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“When I first learned of the ICG, I knew it would be a great fit for us. The exchange of ideas and best practices is incredibly valuable to our senior leadership team, and the camaraderie seems strong among members. I’ve never walked into a room full of people as the ‘new guy’ and felt as comfortable and welcome as I did in Miami,” said Jim Woller, market development manager, Outlook Group, who joined Kevin Hayes, the company’s president, at the recent ICG meeting.
Outlook Group was founded in 1977 as a provider of printing and mailing services. Direct mail and sports trading cards served as the company’s primary markets well into the 1980s. Over the past few decades, as Outlook Group has grown, it has also expanded into other lines of business, including several types of packaging. Today, it has four distinct verticals under one roof: folding cartons, flexible packaging, pressure-sensitive labels and contract packaging.
Like many ICG member companies, Outlook Group serves diverse industries, including food and beverage, medical and personal care, and other consumer goods. The company’s broad range of printing capabilities – offset, digital, flexographic and variable – are complemented by a portfolio of services aimed at supporting and streamlining clients’ supply chains. Outlook Group employs approximately 300 people in a 400,000 sq. ft. facility in Wisconsin.
“We look forward to bringing our expertise to the table, particularly in contract packaging, and getting further involved in ICG programs like technical conferences and group purchasing,” said Woller. The ICG’s newest member is scheduled to host its first general membership meeting in November of this year. They also participated in the ICG’s technical conference on paperboard this month, which was held in Columbus, Georgia, and hosted by WestRock, an ICG supplier.
Over the past 35 years, the ICG has become a major force in the packaging industry. The ICG’s 18 members collectively represent over $800 million in annual sales and over 1,400 years of packaging history. ICG membership is highly coveted by many of the industry’s ‘independents’ – privately owned folding carton converters that are not affiliated with a major paper mill.
The ICG works tirelessly to make sure that its members have access to competitive pricing on raw materials, equipment and consumables as well as learning and networking opportunities and other programs that help them continue to be successful. To learn more about the ICG and inquire about membership, visitwww.independentcartongroup.com or call 203.270.7578.
