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Travels with Larry: Building a Homestead
May 1, 2009 By: Packaging online staff Paperboard PackagingQ: What do Flint, Mich.; Burton, Mich.; Roswell, Ga.; the NFL; and my hometown of Memphis, Tenn. all have in common?
A: Some very good corrugated packaging.
Last month, TAPPI's David Bell and I had the opportunity to visit with six key players from Compak-Webcor Packaging Corp.-CW South Corp., a three-part company with headquarters in Flint, Mich. They are a working example of how knowledge and networking help our industry on a regular basis. This marriage is a "perfect union" of people coming together to meet the needs of a common customer.
 Larry N. Montague |
This team represents more than 40 years of experience in the U.S. miniflute market. The two Michigan plants, founded by Bill Martin and Jack Goggins in Flint and Burton, were started to service the needs of GM's parts business. They focused on E-, B-, and F-flutes for small boxes. At one time, these plants were Alton's largest sheet customer.
As the auto business began to fall off, plant management sought more customers outside of Michigan. Business continued to grow, and both Michigan plants were running three full shifts. One of their customers had a need down south, so the CW Packaging team went on the lookout for someone to partner with in that local market. Armed with a five-year commitment from the customer, CW South was born.
Entrepreneur Spirit
Late last year, business partners and former NFL players Sean Vanhorse (executive vice president, Homestead Packaging Solutions) and Adam Walker (president and ceo of Homestead Packaging Solutions) turned out to be the last piece of the puzzle for CW South. Vanhorse and Walker already owned two businesses in the Atlanta area: Homestead Settlement Solutions and a water-pump distribution company called Homestead Performance.
 Southern hospitality, Michigan style! Our hosts included: Robert Sibilsky, president; Michael Bailey, quality and safety manager; Joel Liggett, director of sales and marketing; Scott Konieczny, controller; Mark Blackburn, plant manager-Burton; and Jeff Dingman, plant manager-Memphis. |
CW South supplied the packaging for the water pumps. Just as CW South was looking for ways to grow its business, Homestead wanted to expand its own businesses, and the joint venture Homestead Packaging Solutions was formed. Headquartered in Roswell, Ga., the Homestead Holdings Group owns 51 percent and CW South owns 49 percent of the new joint venture.
Because of their patented web-fed corrugated process, Homestead can corrugate, print on both the inside (fully registered) and outside liners, and diecut in one pass on its 350-ft production line.
International Reach
Over the past five or six years, the company has developed business in China and India. The partners they choose can make boxes that look the same overseas as they do in the U.S. They manufacture boxes for companies around the globe including Affinia, General Electric, Kimberly Clark, Honeywell Parts Plus, Hytec Automotive, and ASIN World Corp., a Fortune 500 company that supplies Toyota and other automakers.
I know I did not do these folks justice with these few words. They are truly a breath of fresh air in an industry that constantly needs to think inside and outside the box.
You can learn more about these folks at www.comwebinc.com. And while you're at it, stop by www.tappi.org and become a TAPPI member, if you have not already joined. I appreciate your support.
Larry N. Montague
TAPPI President
