by allowing KDX to be the capability that leverage is our scale, but also the information they have and being a call it a one-stop point, access in cooperation with our vendors in freight is one of those things.
And it's through those cooperations, but frankly that you again, create capable the ladies, uh, that are, that would otherwise be outside of our own and would never get there. So a couple of examples maybe that are not always directly related to KBX, but things on how we, how we think about that in practice. So, 1, 1, 1 example, I mean, stay within KBX for a second. I mean, with PBX and the business, you can obviously cooperate very well, very transparently with one another, because we work for the same owner. So we're in the same sandbox, if you will. Right? Right. So by, by cooperating with KBX, we actually contributed to them developing a smart logistics freight system that helps schedule and avoid empty trucks going back and forth optimism straight between different points, suppliers, uh, and buyers. And, you know, I would, I would, I would not give you the right number of, of, of mileage and hours and gallons of fuel safe, uh, um, uh, page, but it's, it goes into the millions of miles, spin out, trucking hours spend, uh, you know, fumes exhausted are not put into the air, and this is real money safe.
So again here, good, good business and good environment, mental outcomes on top of that, right. And then society, and, you know, I got many EPA awards for smart, smart freight, et cetera, that we're proud of, but great work as an example, another one that goes a little bit, again, more into the innovation side, cooperating with a third party, uh, in, in, in this case, um, outrider is the name of the company and our dry that we have a lot of warehouses and distribution centers, some attached to our facility, some not. So, uh, one of the areas that is always a challenge, it gives us a lot of headache, not just from operationally operational side, but also from a safety side is those, those yards, those yards where a lot of empty trucks sit and get paired around with cargo and, and move up to the facility and get loaded and unloaded and get spotted, et cetera, very tricky environment, very challenging environment.
Without rider, they develop a capability that we're piloting right now that essentially gets all the people out of that business and through sensors and, uh, self-driving vehicles and software and algorithms, et cetera, they get the job done better and without putting anybody in jeopardy. So that's one of the experiences we would say that, that, that, again, we couldn't come up with that and they need a place, a lab where people saying I'm going to, will be willing to try it out. So that's the second, second example. The third one is, you know, a company that since I think recently they've, they've actually been, been acquired by somebody else. So they must've done a good job and maybe we help them do a little bit of that is the company's called clear metal and clear metal. I've started out at least within, with an edge to say, go back to shipping and our cellulose business that shipped 70% of their business outside of the United States in containers and, and, and other, uh, other boats.
Right. But any country around the world pretty much, uh, but really did we know when our cargo would actually arrive at the customers early, late or on time? No. We only knew once the customers told us where it's been a while at that time, they knew, but that's not how things prick today, clear metal head. I had developed a really, a really smart way of anticipating probably better than even the ocean freight liners and the logistics folks in between and the customers and ourselves about when that boat would get, or the cargo would arrive at your dock, uh, and ultimately at your destination. So, uh, by working with them, we were really able to make, uh, a big, different page to a different page on, you know, giving our customers more visibility and tools to plan their operations and the purchases by cooperating with a third party. So those are some concrete examples of how we work also with others.
Those are great. Those are great examples. You know, the, the transparency of, of information, we've talked about supply chain visibility, you know, in the textbooks at Georgia tech, right. And, and other places. Uh, but sometimes, you know, sometimes that information is even more valuable from the cost perspective than the actual cargo it's carrying sometimes. And that that knowledge can be real power. Um, you know, I'll back up to your, you mentioned transformation, you mentioned sustainability and being in the forest products industry. I know sustainability is, is a cornerstone of your, of your business and all your business lines. Um, I'll fill in a couple of gaps here because I'm having to have these numbers in front of me. Um, so going back to the KBX and the transformations that, that KBX has brought to your, all of Koch industries, but GP in particular, um, allowed you to cut 4 million of unnecessary non-revenue miles for 2000 drivers saving 600,000 gallons of diesel and eliminating engine idling in our facilities, um, saved 400,000 gallons between 2018, that removed 4,200 metric, tons of carbon dioxide emissions. And I'll brag for you since you're a humble guy, those are numbers that are, that are applaudable and very admirable. And I think worth, worth putting out there. And you've had three different EPA SmartWay awards
Give you the data. So, yeah, I think that is a great example of, again, going back to the role of business in society, where it tells me in consuming fewer resources, I mean, this goes hand in hand, right? You provide better alternative and you consume fewer resources. There's your textbook examples, right?
