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Today’s blog post is authored by Michael Brunswick, president of Versa Pak.
At Versa Pak, our culture and values are the cornerstone of our business. They shape how we work and guide the way we treat each other and our customers.
I wanted to share more about our history and growth up until now to help you fully understand our company and how we work.
Versa Pak’s Beginnings
In March 1986, Versa Pak’s original founders were in the materials business and noticed they were getting plenty of requests for plastic materials. Instead of buying or outsourcing it, they decided they’d start manufacturing it themselves.
From there, Versa Pak changed hands, and again when the current owners took over in 2001. Two years later, in 2003, we moved to our current location at 500 Staeger Road in Celina.
Business really took off in 2010, and we’ve added on every other year since then. We’ve grown from about 40 employees in 2010 to more than 150. Our facility expanded in 2021 to include 30 total lines and over 200,000 square feet of space.
Photo courtesy of the Daily Standard.
What Makes Versa Pak Different From Other Plastic Manufacturers
One thing that makes Versa Pak stand out from other plastic manufacturers is the relationships we have with our customers. It goes beyond simply picking up the phone.
Oftentimes, we know about their families and their personal lives; feeling like you have friends in the industry makes this a fun place to work.
Another thing that’s important to us is the versatility we offer. We have everything from small bubbles to big bubbles and mono, to three-layer and five-layer lines. We take pride in being a one-stop shop for our customers’ poly needs.
Creating a Values-Driven Culture
As we continued to grow, our primary focus was on sales. But as time went on, we recognized that we started to have internal miscommunications and needed to do something different to fix it.
We wanted to create a culture that reflects our values of integrity, teamwork, communication, mentoring and fun at every level of our company, from how we lead to how we contribute.
We learned about different leadership styles and changed how we conducted meetings. We got our employees more involved at every level of the company.
And the transformation is significant.
We talk daily about how team members are living, or not living, Versa Pak values. We’ve learned to have difficult conversations with respect and empathy. We’ve started holding monthly mentoring meetings to share what we’ve learned. We’re communicating better both internally and with customers. And importantly, we’re focused on the things that matter most.
Looking Ahead
At Versa Pak, we’re always evolving to the needs of the packaging industry and our customers. For the year ahead, we’re focusing on maintaining an appropriate volume of raw materials to withstand any market disruptions while delivering the same exceptional service our customers have come to expect.
Read more about packaging industry trends in 2024 >>
This article was originally written in September 2020 and was updated in January 2024.