Born in the Great Depression, Thriving Today
PPC traces its roots back 90 years to the Great Depression, one of the most challenging times in U.S. history. The goal back then was simple: survive. Yet we did much more than survive. We got better. We set down our roots and grew into the thriving industry association we are today. Here’s our story.
Packaging Companies Raise a Defense: 1930s-40s
As Wall Street came crashing down in the 1930s, two separate paperboard packaging associations formed in hopes of protecting member companies and the industry as a whole.
In 1929, the Paraffin Carton Association was founded. At the time, folding cartons were heavily used in the ice cream and butter markets, hence the specificity of this early paperboard association. (At the time, cartons were literally bathed in hot wax to help seal the box!) Later, the association changed its name to the Institute for Better Packaging (IBP).
1933 marked the founding of a second group, the Folding Paper Box Association of America (FPBAA). 61 companies, representing 60% of the industry, attended the association’s first meeting. In its infancy, FPBAA set out to preserve the industry and set fair competition standards. It eventually grew in mission and scope to influence regulations, conduct sophisticated market research, and offer several publications and programs. One such program, started in 1942, was the annual paperboard packaging competition that is still at the heart of PPC’s membership offering today.
Industry Growth and a Unified PPC: 1950s-60s
FPBAA kept its sights on industry growth and promotion through the boom years of the 1950s and ’60s. Indeed, this period would bring growth to the economy, the paperboard industry, and to what would soon become a unified PPC.
In 1956, industry professional S. Edward Iciek (and soon-to-be PPC president) was brought in to FPBAA to install one of the industry’s first data processing systems. The goal was to provide statistics, marketing information, and management tools to help members better run their businesses. This move proved fruitful: at its peak in the 1950s, FPBAA had 200 members and represented 80% of the industry’s sales volume.
Meanwhile, IBP began to realize that the industry was growing beyond its original mission. Packaging for ice cream, butter, and frozen food containers became less specialized, and with that shift, the need for such a dedicated association had waned. Therefore, by the late 50s, IBP began discussions with FPBAA about a possible merger.
After discussions and a recommendation from an industry research committee, the merger was official: on April 29, 1964, the Paperboard Packaging Council formed from the original two organizations—becoming the official voice of the paperboard packaging industry. The brand new PPC held its inaugural meeting in1968 at the Drake Hotel in Chicago.
Technology, Sustainability, and a Members-First Philosophy: PPC Today
Starting from its humble beginnings as a small confederation of boxmakers, today’s PPC has become the premier association for the manufacturers and converters of all forms of paperboard packaging.
Addressing today’s environmentally conscious consumer, we emphasize the sustainability and recyclability of paperboard. Our goal is to share paperboard’s positive sustainability story far and wide.
Technology has changed and will continue to do so. We aim to keep our members updated on new developments in digital printing, specialty finishing techniques, and other developments in converting technology and processes.
Additionally, in all we do today, we serve our members. Our offering is member-focused, and we always put our members first. Our members guide us as we develop our educational and information services, statistics, and programs—everything we offer as an association.
While PPC has come a long way since its uncertain founding during the Great Depression, its guiding principles have remained constant: to grow, promote, and protect the paperboard packaging industry while providing members with resources to compete in the marketplace. Here’s to another 90 years of serving our industry.