I have always been fascinated by the design aspect of product packaging, but I have not really considered the mechanics behind the process until joining Haskell. So, when I had the opportunity to attend an onboarding event held by the Packaging Systems team, I was intrigued.

The onboarding, which takes place twice a year, is led by Bela Jacobson, the Director of Packaging Operations. An industrial engineer with expertise in material handling, Bela is warm and approachable, which made learning about mechanics and engineering easier. My brain is not mechanically inclined, so I appreciated that the onboarding was led by someone who was down to earth and easy to understand.

The three-day event is set up like a seminar, with multiple speakers on a broad range of packaging topics, such as engineering processes, best practices, standards, and further understanding of the roles within the Haskell family. Not only were there presentations about packaging and process engineering, but there were also presentations about other areas of the Haskell company that contribute to the packaging sector like Doug Wear’s presentation on Travel and Business Etiquette, during which he reiterates some general travel knowledge as well as proper manufacturing facility guidelines, such as not bringing glass bottles into a factory.

In addition to Doug’s presentation on travel protocols, Shannon O’Neil, Group Manager for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Marketing, gave an informative presentation that outlined the team’s innovative marketing initiatives and campaigns aimed at growing Haskell’s Consumer Products, Food & Beverage and Beer, Wine & Spirits divisions.

Haskell Integration Manager Julia Sawyer teaches a session during the February 2020 Packaging Onboarding event.

My greatest takeaway, and the consistent theme throughout, was a new understanding of the high level of creativity that also goes into a packaging line. I assumed it was more mechanical and analytical, but there is a great deal of ingenuity in the packaging-engineering process, from the system analytics that optimize packaging lines to the 3D renderings shown to clients and other team members implementing the project to the controls systems that help bring the facility to life. Additionally, the level of engagement and knowledge that every speaker showed for their area of expertise made me realize how lucky and happy I am to be working at Haskell. It’s inspiring to see colleagues who are as passionate about their crafts as I am about mine.

At the end of the three days, we went over the Haskell core values of Team, Excellence, Service and Trust, and how we can apply them to daily operations and interactions with clients and coworkers. I thought Bela was the perfect person to go over the Haskell values with us because she seems to be an excellent example of what they represent. The Haskell value that resonated with me the most is Excellence, because Haskell truly prides itself on continuing knowledge and education within your role to achieve goals. As a naturally curious person, I believe that this approach to expanding industry knowledge will not only serve you professionally, but personally as well. Overall, the experience at the Packaging Onboarding not only taught me more about all the different roles at Haskell, but how to better my role at Haskell, also.

About the author: Ajer Roberts is a Marketing Specialist II in Haskell’s Consumer Packaged Goods Delivery Group. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Creative Writing with 4 years’ experience in content creation and various marketing campaign strategies. She can be reached at ajer.roberts@haskell.com.