Yeah. I mean, it's, it's a perfect example and, uh, not to throw those numbers in there, but I think our audience really needs to hear how, how big of an impact at your, your company is really having on, uh, that number of many, uh, products and actually doing it in a sustainable fashion. For sure. Um, so you talked a little bit about, we talked about transformation, you know, green is, I don't even wanna use the word green anymore, but sustainability, green, green for business too, right. I mean, because it can, it doesn't have to be red. It can be, it can create black for your business, uh, from a profitability perspective. How do your words do you think winning at that transformation from whatever perspective, how do you think that's going to help shape the future of your, of your young company,
The young company? Yeah. We're, we're pushing a hundred years old startup, right? Yeah. That's right. 1927. If I, if I get that right. So, um, soon to be a hundred, but, uh, you know, I like to say this page, um, that, uh, there is really no alternative, but this perpetual transformation to just isn't because if you believe that the world is in constant creative destruction is always around. That's sometimes faster, sometimes broader, sometimes slow, et cetera, but it's always around us. You have no alternative to transforming. And, you know, there may be a lot of details buried in it. But if, if, if we go back to the SMP 500 and look at who was around, uh, 20 years ago and who is not around today, I mean, 50% of those companies that were there 20 years ago are gone. Now, some of them may have been absorbed by others, et cetera, but okay.
But it tells a pretty big story that not transforming. It's just not an alternative. So that's, that's number one. And you know, so, uh, and therefore I think Paige to make that really come alive to our 30,000 people, but also our partners in business is, is key. And that's one thing. And number two is, um, I mean, so basically it's, you're never done folks. We're never done, but if you think about, wow, it's happening so fast and it's all the time, how do I survive without just going? Like, you know, like I break up, I explode, I can't do it anymore. Well, I think this is where again, we need to create an environment where, where we, including myself understand that, look, we're running a marathon, but within that marathon, you have a lot of sprints, but you can't just sprint all the time. A hundred percent of the time all the time, you'd just blow up.
I mean, at least that's what I believe. People that were, you're never done. You always get to transform amongst those things. There's projects, there's transformation, things that you've gotta be really fast and you're going to make it efficient, make your, make your mistakes early, right. Figure out what doesn't work. That's part of that and not get discouraged by it. I mean, that is as key in there. And again, who is going to make it happen, but individuals, you've got to bring this point, home that for people to feel excited about this, embrace it, know that they're constantly learning and the company is there 3d, not just in words, but they're in actions to help you to enable you to do the journey yourself. I mean, that's, that's how we will win that transformation thing, make it meaningful to people. No, you're
Right. I mean, that, that transformation is key. And that's part of why we're doing this podcast is to share that story. I think that I felt I've talked about it publicly for years, that we have a problem of perception in our industry in freight and supply chain trucking in particular, where we have major shortfalls in the number of professional drivers that we need, but, you know, and that impacts your business. It impacts impacts everyone. So how do we, how do we get that message out there? It's part of the reason we wanted to hear your personal freight journey and get people excited. You know, freight is sexy. I think, you know, freight when we need to be able to tell that story, uh, and get great people into your business and into, you know, the logistics industry and into manufacturing companies that really get it and are excited about transforming and the innovation that that is inherent as part of the supply chain.
So that said, you know, that problem of perception, uh, that communication issue that we've had, and this is a decades old problem. It's only that story. So you've been out of this for a minute, a 30 year journey, um, and container ships and from Brazil and Germany and through the ranks that at Georgia Pacific, if you were going to go back to, you know, the Christian fishers, getting, getting ready to shake that pilot's hand and have him crush your broken, what would you be telling him as sort of some tips and tricks or things you've learned along the way that would help guide some of the younger folks and others that are just starting their freight journey today? Well,
You know, a combination of things, uh, com comes, comes to mind. Um, let me reach, reach back the first for this first, I think like on anything and, and freight. And we agree, right. Especially if you're in a manufacturing business and you really live off SU making stuff and ultimately delivering stuff to someone and buying stuff to make all that happen. Is it not, not think about freight as an existential and competitive advantage, uh, and I mean, it's to better serve your customers one. So I would challenge anyone who is in that world and just saying, Hey, do your own personal journey, whatever it might be, Hey, I dunno if that's driving on a truck or working somewhere. I mean, find that, find a little bit more of that personal connection to it, to have a deeper appreciation. It won't make you an expert unless you want to go on that trajectory, but, uh, it gets you some grounding.
