September & October 2026
There's never a dull moment around PPI, and September and October gave us plenty to talk about!
From celebrating decades of dedication and wishing a familiar face a happy retirement to recognizing production milestones and sharing a few laughs along the way, the past two months were full of moments worth remembering.
This edition of Personified Times takes us across both plants, behind the scenes, and into the everyday moments that make Packaging Personified what it is. You'll find familiar faces, company picnic highlights, a little Halloween fun, and plenty of reasons to celebrate the people who keep things moving.
So grab a cup of coffee, catch up on what you may have missed, and don't forget to check out our latest poll!
Retirements
The speeches from Rob’s retirement celebration remain classified due to the number of tears shed...
What we can share is just how many people had wonderful things to say. His impact has reached across both PPI plants, through every department and well beyond the walls of our facilities.
This retirement is incredibly well deserved, but that does not make it any easier for the PPI family to say goodbye. Thank you for everything you have given to this company and, even more importantly, to the people within it.
Congratulations, Rob! You will be deeply missed.
Anniversaries
Getting these two in front of the camera may have been the hardest part of celebrating them. 😂
This month, we’re recognizing two pretty incredible milestones in our Finishing department: 20 years with PPI for Jose and 10 years for Hugo.
Neither one is particularly interested in the spotlight, but after a combined 30 years around here, we figured they could tolerate it for one picture.
Jose is rarely seen without a smile, and both he and Hugo are the kind of people who are always ready to jump in when something needs to get done. You won’t find either of them standing on the sidelines waiting to be asked.
“Jose and Hugo are two guys you can always count on. They work hard, they’re willing to help wherever they’re needed, and they bring a great attitude to the floor every day. Our department wouldn’t be the same without them.”
— Donnie, Finishing Manager
Thirty combined years says plenty on its own, but we’re very lucky those years have been spent with us.
Congratulations, Jose and Hugo, and thank you for everything you bring to PPI! 👏
15 years of Robby! 👏
From running the press to leading the people who run it, Robby has spent the last 15 years growing right alongside PPI. And while his role has changed quite a bit over the years, the dedication he brings to his work and his team certainly hasnt.
Joe, our General Manager, put it best:
“Robby came to us as an experienced flexographic press operator, but over the years he became so much more. He grew from operator to shift lead, supervisor, and ultimately Production Manager, never wavering in his commitment to his team or to Packaging Personified.
One of Robby’s greatest qualities has always been his loyalty. He is someone his team can count on, someone who takes ownership, and someone who has consistently put the success of the people around him and the company first.
Robby himself has said that he is PPI through and through and that PPI is family to him. That feeling is very much mutual. Robby has become an important part of the PPI family and of who we are as a company.”
15 years, countless contributions, and a whole lot of people better off for having Robby in their corner. Congratulations on 15 years, Robby! Were lucky to have you. 💙
Fifteen years is a lot of days to show up with a smile. Javier has done exactly that.
A longtime member of our Converting Department, Javier is known for the positive attitude and easy smile he brings to work each day. That kind of consistency makes a difference, and for 15 years, it has been part of PPI.
Happy 15-year anniversary, Javier! We’re grateful you’re part of our team.
This month, we’re celebrating Mark's 25th anniversary with Packaging Personified.
Dan, our GM, shared a few words to help us celebrate:
“I had the pleasure of hiring Mark 25 years ago, when he was just starting out in his mid-twenties. It's hard to believe how quickly the years have passed.
Over those 25 years, Mark and I have traveled countless miles across the country visiting customers, worked together on many opportunities, faced our share of challenges, and enjoyed a lot of good times along the way. Through it all, Mark's commitment and sense of humor have been constant. He has a way of keeping things light, bringing laughter to the moment, and making even the challenges a little more enjoyable.
What I appreciate most isn't just Mark's dedication and contributions to Packaging Personified, but also his loyalty to our company, our customers, and the people he works with. His commitment over the past 25 years speaks volumes about his character. Equally important are the relationships and friendships we've built along the way.
It's been a pleasure working with Mark, and I'm grateful for the many years we've spent working together.
Mark, thank you for your loyalty, hard work, friendship, the many laughs, and all the memories we've made along the way. You've been an important part of Packaging Personified's success, and I thank you for your efforts.”
Happy 25 years, Mark! We’re grateful to have you representing PPI and to celebrate this milestone with you.
