Randy Phares: Shaping the Future of Supply Chain and Operations
When life throws challenges your way, how you respond defines your journey. Randy Phares, a visionary leader in supply chain and operations consulting, has turned obstacles into stepping stones for success, demonstrating resilience, ingenuity, and a commitment to excellence throughout his career. Diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome and ADHD early in life, Randy embraced his challenges as opportunities to grow, defy expectations, and inspire others.
From humble beginnings to becoming a trailblazer in the manufacturing and packaging industries, Randy’s journey is a testament to perseverance and innovative thinking. His career has been marked by groundbreaking achievements, such as solving complex manufacturing challenges, pioneering industry-first methodologies, and transforming underperforming business units into industry leaders. Whether it’s spearheading multimillion-dollar turnarounds, shaping global packaging standards, or fostering international economic development, Randy’s contributions have consistently created value for organizations and communities worldwide.
Today, as the founder of Dr. Box Consulting, Inc., Randy continues to shape the future of supply chain and operations consulting. His company not only delivers exceptional results for clients but also empowers leaders through executive coaching and innovative approaches to problem-solving. With a new book on the horizon and an expanding portfolio of services, Randy remains a driving force in helping businesses and professionals achieve their full potential.
This article delves into the inspiring journey of Randy Phares, highlighting the defining moments of his career, his strategic insights, and the enduring impact he has made in the global business landscape. Join us in exploring the story of a man who turned vision into action and obstacles into opportunities.
A Glimpse into Randy's Early Life and Education
Can you share a bit about your early life and education?
I have had Tourette’s Syndrome for my entire life, ADHD growing up, and never completed my college degree. My dad worked in the fields from seven years old and was a teacher when I was young, while my mother was a legal clerk. We came from humble beginnings but were always taught to value strong ethics and hard work. In the 8th grade, I read a book about starting my own business and decided to be an entrepreneur one day.
In my teens, I worked in construction. The Superintendent posted a salaried position. I wanted the job because it would double my salary. He told me that if I really wanted the job, it was mine, but he felt I was way too smart to get stuck in that dead-end job with little chance for advancement. This pivotal advice inspired me to target the manufacturing sector. I started at Gaylord Container as a general laborer but was running a department a year and a half later. To my knowledge, I was the first person to ever set up a letterpress in One-Box-Set-up mode, which the corporate manufacturing experts said was impossible. The machine, Ink, printing plate manufacturers, and our corporate manufacturing experts were unsuccessful in finding a solution for half-tone printing on high-holdout paper without driers. I solved this challenge within a day of everyone else giving up, proving that innovative thinking could redefine expectations.
We transformed the company culture using W. Edwards Deming and Joseph M. Juran methodologies (before they were called Lean and Six Sigma). Out of 26 plants, we transformed one of the worst into the “Best Performing Plant” for four consecutive years. At Stone Container, our largest customer had frequent supply chain, inventory, production, and customs problems. In 1997, my boss challenged me to work at the customer site in Mexico, acting as both the supplier and the customer to resolve all the issues in the category. This led to the development of the "Cooperative Alliance" concept, dramatically improving scheduling, downtime, and inventory performance. I keynoted about it on international stages, making a magazine cover in the 1990s. When Jefferson Smurfit and Stone merged, I was on the Merger Mobilization team to save over $50 million USD in synergies. More than $100 million was saved.
Temple-Inland asked me to save a multi-national business unit from closure. As General Manager, I led a top 5 financial turnaround from their 110-year history out of 60 plants. Our efforts earned the "Best Achievement of Organizational Business Improvement in Manufacturing Award" from the Global Six Sigma and Business Improvement Awards. I had proven myself repeatedly as a turnaround expert, and my family wanted to move to Arizona, so I started Dr. Box Consulting, Inc., and Packaging Recruiters to help companies lead world-class transformations.
Dr. Box Consulting, Inc.: Market Presence and Impact
Tell us about your business and its market presence
Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. provides Supply Chain and Operations Consulting services for pulp, paper, and packaging-related workstreams. I also perform Expert Witness work in legal cases involving pulp, paper, and packaging (crates, boxes, bags, etc.), conducting forensic work and analyzing packaging, manufacturing, warehousing, distribution, shipping, and load securement. Our innovative approaches have saved clients millions of dollars in supply chain costs, often through partnerships with top-tier consulting firms like Maine Pointe Consulting.
