MAPP’s Board of Directors encourages plastics processors to utilize the knowledge contained within the MAPP network. To familiarize readers with the Board, each member will be profiled by Plastics Business ENews over the next several issues. This month, get to know Dan Cunningham, president/COO of Parish Manufacturing, Indianapolis, IN.
Dan Cunningham, president/COO, Parish Manufacturing
MAPP Member Since: 2000
# of Employees: 48
# of Presses: 9 injection molding presses
6 bag converting machines
Industries served? food processing, food service, chemicals
How did plastics become your career?
My undergraduate degree is in industrial technology, because I have always wanted to make things. But I also wanted to be a soldier, and I served for 21 years while gaining skills in command and operations management, as well as personnel program systems. After retiring from the US Army, I had the opportunity to become the production manager at Parish Manufacturing. I knew the chairman of the board, and he was looking for someone who could redesign the organization. My experience in the service and my master’s degree in management gave me the experience I needed to come in and frankly assess Parish before setting a new direction. I’ve been at Parish for 22 years now, and for the last 17 years I’ve been president and chief operating officer.
Describe Parish Manufacturing.
Parish is a bag-in-box liquid packaging supplier. The founder of the company, George Parish, established the company by producing sanitary liners for milk cans in 1960. Today, we make bags and filling systems for liquids, and we say, “If you can pump it, we can help you package it.” We work with each of our customers to tailor liners and filling equipment to their applications. Parish also offers a wide range of molded and extruded fitments for capping, dispensing and pumping. Our primary customers are food processors (including Grade A dairies), restaurant chains and convenience store chains that need sanitary liners.
In what areas are you willing to share your experiences with other processors?
Parish Manufacturing’s primary job is bag converting, so I bring outside expertise and industry breadth to the MAPP organization and to its members. My proficiency is in organizational and systems development, which means that given an objective, I can evaluate existing resources in equipment, facility and people and recommend what is needed to move forward and meet that objective successfully.
Contact Dan Cunningham at 800.592.2268 or [email protected].
Previous Profiles
MAPP Board Members
Former Board Members
Other MAPP Members have offered their advice and expertise on job costing, automation, clean room technology and more through the Business and Technical Resources area of the MAPP website. Or visit the MAPP Forum for posts on business practices, equipment and materials.
