Sandusky Packaging (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
foods category are expected to decline, and these rep- resent upwards of 40 percent of total folding carton ship- ments. Adam Josephson, Principal of Sakonnet Research, an economic reporting and forecasting firm, wrote in a re- cent analysis that “the past two years weren’t good ones for many consumer and packaging companies due to the cumulative effects of high inflation and the lack of real in- come growth.” Illustrating his point, he laid out Q4 2025 year-over- year volumes for several major consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies: Campbells, -4 percent; Conagra, -1 per- cent; Kraft Heinz, -4 percent; and PepsiCo, -3 percent. Ma- jor players like Smurfit-WestRock and Graphic Packaging dominate the paperboard carton market, marshalling 70- 80 percent of the carton supply chain to these end users. Consequently, they bear the brunt of the ebbs and flows, particularly in the packaged grocery segment. Graphic Packaging, for example, reported two consec- utive negative quarters for the last half of 2025, ending the year essentially flat, when, as its Q4 2025 presentation states, “normal conditions assume modestly positive over- all volume growth in the low single digits.” Sandusky Packaging, a nimble independent, plays on the periphery, away from this fray. Johnson is shy about quoting percentages, but he says that SPC’s growth in the past year has been “significant” – far greater than the RISI Fastmarkets report tells. He credits the company’s diverse customer mix across key end-use markets for the ability to outpace the larger industry averages. “We always say we have 25 percent automotive; 25 percent pharmaceutical; 25 percent food and beverage; and 25 percent everything else,” he said when asked to categorize SPC’s business segments. Two bright spots in SPC’s end-use roster are the phar- maceutical industry and food and beverage, particularly private-label brands and smaller, less well-known food processors. In the health care and pharmaceutical are- na, Johnson believes that SPC’s business has punched up through the 25 percent threshold, saying, “If we really did the numbers, it might be as high as 35 percent of our overall business.” Within these broad categories, he adds, the business is spread across a large number of accounts. “Nobody’s really over 10 percent of our work, so being di- versified with so many customers, we don’t have these big ups and downs at all; it’s always steady.” Tactical And Strategic Investment Sandusky Packaging has not arrived at its current posi- tion by happenstance. Rather, Johnson, Norman, and the company’s leadership have over the past 20 years me- thodically invested in the capital infrastructure required to grow and cater to a specific mix of customers. The simple technology required at the company’s outset – the one- and two-color press – was long ago sidelined in favor of greater automation, higher running speeds and enhanced print quality. SPC’s initial investments were in used equip- ment, and, as Johnson tells it, with mixed results. “We did
Corp. on Sandusky’s west side. Longer served as Presi- dent; Norman as Secretary-Treasurer, and McRobbie and Hoelzer First- and Second- Vice Presidents, respectively. The Four are honored as “The Original Winning Team” in SPC’s “Founders’ Conference Room,” and their legacy lives on in the company, with Johnson, McRobbie’s grand- son, serving as President, and Greg Norman, Les Norman’s son, Vice President. Kevin Norman, Greg’s brother, retired in 2017, and Jim Longer, Richard Longer’s son, in 2019. Within the company there is an evident respect – even reverence – for this generational lineage. “We attribute much of our success to Jim Longer and Kevin Norman working over 40 years with our company,” Johnson said. For his part, Johnson represents the third generation of ownership: “My grandfather, Bill McRobbie, ran the plant.” Johnson started at SPC in 1986, his freshman year in col- lege, hand-stripping stacks off the die cutter. From there, to shipping; shift supervisor; HR manager; director of oper- ations; to vice president. He was named President in 2019.
Greg Norman is a 41-year veteran of SPC, having start- ed his career there in 1985 in Accounts Receivable and in- ventory management. “I was director of AR/Inventory and did a brief stint as plant manager,’ he said. “Now I’m doing all the estimating and inventories.” Anticipating retiring in July of this year, he adds, “I’m the last of the second gen- The US folding carton industry in 2025 produced 5.0 million tons of product valued at $11.6 billion, according to the Fastmarkets/RISI 2025-26 Industry Trends Report produced for the Paperboard Packaging Council. Looking back, the Report tracks a nearly 12 percent growth in fold- ing carton shipments between 2019-2022, the pandemic years, but declining roughly 5 percent in 2023-2024. The Fastmarkets report sees a more positive outlook for the industry through 2029, with measured but anemic growth of just over 1 percent per year, to 5.3 million tons and $13.3 billion in sales. Seven key growth markets are identified, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and household supplies. Meanwhile, two segments in the packaged processed eration of SPC ownership.” Playing On The Periphery Randy Johnson, left, and Greg Norman represent the third and second generations of Sandusky Packaging ownership.
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20 April 27, 2026
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