We helped the Country of Georgia improve its entire economy by bringing in new methodologies and technologies to modernize the packaging of its agricultural products. We set industry standards for containerboard and corrugated packaging, including designing the Box Manufacturer’s Certificate. We helped launch four industries in Afghanistan in a joint venture between the US and Afghan governments to improve their economy: paper, folding cartons, tissue, and corrugated boxes. When the largest producer of boxes in Latin America needed to do a market feasibility study to build new plants in different regions, our team was tasked with analyzing costs, competitors, market dynamics, and feasibility, helping shape the region’s industrial landscape.
Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. also offers Executive Coaching to help managers and executives in all industries accelerate their careers, learn world-class interviewing techniques, develop strong leadership skills and the leaders they manage, set strategic direction, improve efficiency, and achieve a fulfilling work-life balance. Our proprietary "Fearless Achiever" method allows clients to grow professionally while achieving personal happiness.
Randy Phares has a new book coming out in 2025 entitled The Ultimate Interview Guide to help managers and executives accelerate their careers and attain their dream jobs. Interviewing at the senior level is very competitive, and none of the currently available resources provide what is needed to outshine your competition, except the training and coaching provided by Randy Phares at Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. We also offer free webinars, resources, newsletters, and world-class Executive Coaching to empower leaders worldwide.
Future Growth and Expansion Plans
What growth and expansion plans do you have in the pipeline?
Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. is expanding its Executive Coaching services to help more people achieve the life of their dreams through our proprietary Fearless Achiever processes.
Reflecting on Recent Achievements
How has the year been for your company?
The last two years at Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. have been years of exceptional growth. We have experienced remarkable success, with profits and assets increasing significantly alongside organizational growth.
Standing Out in a Competitive Market
What makes your business stand out in today’s competitive market?
Dr. Box Consulting, Inc. stands out in our market because of its exceptional commitment to customer satisfaction and achieving remarkable results for every customer. Our unmatched expertise, combined with the strategic use of part-time contractors, ensures we deliver outstanding outcomes tailored to our clients’ unique needs.
Building Effective Teamwork and Unity
What strategies do you recommend for building effective teamwork and unity?
To build effective teamwork and unity, there must be a shared vision and goal that everyone can stand behind. Hiring top talent, investing in them, and fostering accountability are critical components of success. People will say that they want a boss that leaves them alone and lets them do their job, but people are rarely happy in that environment. What they really want is a strong leader who listens to their concerns, cares about their needs, notices when they are underperforming and when they are excelling, and brings it to their attention in a friendly but accountable way. If your boss doesn’t notice or doesn’t care if you are doing a good or a poor job, you can’t have job satisfaction. That comes from being appreciated for being a good employee.
Commitment to Research and Innovation
How does your company focus on and invest in research and innovation?
We constantly hire experts and executive coaches to ensure that we provide the best possible services in the industry.
Advice for Startups: Paving the Way to Success
Do you have any advice for startups looking to follow a similar path?
For startups wishing to follow a similar path, I recommend utilizing advisors and Executive Coaches to help avoid mistakes, accelerate growth, minimize losses, and provide the best possible results for clients. Consulting and Executive Coaching are complicated, and the tools and methodologies used by the most successful companies need to be learned from people who are experts at doing them, not on their own. With a staggering failure rate of over 80% in consulting and coaching startups, expert guidance is vital for success and sustainability.
Conclusion
Randy Phares' story is not just one of professional success but also a remarkable journey of resilience, innovation, and leadership. From overcoming personal challenges to revolutionizing supply chain and operations practices, Randy has proven that determination and ingenuity can turn even the most daunting obstacles into opportunities for growth.
Through Dr. Box Consulting, Inc., Randy continues to leave a lasting impact on businesses and leaders worldwide. His ability to identify challenges, craft innovative solutions, and drive transformative results has solidified his reputation as a pioneer in the industry. Beyond his technical expertise, his commitment to empowering individuals through executive coaching and his soon-to-be-released book exemplifies his dedication to helping others achieve their dreams.
As Randy looks ahead to expanding his services and launching new ventures, his legacy of excellence serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders alike. His journey reminds us that success is not just about reaching milestones but about the values, vision, and impact we bring to every step of the way.
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