The New Jersey Packaging Executives Club drew a standing room only crowd to its second annual Hall of Fame Induction event, held on May 13 at the Highlawn Pavilion in West Orange, NJ.

Established in 2003, the Packaging Hall of Fame recognizes the contributions of individuals who have spent at least 25 years in the packaging industry. Honorees need not be NJPEC members or reside in New Jersey.

This year’s honorees were: Purchasing – Gus Davis, Bath & Body Works; Package Development – Roger Caracappa, Estée Lauder Company Inc.; Sales – Walter Hoagland, IntraPac Inc.; Entrepreneur – Vincent Brady, Brad Pak Enterprises.

Building a Purchasing Career, One Brand at a Time
Currently vice president of purchasing and packaging operations for the Bath & Body Works division of Limited Brands, Gus Davis started out as a purchasing trainee for Chesebrough-Pond’s, Inc. in August 1973, after graduating from Guilford College and completing six months of Army National Guard basic training.

That first position involved buying plastic packaging for the Vaseline, Vaseline Intensive Care, Cutex, Azziza, Prince Matchebelli and Ponds, according to Davis. He was promoted to buyer, senior buyer and purchasing agent before moving to the Richardson-Vicks division of Procter & Gamble in 1978 as a package engineer. He moved up to senior package engineer and then manager of package engineering for the toiletry brands of Oil of Olay, Pantene, Vidal Sassoon and other brands.

In 1986, Davis left to join Avon Products as manager of package development for cosmetics. He became director of package engineering and testing for all Avon brands before moving into Avon’s field sales management in 1992, where he served as a division sales manager for western Connecticut and eastern New York State. In 1994, Davis was honored as one of Avon’s top 10 World Sales Leaders for total sales increase.

In 1995, he left to join the Gryphon Development division of Limited Brands Inc. as senior director of purchases. Davis’ record of promotions continued at Limited Brands, where he was promoted to vice president of purchasing in 1997 and became vice president of purchasing and packaging operations for the Bath & Body Works division of Limited Brands in 2003. His present responsibilities include package engineering, testing, procurement and supplier development for Bath & Body Works packaging components.

Today, Davis said, he most enjoys, “working with the diverse talents of our World Class merchants, designers and suppliers to bring new products to our customers,” and he is proudest of achieving the World Sales Leader honor at Avon.

A lot has changed in the 30+ years that Davis has spent in packaging, but he noted that the greatest difference is, first, the power and speed of the desktop computers and communication tools available today, and second, the globalization and diversity of the supply base. The future will hold, “more packaging innovation, increased speed to market, and better value for our customers,” Davis predicted.

For those who aspire to similar success, Davis advised, “Make sure you surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Then listen to them.”

A Broad/Deep Career with One Company
In these days of corporate hopscotch in which executives move from company to company to find advancement and new challenges, Roger Caracappa’s story proves that success can still be found in spending more than 30 years with the same employer.

After completing military service in the 1970s, Caracappa’s very first position at Estée Lauder Company Inc. was as a packer in the shipping department. He quickly moved from that to quality assurance, onto purchasing and then into packaging in 1974.

His dynamic approach and keen eye was drafted by the marketing department in 1976 when he was appointed director of promotions. In 1981, he was promoted to vice president of promotional marketing, and in 1988, his responsibilities were increased to include Estée Lauder merchandising as well.

In 1993, Caracappa’s duties again expanded to include marketing of promotions for makeup, treatment and fragrance for the Estée Lauder Brand. In 1999, he was reassigned to packaging as senior vice president of Global Packaging.

In June of this year, he was again promoted. His new position is executive vice president of global packaging, quality assurance, merchandising, corporate store operations and retail store operations.

“The most rewarding part of my job is having the opportunity to develop and implement new, innovative approaches to our business,” said Caracappa, when asked what his favorite aspect of his position is. “And a big part of that is working with enormously talented individuals, both on the senior and junior level. Tomorrow’s success is based on the ability to motivate, educate, and develop young individuals. I’m very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to do these things,” he stressed.

