Graphic Packaging: Building outreach and range amid regulatory demand and consumer preference

17 Jan 2024 --- Graphic Packaging International is expanding and diversifying its investor network globally and has appointed Mark Connelly as the new senior vice president for Investor Strategy and Development. 

We speak with Stephen Scherger, executive vice president and chief financial officer at Graphic Packaging, about the change in the company’s leadership and how the packaging giant plans to further develop its packaging range and change its outreach capability. 

Can you please introduce Mark Connelly to us? 
Scherger: Mark spent more than 20 years as a top-ranked securities analyst on Wall Street, analyzing and offering his perspective on the paper and packaging industry, individual company strategies and investment prospects. His annual “Holy Grail” reports were among the most-read reports by investors and CEOs, and his critical assessment of capital allocation decisions helped shape the thinking of a generation of investors. 

Graphic Packaging’s ready meal solution EconoPaxx.Why does the company want to expand and diversify its investor network? 
Scherger: Graphic Packaging is a global consumer packaging company serving many of the biggest names in consumer products in the US, Europe and elsewhere. As our capabilities and global presence have expanded, so has our potential investor audience. Bringing our growth and innovation story to a wider community takes time and resources, and we are prioritizing this work to drive greater benefits to our shareholders. 

How has Graphic Packaging’s packaging portfolio developed over the years? 
Scherger: Graphic Packaging has invested heavily in our people, assets and capabilities over the last seven years. Our packaging has become embedded in the daily rituals of modern life — from your morning cup of coffee to your quick-serve lunch container to the box of pasta your dinner comes in, and even packaging for your pet food, personal care and beauty products. 

Most of our solutions are made from sustainable wood fiber, including recycled wood fiber. This resonates with consumers who have shown a clear preference for packaging that reduces waste and minimizes the impact on the environment while delivering convenience and safety. Designing and manufacturing a high caliber of packaging that meets consumers’ evolving preferences is complex — and doing it on the scale that Graphic Packaging operates on is something that very few companies can match. 

What kinds of packaging is the company planning to invest in this year?Graphic Packaging’s paper seal trays.
Scherger: Graphic Packaging’s goal is to deliver a steady stream of sustainable packaging innovations that meet the needs of our customers and consumers. We’ve invested substantially in innovations like our Boardio 100% recyclable paperboard container, which has already replaced plastic in Europe. Expect to see more of it in the US in 2024. 

As regulatory demand and consumer preferences increase for sustainable packaging options, we will continue to reduce and eliminate plastic and foam in a variety of grocery and food service applications. 

In 2024, you are going to see Graphic Packaging solutions in even more of the products you use every day. 

How is the new position changing Graphic Packaging’s outreach capability? 
Scherger: Melanie Skijus runs Graphic Packaging’s Investor Relations function and will work closely with Connelly to raise visibility around our unique and compelling investment case. Packaging has become part of daily life for millions of consumers, and our pace of innovation only continues to increase. We are confident in the value we can deliver to our customers over the next decade, and we see a tremendous opportunity to expand our investor outreach as we grow. 

By Natalie Schwertheim