A 125-Year-Old Converter
Finally Knows Its Numbers
How Admiral Packaging — one of the largest converters in the Eastern U.S. — built a real-time MES that gave leadership data they could trust and customers a reason to stay.
A Legacy Business at an Inflection Point
Admiral Packaging has been adapting to change for over a century. As a fourth-generation family business, the company built its reputation on resilience — surviving two world wars, a Great Depression, and several technological revolutions in the converting industry.
But by the early 2020s, adapting was no longer enough. The competitive pressures facing flexible packaging converters — tighter margins, faster changeovers, demanding brand-owner requirements, and incoming food traceability regulations under BRC — required a different kind of visibility entirely. The kind that comes from data you can actually trust.
That’s where Arron Carroll, President, stepped in. Carroll’s vision was clear: bring Admiral into the 21st century with a fully integrated Manufacturing Execution System. Not a bolt-on. Not a dashboard bolted to a spreadsheet. A real system, built on a real platform, that could grow with the business.
“We believed that a fully integrated MES system would provide us with a competitive edge.” Arron Carroll · President, Admiral Packaging
The Challenge: Data That Lived Everywhere Except Where It Was Needed
Like many converters of its size, Admiral Packaging wasn’t short on data. The problem was that none of it was connected. Machine data lived in PLCs. Downtime reasons lived in operator logbooks. Quality data lived in Excel files that made their way to supervisors days after the fact.
Early in the process, Admiral’s team attempted to integrate machine data in-house — a reasonable impulse from an organization that takes internal expertise seriously. But the complexity of connecting disparate systems across a multi-line converting operation quickly outpaced internal bandwidth. Progress stalled.
Disconnected Machine Data
PLC data, downtime logs, and quality records existed in separate silos with no common context or timestamp alignment.
Proficy Plant Applications
Rain Engineering connected machine connectivity, existing software systems, and Proficy into a unified, contextual data layer.
In-House Integration Stalled
The team’s attempt to build connectivity internally hit limits — the scope required specialized Proficy expertise they didn’t have on staff.
Phased Implementation Partnership
Rain Engineering delivered a three-phase rollout — prioritizing critical elements first and expanding as the business grew and capacity allowed.
How They Did It: The Three-Phase Approach
Carroll was emphatic from the start: the right way to deploy a system like this is not all at once. “We knew that to truly unlock the potential of Proficy, we needed to get the plant model right,” he explains. “It was crucial that we took a phased approach to ensure we didn’t overwhelm our resources or stray too far from our current capabilities.”
Rain Engineering designed the rollout in three stages — each delivering standalone value while building the foundation for the next. This allowed Admiral’s team to learn the system, develop internal expertise, and maintain operational continuity throughout.
Implementation Roadmap
Phase 1 — Plant Model & Core Connectivity
Built the foundational plant model in Proficy Plant Applications — defining equipment hierarchy, shift structure, and product definitions. Established machine connectivity for critical lines.
Foundation CompletePhase 2 — OEE, Downtime & Production Tracking
Deployed real-time OEE calculations and contextual downtime coding across production lines. Operators began capturing reason codes at the machine — not after the shift.
Live Production DataPhase 3 — Quality, Traceability & Expansion
Integrated quality data and lot traceability — positioning Admiral for BRC compliance. Expanded to additional lines as business grew. System now self-reports alerts and production metrics automatically.
Ongoing Expansion“With Rain’s guidance, we were able to implement the system in manageable steps while delivering value at each stage. RAIN has been flexible and able to adjust the pace of work when we needed to slow things down. When we needed to accelerate, they provided the support and resources to meet our deadlines.” Arron Carroll · President, Admiral Packaging
What Changed
The results of the Proficy implementation extended well beyond the operations floor. Real-time data changed how leadership made decisions — faster responses to production challenges, earlier identification of quality issues, and the ability to answer customer questions with confidence rather than estimates.
“Our understanding of our process has never been clearer,” says Carroll. “Our customers are impressed by the system, and it gives them confidence in our ability to support them if they encounter issues.”
Perhaps most importantly, the system shifted Admiral’s internal culture. The phrase “data is key to improvement” is now operational doctrine, not aspiration. “Sometimes, just being able to rule out process issues quickly is as valuable as identifying the root cause,” Carroll notes — a reflection of how real-time visibility changes the troubleshooting conversation entirely.
“Data is key to improvement. Our ability to troubleshoot internal issues has improved considerably. The data gives us the insights we need to make decisions and improve efficiency.” Arron Carroll · President, Admiral Packaging
What’s Next: A Fully Digitized Operation
Admiral Packaging’s journey with Proficy is not a project — it’s a program. The vision Carroll laid out years ago is now in sight: a world where production data flows automatically into Proficy, real-time alerts surface before issues escalate, and the team spends its energy on improvement rather than data collection.
“We’re nearing a point where data entry won’t be a burden on our production team,” says Carroll. “Instead, real-time alerts and data will flow from Proficy to give us critical insights. The system is robust enough to store vast amounts of contextual data, which has allowed us to make faster, more informed decisions and spot potential issues before they escalate.”
And looking ahead to the regulatory environment, Carroll is direct: “Together, with Rain Engineering by our side, we’ll be able to face the challenges of new industry regulations, such as BRC, with confidence. We’re well-positioned for the future.”
“Identify visionaries within your organization who can see the potential of a fully connected system. These individuals need to have a deep understanding of your operations and a vision for how technology can transform your business.”
“We’ve seen that it truly differentiates us in the industry. Our customers are impressed by the system, and it gives them confidence in our ability to support them if they encounter issues. Our understanding of our process has never been clearer.”Arron Carroll · President, Admiral Packaging
Robust & Scalable System
Built on Proficy Plant Applications — a platform designed to grow with the business, not be replaced by it.
Real-Time Floor Data
Contextual production metrics available the moment they happen — not the morning after in a spreadsheet.
Faster Troubleshooting
Leadership can now quickly rule out process issues — and that’s often as valuable as finding the root cause.
Competitive Differentiator
Customers cite the MES system as a reason to stay. Visibility became a sales asset, not just an ops tool.
A Partnership That Adapts
Rain Engineering slowed down when Admiral needed to consolidate — and accelerated when they were ready to move.
