Northwest Paper Box (CONT’D FROM PAGE 1)
for heavier industrial parts, the triple-slide box consisted of three overlapping boxboard sleeves that essentially locked in the product. “Portland was a hub for Warn In- dustrial winches, and triple-slides were designed to car- ry heavy things,” he explains, adding that this style of box was common before die cutters became standard equip- ment in paperboard converting operations. “Most people have gone to die cuts now; the triple-slide was a really good package, but it was far more labor-intensive than a die cut.” From the get-go, the new company was a family affair: Van, Betty, Bud, and Elsie ran the business, and when Van and Betty’s sons and their daughter, Debbie, were old enough, they worked, too. “All of the family worked there at different times, begin- ning when we were pretty young,” says Brad of his broth- ers Rod and John and sister, Debbie Guzie. “Sometimes
truck filled with equipment, Van and Bud submitted a suc- cessful bid. “They found out how much the competition was offering,” Brad says. “So, they bid $1 more, and the next day, they started.” The Van Allens named their company “Northwest Pa- per Box,” a tribute to their geography and their way of differentiating themselves from their competitors, Pacific Paper Box and Grigsby. It was also a sign to the market of the new company’s reach. The rich and diverse industrial base of the Pacific Northwest drove the company’s early growth. From its early location in Portland, NWPB served several industries, from food to metal stampings to com- mercial printing. NWPB’s early success was founded in setup box spe- cialty boxes and corrugated “triple-slide” boxes. Designed
my dad would bring home piecework for the whole family to do while watching TV— you know, jewelry boxes that get a piece of cotton in them or special inserts. He’d have this whole little setup for us.” Brad and his brothers all came into the business at different times. Brad, the eldest, joined in 1981. After getting his en- gineering degree from Oregon State Uni- versity, he went on to Indiana University for his MBA in finance. From there, he joined White Motors in Cleveland, Ohio, and Farmington Hills, Michigan. “I learned a lot during that time,” he says, adding, “I moved back because my dad started having health problems. I was 27 at the time.” Rod, now a vice president, was the next brother to join the business in 1983. He re- ceived his industrial engineering degree from Oregon State University and spent two years working for Kraft Foods in Bue- na Park, California. “I was doing efficiency studies, layouts, and modifying work stations,” he says. “I joined Northwest Paper Box in 1983 after my father passed away.” John, also now a vice president, is the youngest of the three brothers. He attend- ed Santa Clara University in California, where he earned a business degree. He joined the company in 1987, after a brief career in the commodities business in San Francisco; now, his focus at Northwest Pa- per Box is sales and marketing. “Being the best looking of the brothers, it became apparent that they had faces for accounting and production, but not to be out amongst customers,” John recalls.
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July 29, 2024
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