Finding Your Niche Equals Success

Sustainability’s impact has been largely due to marketing, or lack thereof. “I think plastic has done a pretty good job until today getting out in front of folding cartons by convincing people that ‘plastic saves lives’ and the folding carton guys cut down trees,” says Markens. “We plant trees to make our boxes. It’s a totally renewable resource. Plastic is from oil by-products and it’s not always recyclable.” Markens sees folding carton market doing a better job of marketing itself on the sustainabilty issue and hopes that the industry “stays out ahead to convince the Wal-Marts and other retailers that plastic is not a better alternative to folding cartons.”