Lead by example. It’s just that simple.

You always know when Charles is in the office. It starts when you hear the receptionists sing out “Good morning, Mr. Wilson. How are you today?” Then you’ll see him on his rounds. Few company chairmen take the time to stop by every employee’s desk to check in and say hello (and maybe to pick up a piece of candy or two), but Charles does. He knows how important it is to make those personal connections.

Since joining his brother in business after serving in World War II, this recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star has always put people first. It takes a lot of energy to mentor so many individuals, but even after almost 70 years in the business, Charles makes it a priority. The candy helps, but mostly it’s the love he has for our company and all the people here that keep him going.

Spending time with family is at the top of Tim’s list of favorite things to do. That’s an especially good thing as the president of a family-owned business because with over 450 employees, his definition of family is a bit broader than most.

He prides himself on the people he has on his team — their passion, the dedication they have to their work, and their willingness to collaborate to help find the best solutions for our customers. In fact, some of his greatest joys come from celebrating the professional successes and personal milestones of his extended family.

Keeping up with Brian is tough. He’s so full of life, you never know what’s coming next. We think his previous jobs working on a cruise ship, serving as president of his city’s Little League, and managing rock bands perfectly prepared him for his life today — as father to two great boys, stepfather to two more, dedicated husband, keeper of the family animal menagerie, and Vice President of Client Relations.

Brian consistently puts his incredible energy to work for everyone here at Ernest Packaging Solutions. With his great ability to make customers comfortable, his commitment to understanding their needs and objectives, and his ability to always have fun in the process, Brian is a great asset to his clients and to us. We look forward to many more years of trying to keep up with him.

Mike was a part of the Ernest Packaging Solutions family long before he joined the team as an employee. In his work for a number of our suppliers, he saw firsthand what a difference that family feeling makes. Now he’s doing his part to demonstrate our strong commitment to service on a daily basis. Mike does that by looking at things from all perspectives to help our clients and his coworkers succeed.

That passion for success probably comes from his love of sports. He’s a big Miami Dolphins fan, and when he’s not rooting for them, you might find him riding dirtbikes in the desert, waterskiing and jet-skiing, or hitting the slopes on his snowboard.

Karri is dedicated and committed to everything she does. Whether it’s cheering on her son at all of his soccer games or solving challenges for our clients and employees, she’s in it 100%. She has proven herself over and over again during the past 16 years as part of the Ernest Packaging Solutions family.

Her experience in accounting, HR, and as our Operations Manager in Los Angeles has given her the day-to-day perspective that helps her shine as our VP of Finance. Or maybe it’s her annual trips to recharge in the surf and sun in Costa Rica that do the trick. Either way, her future looks bright.

With a record like Mickey Mantle, the charisma of Joe DiMaggio, and the heart of Lou Gehrig, we think if Vince ever decides to retire from us, he has a bright future as a coach. His passion for nurturing success in everyone around him — from his family to our leadership and especially his new recruits — brings new life and energy to Ernest Packaging Solutions every day.

Since 2008, Ernest has been the house that Vince built. Vince is not only getting top talent to join our Ernest family, but as keeper of the culture, he is making sure that we maintain the perfect climate for them to prosper and succeed. It’s really too bad that his favorite team, the Yankees, haven’t discovered him. Their loss is definitely our gain.

One for all, all for one. That’s how Clint Howard sees the relationship between individual and collective success. As our first ever VP of Learning and Development, he hopes to lead Ernest to global improvement by spearheading initiatives to develop personalized, relevant content for each employee. His deep experience at the company and passionate support for the Ernest Way will play an integral part as the Learning and Development department turns its focus to expanding its resources to help us realize Ernest’s vision for the future.

Having spent over 11 years at Ernest, Clint’s the perfect man to connect business to training. In the gamut of titles that he’s held—including DCR, GM, and Regional VP—he’s shown a consistent passion for putting people first and championing professional development. As the head of Learning and Development, he’ll make sure that the training provided to our E-teamers is specific and actionable.

