PPC Awards
Honoring greatness.
Although PPC’s members prove their operational and innovation excellence time and again, occasionally an individual’s contribution rises so far above the norm that it cannot help but be recognized.
To inspire continued greatness in those who have made our industry their life-long home, PPC has created the following awards:
Woods Scholar Award
The Woods Scholar Award honors a rising star in the folding carton industry each year.
The late J. Edward Woods, who served as Chief Executive Officer of Gulf States Paper Corporation, was a generous and enthusiastic supporter of PPC and the paperboard packaging industry as a whole. In addition to serving as PPC’s Board Chair and receiving our association’s lifetime achievement award, Ed was dedicated to engaging the next generation of paperboard packaging professionals through training and outreach.
In honor of Ed’s commitment and dedication, his family established the Woods Scholar Award, which is given annually to a passionate and enthusiastic rising star in the folding carton industry. Winners receive a scholarship to attend PPC’s Folding Carton Boot Camp, our signature training on “all things” paperboard packaging.
Robert T. Gair Award
Download submission application for fillable form
Named for the man whose ingenuity and innovation gave birth to the modern folding carton industry, the Robert Gair Award is reserved for individuals who have demonstrated a lifetime of significant and lasting contributions to the paperboard packaging industry.
About Robert Gair
In 1864, Robert T. Gair began work as a paper merchant, printer, and manufacturer of paper and paperboard specialties in Brooklyn, N.Y. Early on, he started making folding boxes by scoring the box blanks individually and cutting the flaps by piling 10 or 20 at a time and using a guillotine style knife. In 1879, while examining a seed envelope job which had gone wrong during production in his plant, he saw that the difficulty was due to the fact that the type or printing plates had cut through the paper. He surmised that replacing type or printing plates with rules or knives, the press could then be used for cutting and creasing folding box blanks.
And with that, Gair laid the foundation for today’s folding carton industry.
Adapted from Paperboard and Paperboard Containers: A History by Harry J. Bettendorf.
Nomination Requirements
This singular honor is only awarded when there is a candidate of sufficient merit, one with a lifetime of achievement in the paperboard industry. To be eligible, a candidate must have made consistently outstanding contributions to the paperboard industry (such as developed new products, processes, applications, or markets; led trade groups; acted as an industry spokesperson; pioneered new technology, etc), PPC (such as served on committees and Boards, participated in programs, etc), and the nominee’s company and community (such as made contributions to company growth, served the community as good corporate citizen, promoted a healthy work environment, etc).
Nominations must be made and signed by the National Voting Representative (NVR) of a PPC Principal member company. Nominations will be reviewed and recommendations made by the Executive Committee to the Board of Directors and the award recipient shall be determined by a vote of the Board of Directors.
Past Winners
2021: Steven C. Voorhees, WestRock
2016: David W. Scheible, Graphic Packaging International
2012: A. Newth Morris III, Dixie Printing & Packaging, Inc. (ret.)
2011: James Hodges, Royal Paper Box
2009: Mark Graham, Bell Incorporated
2005: F. Scott Macfarlane, Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
2003: George L. Howell, F.M. Howell Co.
2002: Joseph Hart, Smurfit-Stone Container Corp.
2001: Chad E. Hoyme, Corson Manufacturing Co, Inc.
2000: J. Edward Woods, Gulf States Paper Corp
1999: Jack Williams, Green Bay Packaging
1998: Jack D. Tovin, Container Corp. of America
1997: Bradley Currey Jr. , Rock-Tenn Co.
1995: Jack T. Lengsfield Sr., Lengsfield Brothers
1993: Eugene U. Frey, Waldorf Corporation
1992: Henry S. Levkoff, The Standard Group
1990: Judd H. Alexander, James River Corporation
1989: A. Worley Brown, Rock-Tenn Co.
1989: Richard S. Longnecker, James River Corporation
1988: Robert C. Neff, Neff Packaging Solutions
Volunteer Leader Award
Submit a nominee to: info@paperbox.org
Created in 2009, this recognition honors an association member or retiree who exemplifies outstanding commitment to PPC through his or her volunteer efforts to promote the goals of PPC.
Nomination Requirements
To be considered for the award, an individual must be an active volunteer in PPC (includes members and retirees, principal, and associate members), demonstrate an outstanding commitment to PPC through the contribution of time and talent, and recognize the importance of PPC’s mission, brand, and image and whose interest and loyalty are evident.
The award must be given to an active volunteer in the previous fiscal year, but the Executive Committee may consider the cumulative efforts of the individual over time when deciding who the recipient will be. While it is intended that the Volunteer Leader Award be given annually, it will not be awarded unless a worthy candidate is available.
The time frame for eligibility is the most recently ended fiscal year. For instance, an honor awarded at Fall Meeting 2015 will encompass volunteer work performed in fiscal year 2014, ending December 31, 2014.
While it is intended that the award be given annually, it will not be awarded unless a worthy candidate is available. Any PPC member or staff member may submit a nomination to the Executive Committee at any time. The PPC Chair and Executive Committee chooses recipients from individuals who served the association.
Past Winners
2017: Mark Longnecker, CFO, Southern Champion Tray
2016: Joel Zaas, President, BOXit Corp.
2015: Kenneth Smott, President, Atlas Die Co.
2010: Ann Piper, President, Joe Piper, Inc.
2010: Richard E. DePaul, Owner, DePaul and Assoc.
2009: Richard O. Garber, retired
Chair’s Safety Award
Given to PPC members for the high number of hours worked in any given year without incurring an OSHA-recordable injury, these awards are cumulative so it possible for a company to win an award in numerous categories.
The top award given out each year is the Chair’s Safety Award, which is given to the company that finishes the year with the most hours worked without an OSHA without and OSHA recordable
Past Award Winners
2021: Graphic Packaging International, Elk Grove, IL • 2,293,631 hours without an OSHA recordable
2019: Graphic Packaging International, Elk Grove, IL • 754,591 hours without an OSHA recordable
2016: Graphic Packaging International, North Portland, OR • 885,989 hours without an OSHA recordable
2015: Caraustar Industries, Pineville, NC • 846,700 hours without an OSHA recordable
2014: Innomark Packaging Solutions, Dayton, OH • 752,468 hours without an OSHA recordable
2013: Graphic Packaging Int’l, Elk Grove Village, IL • 1,044,979 hours without an OSHA recordable
2012: AGI-Shorewood, Danville, VA • 1,134,798 hours without an OSHA recordable
2011: AGI-Shorewood, Danville, VA • 919,330 hours without an OSHA recordable
2010: Menasha Packaging, Neehah, WI • 477,722 hours without an OSHA recordable
2009: Warneke Paper Box Co., Denver, CO • 381,903 hours without an OSHA recordable