There’s more than Halloween to celebrate this week! Julie marks 15 years with Packaging Personified, and our very own Director of Administration, Laura, shared a few words for the occasion:
“For 15 years, Julie has been a familiar and trusted voice for our customers and an important part of our Customer Service team. Anyone who works in customer service knows it takes patience, dedication, and problem-solving. Julie has brought all of that and more over the years.
Beyond the work itself, I appreciate the relationships you’ve built, the knowledge you share, and the many ways you help your coworkers and our customers every day.
When I think about our years together, I think of thousands of conversations, challenges solved, customers helped, and the friendship and memories we’ve made along the way.
Thank you, Julie, for your loyalty, your hard work, and for being such an important part of our team. I feel fortunate to have shared these 15 years with you.”
Happy 15 years, Julie! Thank you for the care you bring to our customers and your teammates every day.
Life Around the Plant
The zombies are coming. Naturally, we turned it into a departmental competition. 🧟
We asked which PPI department would survive the longest in a zombie apocalypse. The answers came quickly. So did the departmental loyalty.
Watch, then pick your team. Which department are you trusting when the outbreak hits?
Around here, leadership stays close to the process.
Sometimes that means looking at production numbers. Sometimes it means leaning over a machine with your sleeves rolled up.
Plant Manager Sean and Finishing Manager Donnie know that solving problems starts with seeing the work firsthand. No conference room. No PowerPoint. Just two managers getting hands-on with the equipment and working through it together.
A lot has to happen before finished packaging heads out our doors.
Some of it is hard to miss. Film running through extrusion. Bags coming off converting. Rolls moving across the floor.
Some of it happens a little more quietly. Checking quality. Keeping equipment running. Getting material where it needs to be. Catching the little things before they become big things.
Different departments. Different jobs. One operation that depends on all of them.
Just another day around PPI, with a lot of good people making it happen. 👏
We’ve kinda got a thing for bags. Clearly, our converting team does too. 😎
Last month (August), the team broke our previous production record for the most bags produced in a single month.
That’s a whole lot of converting, and a pretty great reason to celebrate.
Converting Manager Donny decided a record like that deserved a proper celebration, and with the end-of-summer heat still hanging around, ice cream seemed like the obvious answer. 🍦
Congratulations to our converting team on a record-breaking month. Great work, everyone!
Just a few of the familiar faces around our Carol Stream plant. 👏
On any given day at PPI, our teams are running equipment, double checking jobs, moving materials, preparing finished rolls, and making sure what leaves our plant meets the expectations of our customers.
It takes a lot of people, processes, and attention to detail to get from one end of production to the other.
Positive, dedicated and always ready to help. That’s Martin.
He works in our Press Department, but his impact doesn’t stop with his own team. Martin is the kind of person who steps in, pitches in and helps keep things moving wherever an extra hand is needed.
Thumbs up for everything you bring to PPI, Martin! 👍
Good news: our Accounting Department can count.
Maybe a little too well.
Sadie and Jill landed in a two-way tie for the closest guess on our picnic chocolate jar, while Dirk from Customer Service swooped in and claimed the Jolly Ranchers.
Congratulations to our candy-counting champions! Please enjoy your winnings responsibly. 🍫🍬
Plant Picnics
We spend most days making film. At the Carol Stream picnic, we put paper in flight. ✈️
The assignment: fold it, fly it and make it through the hoop. What followed was plenty of cheering, a little friendly competition and some surprisingly serious paper-airplane engineering.
Thanks to everyone who came out and made this year’s picnic such a fun one!
A little Sparty Party for the feed. 🎉
Our Sparta team gathered for good food, good company and a few rounds of flip cup that may have gotten slightly more competitive than expected.
Nothing brings a picnic together quite like cheering on your coworkers while they race to flip a plastic cup.
Thanks to everyone who came out and made this year’s Sparta picnic a good one!
⏳How Adventurous is PPI?
The Dream Home Has Spoken! 🏠
Apparently, Team PPI has had enough of grocery shopping!
A whopping 50% voted for groceries that magically restock themselves, making it the clear winner of our dream home upgrades.
Another 30% would happily say goodbye to cleaning floors forever, while 15% are ready to retire from laundry duty. And the remaining 5%? They just want the dishes to put themselves away.
The verdict? We don't need flying cars or robot butlers. We just want fewer chores. 😂