Clint has big plans for the expanded Learning and Development team, which will have a representative from each of our operational departments, including client coordinators, merchandisers, warehouse and logistics, and sales. Each will help to create a “center of excellence,” and be responsible for creating training content in their area of expertise. Even though he prefers not to be in the spotlight, let’s give Clint a hand for all he’s invested into others. The next time you pick up something useful from an Ernest training, you’ll know who to thank.

When he’s not busy helping every Ernest employee be the best they can be, Clint’s busy helping his family learn and grow, too. Between home improvement projects, weekend camping trips, four kids, and one “smart but dumb” golden retriever, he’s certainly got his hands full—and we have a feeling he wouldn’t have it any other way. Whether Clint is training or being trained, his commitment to shared success is just the kind of forward momentum that makes all the difference.

If you ask Eddie what he thinks makes Ernest Packaging Solutions so successful, he would tell you it’s the people. When people work together, great things happen. This belief in teamwork and his ability to build relationships with everyone around him make him a huge asset and a great leader.

He says it comes from lessons he learned on the college basketball court. We think it’s just part of his balanced, good-natured approach to life. Whatever the case, we’re learning new things from Eddie every day and are thrilled to have him on our team.

Kenny loves a good competition, both personally and professionally. So it makes sense that he would return to Ernest, the company that launched his packaging career, after a decade of working for a competitor.

As our General Manager, he is keeping his competitive nature on the golf course and has become passionate about sharing his years of knowledge and experience with the younger members of our sales force. And if you ask Kenny what day was his favorite day at Ernest, he’ll tell you it was the day he came back. We have to agree and couldn’t be happier to have him.

Travis does everything he can to set himself and the Ernest Packaging Solutions family apart. He uses every opportunity to seek advice, expertise, and perspective from vendors and consultants to cover all angles for his customers. It’s this kind of attitude and proactive approach that has helped him and the team excel.

Outside of Ernest he takes advantage of all that Portland has to offer. In his spare time you can find him with some or all of his 5 kids fishing, camping, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors. And when the weather doesn’t cooperate, you’ll find him playing the piano and coaxing his kids to sing along.

Both professionally and personally, Scott has a special talent for rallying people. Whether he’s coaching his kids’ baseball and soccer teams or bringing all the Ernest offices together under a compelling new brand, he knows the power of a strong, confident message. He’s a firm believer in the company’s commitment to Moving Packaging Forward and takes the idea to heart even in the way the company markets itself.

He attributes this passion for our brand to the fact that the family culture at Ernest makes you always want to do your best. We know it’s really because he’s a savvy marketer who truly loves his work.

On Kevin Weinberg’s desk, you’ll find a quote from the intro to a Joss Stone song that says, “You see, I know change. I see change. I embody change. All we do is change…” Clearly, he is 100% Ernest and the perfect person to head up our information systems team. For 20 years, he’s been a much relied upon part of the Ernest family.

With a background as an accountant, a software expert, a systems guy, an operations lead, and most recently helping us translate Ernest DNA into software, he knows what makes our business go. He’s always thinking strategically, turning corners into bends and helping us tackle our most audacious goals. Good thing he’s got his music, his books, his rock climbing, and his two grandchildren to keep him sane.

Voice like gravel, hands like a vice grip and two steel-toed boots that are ready to kick ass and take names.

Try to keep up with what I’m throwin’ down. Most people think my job is to bring the brawn to our crew. But don’t sleep on my brain, brothers and sisters. It’s a bad mammer-jammer. That’s how I really flex. With my mental muscle, baby.

Despite his appearance, Dudley is so much more than a three-day-old cake donut. Inspired by E-Teamers, he’s been revived, refreshed and rejuvenated. His job? To remind us to always come to the table with fresh ideas for our clients and to never, ever go stale.