A Great Packaging Company is Powered by Good People at the Core

When you partner with Pipeline Packaging, you aren’t a customer, but part of the family. This month, our Good People at the Core share why they believe they work at the best packaging company and how Pipeline’s qualities lead to next-level customer service.

Dive into the ways we foster innovation, efficiency, and problem-solving for lasting customer success through the perspectives of our people.

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What makes a packaging provider an exceptional partner for your company? At the very foundation, there’s reliable sourcing and inventory capabilities that make order placements seamless and assured. Some distributors and manufacturers take these offerings a step further with additional services like inventory management or assembly and kitting. Pipeline Packaging goes a step above even these offerings by supporting a company culture that prides itself on creating the best packaging company to work for and partner with for your specific needs.

This month, we asked the Good People at the Core to shed light on the ways our company values unify our internal team for better external customer service. Step into our world, and learn what makes a meaningful difference in serving our customers.

One Big Happy Family

The Cleveland Steel Container family, which includes Pipeline Packaging, employs more than 600 individuals. Headquartered in Cleveland, the Pipeline team itself is spread across a nationwide network spanning from Dallas to North Carolina to Michigan, and beyond. Despite the distances though, our team members share the universal sentiment that they work for the best packaging company.

As a member of Cleveland Steel Container’s human resources team, Anna Pullen engages employees across the company’s entire family of brands, including Pipeline Packaging, Hazmatpac, SKS Bottle & Packaging, Lancaster Containers, EKL Machine, and others. Even with their varied focuses, she shared the clear similarities between the different companies and even between Pipeline’s coast-to-coast teams.

“It truly feels like a family,” she said. “Pipeline treats its employees well, and it directly reflects back in customer interactions. It works like one, big circle. Customers feel that our employees believe they work for the best packaging company. As a result of the dual satisfaction, many customers continue to come back for the intentional, friendly, and reliable service.” 

Anna further elaborated on how Pipeline’s personable, family-friendly culture translates into attentive and expert care for customers.

“Our Good People at the Core first make strong connections with their team members,” she said. “From there, they leverage these connections – whether in the warehouse or sourcing or inside sales – to create a proactive response that starts with fully listening to a customer’s need and solving it within the appropriate timelines.”

The clear harmony between company and customer interactions is not a matter of sheer coincidence or luck, but a deliberate hiring process. 

“When we review applications, we look for candidates that demonstrate longevity,” said Anna. “Pipeline values loyal team members who have experience and a deeper desire to build real relationships. Similarly, applicants who show consistency and possess a growth mindset stand out as those who will complement the company culture.”

Aside from their shared foundations, employees continue to view Pipeline as the best packaging company as a result of other benefits. 

“We maintain a strong open door policy as part of our family-like atmosphere,” said Anna. “When individuals feel comfortable enough to share concerns, new ideas, or simply ask questions, it makes Pipeline a stronger company as a whole. It lets employees know that their input is valued, and they bring the same attentiveness in solving packaging challenges for customers.”

The emphasis on open communication can also be attributed to our employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) structure. As the best packaging company to work for, Pipeline invites employees to take personal ownership in its own success, which directly hinges upon the success of our customers. 

“There’s a clear difference when you’re operating with the advantages of an ESOP,” said Anna. “I’ve never encountered someone who responds to a task or questions with ‘That’s not my job.’ Instead, people are always eager to say, ‘Do you need help? Where can I jump in?’”

Always Collaborative

These qualities that make Pipeline the best packaging company to work for are evident even to its most recent hires. Lorrie Romeo took on the role of sales operations analyst a little more than six months ago, and she already notices the many ways we prioritize an exceptional company culture rooted in lasting growth. 

“Though my current position involves similar responsibilities as my previous one, Pipeline immediately stood out by atmosphere alone,” she said. “I’ve felt comfortable from the moment I started, even as I am learning new processes and skills, because Pipeline maintains a very collaborative and conversational working environment.”

In fact, Lorrie has been collaborating alongside the sales team to develop key performance indicator reporting and data analytics dashboards that support business reviews, improve performance visibility, and provide customers with actionable insights to better forecast packaging needs and align purchasing strategies. These projects are some of the many where she invested in helping grow our capabilities.

