At first glance, the folding carton's economic health could be summed up as simply "all good." According to Liz Hill, director of industry information at the Paperboard Packaging Council, "the national economy is still in an upswing, and the folding carton economy is following." Hill's rundown of folding carton gains in 1999 includes a .7 percent rise in annual sales, and a 2.3 percent increase in tonnage. She also reports a .5 percent export volume increase, as carton companies pooled their strengths through both domestic consolidations and alliances with European and South American countries to serve the needs of this market. Hill says reinvestments in equipment, the growth of flexo printing, and improved management and financial responsibility forced by customers ' strategic sourc-ing are part of the basis for these satisfactory returns.
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