Welch Packaging (CONT’D FROM PAGE 26)
Board Converting NEWS INTERNET DIRECTORY
Additionally, the company’s ability to remain actively in- volved in the industry as a whole, through its membership in the AICC and other outlets, has positioned the compa- ny as a resource when other converters begin to consider their business succession. “We want to be an umbrella or safe ground for busi- nesses who are finding it difficult to compete,” said Welch. “They may have strong relations with their associates, they really care about their customers, and they’ve been active in their community, but they just don’t have a good option. With technology and capital costs being so high, it’s not easy to compete anymore. In that circumstance I want that business owner to see Welch Packaging as a possible life- line, a way for their legacy to continue.”
THE HAIRE GROUP www.hairegroup.com
Haire Group is the premier provider of new machinery for the corrugated industry. From the Apstar line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters, the Encore line of flexo folder gluers and rotary die cutters, and the Engico flexo folder glu- er, Haire is able to pair clients with the best machinery solu- tions for the best value to meet their needs. Haire Group’s service department helps its customers maximize uptime and profitability through superior 24/7 service and support, a pre-install training center, and over a million dollars’ worth of spare parts at their offices just outside of Chicago. Haire Group has been the industry’s #1 pre-owned machinery bro- ker and plant equipment appraiser since 1976. HarperLove is the leading provider of specialty adhesives, performance additives, and wet-strength resins to corru- gated packaging manufacturers. With the largest and most experienced field service and technical support team posi- tioned throughout the U.S. and Latin America, HarperLove has a long-standing reputation for providing outstanding service and delivering demonstrable performance improve- ments. HarperLove’s renowned services include not only innovative product development and custom product for- mulation, but also machine and process assessments, ad- hesive formula adjustments, machine tuning, detailed ser- vice reporting, and more. HARPERLOVE www.HarperLove.com Kernic Systems has been a leading global provider of re- cycling equipment solutions since 1978. For over 40 years, Kernic Systems has provided balers, air conveying and dust collection systems, shredders, industrial vacuums, and re- cycling equipment to a wide range of markets. Today, Ker- nic Systems serves customers with an expanded offering of standard products and custom-engineered systems through three primary business divisions: Recycling Solu- tions, Dust Collection and Air Pollution Control, and Material Handling. Kiwiplan provides state-of-the-art software solutions to cor- rugated, folding carton, plastics and flexible packaging fa- cilities around the globe. Kiwiplan’s Total Solution delivers comprehensive, seamless real-time flow of information from sales order management to dynamic total plant scheduling and inventory control through shipping. With deep manu- facturing and distribution expertise, Kiwiplan knows the specific problems customers face and provides the spe- cialized software they need to adapt, compete, and win in today's rapidly changing world. KERNIC SYSTEMS www.kernicsystems.com KIWIPLAN www.kiwiplan.com
Throughout the 1990s, Welch acquired additional com- panies—such as Monarch Box, Kendal Packaging, and Re- liable Packaging. “We foster relationships,” Welch continued. “I’m fasci- nated with people, and when I meet someone, especially people running businesses bigger than ours, or smaller than ours, I want to know all I can. What’s your story? How did you do this? How do you connect your people? How often do you have formal meetings? I keep these friend- ships alive because I am truly concerned about their busi- nesses and their families and their plans for the future. Then, when an opportunity arises, they thankfully have us in mind.” By 2004, Elkhart Container and the affiliated geograph- ic footprint had grown to such an extent, a new identity was required. That year saw the rebranding of Elkhart Container as the Welch Packaging Group. A joint-venture, Corrugated Supplies Corporation-Indi- ana, was established to provide a reliable supply of cor- rugated sheets. Welch later sold its interest in CSC-IN in anticipation of fully captive corrugator operations serving a growing network of sheet plants across the Midwest. As all companies in the packaging sector struggle with finding, hiring, and retaining new hires, Welch feels many of those challenges can be surmounted by simply paying attention to the needs of current employees. Scott Welch: “We want people in the positions they most desire and in which they can thrive.”
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April 14, 2025
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