Caracappa is pleased to know that “The suppliers’ community sees the Estée Lauder Packaging Group as a supportive, cooperative team of professionals with a conscious drive towards excellence in Packaging, which is totally committed to a supplier partnership.” He noted that he is most proud to “have helped create an internal environment where all levels have the opportunity to grow professionally, and there are many ways available to broaden each individual’s professional experience.”

For the future, he pointed out, “We live in a world where global regulatory issues present enormous challenges for companies that look to maintain unique package positions based upon each brand’s strategic position. I’m frustrated to see so few women in the Package Engineering Field. This is a beauty business, and more young engineering students need to be aware of the opportunities available to them in cosmetics.”

Ability to Adapt Is Key
Recognized for his achievements in packaging sales, Walter Hoagland’s career is testimony to his ability to accept and prosper with change.

He began his career in 1971 at Union Carbide after college graduation, working in the plastic container department as a customer service representative. He was sent out to call on a customer, which he developed into a $1 million account and eventually became customer service manager. He continued to work for that operation after it was sold in 1973, but then left packaging briefly in 1976 to work for a plastics extrusion company.

In 1978, Hoagland joined PVC Container as a sales representative, where he honed his skills until 1981, when he moved to Setco, another plastic bottle manufacturer. Within a year, McCormick acquired Setco and PVC called Hoagland back to serve as national sales manager. He would remain at PVC, serving in various sales roles of increasing responsibility through 1999, when he left to become national accounts manager for Owens-Illinois, based in Saddle Brook, NJ.

After serving in the O-I position, Hoagland was offered the role of director of sales for CCL Container, Jar Division, based at his New Jersey home office. In 2003, CCL spun off the operation and it became part of IntraPac, a private group.

With IntraPac, Hoagland is director of sales and product management for the company’s Plattsburgh, NY business, involved in new product development and cost analysis as well as forming strategic alliances with overseas partners. He worked on the partnership with Gibo, which gave IntraPac exclusive rights to distribute the Italian manufacturer’s patented plastic jars in North America.

Hoagland’s greatest pleasure is working face-to-face with his customers. He stressed, “It’s still exciting to develop a new product and a joy to guide a customer through the process.”

Hoagland advised those starting out today to, “Find a means to make every day new and exciting. It’s all about attitude and perspective; ethics and honesty.”

Realizing a Dream
Chosen for the Hall of Fame for achievement as an entrepreneur, Vince Brady is a testament to dedication to a dream.

Brady began his packaging career as an outside sales trainee for O. Berk in 1957, where he worked for the next six years. In 1963, he left to work in sales for Imco Container, at that time, a major supplier of plastic bottles to the cosmetic market. In 1967, Brady went to work for VCA (Value Corp. of America). A manufacturer of all sorts of packaging, VCA no longer exists, but the six years that Brady spent there added to the knowledge base he was building. In 1973, he moved on to sales for Risdon and then, in 1980, he joined the Carr Lowry Glass Company.

“In 1985, I decided it was time,” remembered Brady. “I had always wanted to have my own company, so I started Brad-Pak.” Now a full-service distributor of glass, plastic and aluminum containers, closures, pumps and other items, Brad-Pak started small. “It took awhile and a lot of hard work, but the business grew,” Brady said.

Today, Brady, serving as president and chief executive of Brad-Pak, shares management duties with his son Jim and daughter Jenifer, getting involved in over-view tasks—financials, new markets, etc.

“I’m still a salesman,” Brady stressed. ”I probably enjoy developing new business the most. I like helping people by drawing from my experience.”

“Be prepared to work hard and put in a lot of hours,” Brady advised others with similar ambitions. “You must have a lot of patience. It took a solid eight years to get the business rolling—but eventually, it’ll happen.”