Meet CPA’s new president & board
The Contract Packaging Association (CPA) is pleased to announce its new officers who will participate on the CPA Board of Directors with terms starting July 1, 2015. Vicky Smitley, Vice President of Sales at Hearthside Food Solutions, will begin her tenure as CPA President and will be the first woman in CPA’s history to hold this title.
“I am coming into my fifteenth year of involvement with the CPA and I look forward to another great year ahead,” Smitley said. I have no doubt as we transition into this next fiscal year we will not skip a beat. Our Board of Directors, Committees and staff have great working relationships and are making fast progress toward initiatives aimed at increasing member value. We will simply stay focused on the things our members tell us they value the most: educational opportunities, participation opportunities at industry events, and the networking sensation our Annual Meeting has developed into.” Read her President’s Letter in this issue to find out more.
The following individuals will participate as officers on the Board of Directors:
• CPA President - Vicky Smitley, Hearthside Food Solutions
• CPA Vice President - Tim Koers, The Visual Pak Companies
• CPA Treasurer - Mark O’Malley, Paket Corporation
• Past-President - Chris Nutley, MSW Packaging
Officers’ terms will run until July 2017. John Mazelin will continue in his role as CPA’s Executive Director. Other CPA Directors include Tom Bacon, President of Aaron Thomas Company; Jeff Freiburger, President of RRP Packaging; Jason Tham, CEO of Nulogy; Scott Thomas, Manager of 3PL & Co-pack - North America, Sealed Air; Eric Wilhelm, CEO of Coregistics and Chuck Miller, Director of Business Development of Do-It Corporation. Eric Greenberg, P.C. serves as legal counsel for the Contract Packaging Association. For more information about CPA, visit www.contractpackaging.org or contact Jill Gabbert at [email protected].
CPA introduces Jill Gabbert
The Contract Packaging Association is pleased to welcome Jill Gabbert as CPA’s newly appointed Account Executive. Jill will be the main point of contact for members, assisting them with questions, new member on-boarding, RFQ inquiries and overall member relations.
Jill comes to CPA with 15 years of management experience at a prestigious Chicago-area institution of higher education. Jill’s personal experience as an association volunteer includes serving as the Director of Finance for Illinois College Personnel Association (ICPA) and Treasurer for Association of Campus Activities Administrators (ACAA). Jill has Master of Science degree from Western Illinois University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Grand Valley State University. Jill can be contacted at [email protected].
CPA announces first scholarship recipient
On Thursday, June 4th, Chris Nutley, President, CPA, and John Mazelin, Executive Director, CPA, presented the first annual CPA Technical Packaging Scholarship to Kate Cox of Indiana State University. A Junior in ISU’s Packaging Engineering program, Kate is a strong student (3.77 GPA) and is already on her way to a great career in the Packaging Industry.
Kate is currently employed, as a Co-op student, at Industrial Plastics Group (Evansville, IN) where she has regulatory duties in their ISO-Program, providing assistance to the Human Resources Department, in addition to receiving a thorough introduction to the hands-on world of materials manufacturing. Shawn Nix, Operations Manager, Industrial Plastics Group, commented on Cox’s work ethic, “Kate has not backed down from a single challenge in her time at IPG. She has become a capable and engaging member of our team in a short period of time.”
Prior to joining the IPG team, Ms. Cox interned at the ISU Packaging Test Lab, where she gained valuable experience testing paper and plastic packaging materials in areas such as: water solubility, moisture absorption rates, tensile strength, and burst testing to name just a few. Chris Nutley, CPA’s Past President, commented on Kate’s Test Lab experience, and the role it played in her receipt of the CPA Scholarship, “Kate’s willingness to gain quality hands-on experience in the Test Lab was very evident in the Scholarship Application she submitted,” Nutley said. “She clearly has a desire to learn and is quickly gaining valuable experience which is providing her with an opportunity to speak the language of a packaging professional.”
“Of the final three candidates for the $2500 financial scholarship, Kate was unanimously named the winner, by the CPA Board of Directors,” Nutley added, “Kate definitely rose to the top in the application process.”
During the event at IPG, John Mazelin, CPA’s Executive Director, led a group discussion about the packaging industry, and the role that contract packagers play in the industry. During the exchange, Cox commented that she is eager to complete her final two years of Packaging Engineering coursework, and it is her hope that the packaging industry will provide her with opportunities to work across the U.S. Specifically, Cox has a desire to work in the medical packaging field.
To complete the visit, Nix led the group on a fascinating tour of the polymer manufacturing facility.
CPA solution center at PACK EXPO 2015
The Contract Packaging Association Sourcing Center at PACK EXPO International, taking place September 28-30 in Las Vegas, is the place to be to source contract packaging services.
As a contract packaging resource for CPGs and brand owners, the CPA Sourcing Center showcases contract packaging products and services provided by leading contract packaging companies.
One stop, one location
• Conveniently located at Booth #C-1257 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the CPA Sourcing Center is the ONE STOP you should make to see contract packaging in action!
• Glass towers highlight contract packaging services and products.
• Flyers/brochures in a standing brochure rack located in the Sourcing Center will be available
• Contract packaging experts on hand to answer your questions about your packaging needs
If you’re at PACK EXPO Vegas, make sure to stop by the CPA Sourcing Center!
CPA trade mission to IPACK IMA in Milan, Italy
On May 19, representatives from the Contract Packaging Association converged on IPACK IMA, one of the largest packaging and processing trade shows in the world. The show is held every three years in Milan, Italy and there were a total of 500 delegates in attendance representing 55 countries for a comprehensive international affair.
CPA delegates (shown in image) included Vicky Smitley, in-coming President, CPA and Vice President, Sales, Hearthside Food Solutions; Mark O’Malley, CPA Board Director and President, Paket Corporation; John Mazelin, CPA Executive Director; and Nikki Johnson, CPA Member Communications Director.
The CPA delegation was hosted by the Italian Trade Agency. The main objectives of this trade mission were to gain a better understanding of the needs of manufacturers and brand owners outside of North America and to experience first-hand the packaging and processing solutions offered by Italian suppliers.
According to Smitley, the trade mission sparked ideas as to how CPA can engage more deeply with international visitors at the Contract Packaging Sourcing Center at PACK EXPO.
“The IPACK IMA event was a worthwhile trip!” said Smitley. “Though I didn’t know fully what to expect, exploring new ways to add value to our customers who depend on us is always a welcomed endeavor. This show was a one-stop shop for those looking to drive relevancy; equipment and technology of all kinds; packaging and ingredients; and educational opportunities. As we met and spoke with IPACK IMA’s CEO, Dr. Guido Corbella, it was a reminder that the packaging industry, as a whole, is collaborating more and more on ta global level as the speed of change is always increasing!”
