WRAPPING UP SUCCESS
PACKAGING SPECIALTIES, INC. prints the plastic film
used to package many name-brand products including chips,
sugar, chicken, bottled water and pet food. Its Pacmac division
builds the machines used in manufacturing plants to make bags from
the film.
Packaging Specialties is a family-owned and women-owned
business with three locations: Georgia, Idaho, and its primary
printing facility and headquarters in Fayetteville. The company
serves customers in more than 27 industries and is looking for the
next generation to carry on its vision in careers that include customer
service, design, press operators and production, forklift drivers,
machine maintenance and quality assurance.
Many of the company’s careers are
in production. That’s where most
people at Packaging Specialties
started their careers. It takes a team
of people to run the huge presses,
prepare and organize the printing
plates for each design, and mix the
ink to match the customer’s design
exactly. Each job requires a lot of
attention to detail and commitment
to getting it right.
“Care is a word you hear a lot
around here,” explains CEO Robert
Farrell. “We genuinely care about
others and the work we do.”
Jeff Silva is a graphics coordinator
and has been with Packaging
Specialties since the company
was founded. He’s responsible for
making sure the customer’s design
turns out just the way they want it.
“When we receive the design, we
have to separate it into layers – one
layer for each color in the design,”
he explains. Sometimes, Silva must figure out how to alter a design
to account for how the printed plastic film will fit around the product.
“If you were to print it on a sheet of paper, it might look distorted, but
once the film wraps and shrinks around the item it looks normal,” he
says.
Silva says his job is challenging but fulfilling. “Design is something
new each day, but when we can go through the process from start
“We genuinely care about others and the work we do.”
to finish and a design comes out just like the customer wants, that’s
rewarding.”
Packaging Specialties has a customer-first focus and strives to
make sure their work meets or exceeds the customer’s expectations.
Silva says part of that is communication. “I tell people to work
on developing their people skills,” he says. “You also need good
computer skills and good basic math skills.”
Tony Faulkner is another team member who loves what he does.
He started his career working on one of
the presses more than eight years ago.
Since then, he’s moved up to many other
roles including his current job as quality
assurance manager. Faulkner says he
feels fortunate to be at a company like
Packaging Specialties. “I’m lucky I found
this company and built a career that I
love,’ he says. “The best thing about my
job is the people I work with.”
Faulkner and his team of six people are
responsible for testing each design for
strength and durability, clarity and other
factors. “If a customer calls and reports
a problem with the film or design, we
do our best to try and replicate it so we
can figure out what caused it and find
a solution,” he explains. “Working as a
team is important in this department. It
can be tough when there’s an issue, and
you have to find a solution right away.
You definitely need critical thinking and
problem-solving skills”
Faulkner says he’s kept learning
and moved up at the company. He
encourages others to do the same. “Get started and learn everything
you can,” he says. “All that knowledge will pay off in the future.”
Packaging Specialties will help you gain that knowledge. New
employees are trained to operate the presses, or learn how its
Pacmac machines are made. There’s a priority on developing your
skills and promoting people from within. To learn more, scan the
code or find them online at http://packagingspecialties.com.
FAYETTEVILLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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