“I’ve become a resource on continuous improvement and reporting across a multitude of other departments too,” said Lorrie. “Working with different teams, you can see the ways we’re teaching each other and challenging ourselves to stand out among packaging distributors. Ultimately, when we work with such a strong and supportive foundation, we truly do grow together with our customers.”

Opportunity for Employees Creates Better Service for Customers 

Pipeline’s commitment to being the best packaging company to work for also involves listening to employees and providing opportunities for advancing their careers. We explored how the company’s growth-oriented culture inspires advancement and innovation in its daily operations.

Based in Houston, Arnold Vargas has been with Pipeline since the acquisition of Sooner Container in 2018. He shared his experience transitioning into the Pipeline family and the ways it opened the door to his next career move from warehouse specialist to customer service representative.

 

“Immediately after the acquisition, our team was thrilled about Pipeline’s benefits plan, including the bonus program and the ESOP,” said Arndold. “It was a huge motivator for us on the warehouse side. If everyone did well, then we all benefitted.”

Arnold elaborated on the ways culture standards from the best packaging company not only impacted his warehouse team members, but the customers they served.

“When Pipeline first acquired us, I had the chance to visit the Charlotte warehouse to see the company’s internal systems in action,” he said. “My eyes were opened to a whole new world. When I saw how warehouse staff followed every rule, system, and operation to a ‘t,’  I realized Pipeline is structured for customer success. I absorbed what I saw and came back with the knowledge that we could do things better.”

After years spent managing the warehouse side, Arnold decided to make the transition to the inside sales department where he could learn more about customer industries, supplier relations, and build stronger relationships with Pipeline’s other buyers and sales representatives. 

“Pipeline was very supportive of my career pivot,” he said. “In this new role, I’ve quickly learned how my previous experience has prepared me for customer service. My understanding of the internal warehouse systems allows me to mitigate any disruptions before they happen as well as give customers insight into the more nuanced details of their orders. Our level of expertise then builds more transparency and trust in those relationships.”

Veteran Shares What Makes Pipeline the Best Packaging Company

We’ve talked to Good People at the Core from all stretches of the Pipeline family, from newcomers building innovative data management tools to warehouse specialists who become customer service representatives. Before closing out this month’s analysis, we turned to one of our seasoned veterans for her thoughts on what makes Pipeline the best packaging company to work for. 

Niki Boothe, a lead buyer located in Cleveland, has been with the company for more than a decade. When asked to give her perspective, she was more than eager to share what makes Pipeline so special.

“My time here has been wonderful,” said Niki. “The company makes you feel like a person, and when your team feels like family, it makes me excited to come back to work each day and helps me enjoy every aspect of my job. Knowing you work for the best packaging company is a strong motivator for solving challenges in the best interests of Pipeline and the customer.”

As Niki echoed the family feel that many of her fellow team members shared, she also took the sentiment one step further. 

“Pipeline respects me and my decision making as a packaging professional,” she said. “I have the authority to make my own decisions, which shows how much confidence the company has in its employees and their expertise when it comes to providing the best service.”

Along with decision making, Pipeline also opens the door for feedback from its team of experts. From shifting customer needs, modification in internal procedures, or setting company-wide goals, the Good People at the Core remain the driving force behind the efficiencies, value-added services, and inventory selections that make Pipeline a critical partner for many customers. 

“Customers can feel that we are one team,” said Niki. “They see that we are cohesive, united, and factual. That level of authenticity makes them more willing to trust us as an honest distributor who cares about their business.” 

By first respecting and listening to its internal family, Pipeline extends the same standards and courtesies to its external family. Our special vision as a culture of growth and the accompanying Good People at the Core sets us apart as the best packaging company. For many customers, this factor alone makes Pipeline an essential partner, not only in their packaging decisions, but their organizational achievements.

“I’m grateful every day that I was chosen to be part of this company and to watch it grow,” said Niki. “It is the coolest experience to see customer products on shelves and have a sense of accomplishment that is next level.”

Does your packaging provider treat you like family? Contact us today to start a conversation with the best packaging company and its Good People at the Core who stand ready to serve your specific needs.