Consumers power packaging (sidebar)

This report is based on responses from 115 people, 107 of whom represented end-user packagers, and eight of whom were from contract packaging firms. Respondents’ companies were mixed fairly evenly in terms of their size. Twenty-nine percent of respondents came from companies with one to 100 people, 27% from companies employing 101 to 500, 22% from companies of 501 to 2ꯠ employees, and 21% from larger companies. One-fourth of the respondents represented food companies, followed by 22% whose companies made nonfood consumer products. Other respondents were balanced fairly evenly, with 12% reporting their companies made industrial products, 11% beverages, 11% medical/pharmaceutical, and 8% end-user packaging firms who made other products. Another 5% came from firms producing cosmetics or personal care products, and 4% represented companies producing chemicals or cleaners for house, auto, or lawn applications. The majority of respondents (29%) worked in the Midwest. Other geographic areas with strong representation included the West Coast or Northwest (16%), the Northeast (15%), and the Southeast (8%). Engineering and packaging tied as respondents’ most frequently mentioned job duty at 19%, followed by marketing (13%), purchasing (12%), management (10%), production (9%), and R&D (7%).