It gets you some appreciation, it grates some respect, and I think then you can build it from there. So that's the number one, Hey, for simple thing for show business, I would just say, Hey, make your own journey, take the boat. Right? So that's number one, but number two, uh, and to the challenges, but also opportunities that we've been done, but in general, but also in freight, I mean, look, I mean, I could look at glass half empty glass, half full and all this stuff, right? All the changes and the stuff we've been joking about a referring, Hey, the rail or the driver's door very well. Maybe tomorrow, whenever tomorrow is maybe there won't be drivers or it will be restricted. Now you can restrict it meaning less fewer drivers for different different uses. Maybe, I don't know. Uh, so they will be disruptive elements and there are disruptive elements out there and those changes will change how we do business, right?
I mean, a lot, if drone deliveries become that much important, if self-driving cars will get drugs delivered to the home and at a different cost structure, right. And they can always be circling because you don't have a driver that gets exhausted, et cetera, uh, the database or the data that can be gleaned off all those touchpoints and freights, et cetera, and optimize locally and around the world through additional visibility. I mean, you just say on the one hand you consider, oh my gosh, this has got to be terrible. Yeah. It will disrupt some businesses for sure. Especially those that don't transfer transform, but on the other, how exciting is it? How much opportunity does a great, any great, super opportunity for people that want to learn and, and try something new to do just that. And it opens new worlds that I super, super excited. I think that's, that's the story. And that's what I would emphasize in here. And that's what we're all trying to embrace and constantly learn. What's that?
Yeah, no, keep your eye on the ball and just start the journey. There's so many different pathways that, you know, whether you're, like you said, manufacturing, I said it at the intro to the, to this podcast, it's the whole idea. It's a, it's a complicated ecosystem. Whether you manufacture it or ship it or track it or, or make it, um, logistics and the different paths that a young folks and older folks can get into and be part of as part of their freight journey. Um, well, Chris, this has been great. I, um, if people want to get engaged, if they want to join your team, I can, I can imagine many would want to come work for you and your team at Georgia Pacific, um, or, or one of the other partners that you mentioned, how can they connect with you, uh, to reach out and, and learn more about Georgia Pacific or some of your other partners?
I mean, since you touched on two dimensions, I'll answer at least on, on those two very briefly, he comes to the business of freight, you know, selling cargo, buying cargo, Gus, you got an idea, but I got something that I, you know, that you guys might be interested in, willing to try. It can solve your problem, go to KBX simple, go to kbx.com, figure out they will respond. They're very responsive. That is their business. Uh, so that's, that's number one. Number two, if it is more on the personal level and hate is it would always be great in the big context of, we want to be, you know, the employer of choice, if anybody's as well. That sounds like an interesting company. And you really look for a specific job. Well, I'm just saying, Hey, look, it's easy to go jobs at GP or jobs at Koch industries and whoop there's that there's more than you care to know in terms of at the end, we've got lots of openings that we have, and we'd love for people to show interest in and connect to us and let us, and last but not least, but in that same vein about, uh, getting to know more, uh, more people, Hey, back in many places, at least 150 across the nation.
And especially also in Atlanta, you're bound to know somebody who knows somebody at GP or Koch industries. If you want to know more about the company and opportunities and how we can cooperate, Hey, just ask around, you'll find somebody and that somebody will find connect you with the right person. So, um, I hope that we, we triggered or strengthened some of the interest in our company. It's a great one to work in. Otherwise I wouldn't have been there for 32 years.
Yeah. It's a Testament to how great of a company that you're running now, and that you've been part of for so long. And I would argue creating how great it is, how great it is today. Christian, this has been fantastic. I've I've got a hundred more questions and I'm sure our audience does. I'd love to dig into the KBX some more and get into some more details there. Maybe there's we can now continue that conversation in a later podcast with some of your colleagues. Um, this has been, this has been great. Hopefully you enjoyed listening. Uh, Christian, thanks again for your time. Uh, on behalf of the freight podcast, afraid insider podcast. Thank you for joining us. If you enjoyed listening to Christian and other executives like Christian, make sure to like us and follow us. So you don't miss anything. And remember, as Christian said, enjoy your own personal freight journey. Thank you. Thank you.
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