Guided by the theme “Legacy in Action: Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders,” the AICC Spring Meeting in Carlsbad, California offered a dynamic mix of high-level insights, forward-looking discussions, and meaningful networking opportunities that reflected the industry’s strength.
Powerful General Sessions And Keynotes
The General Sessions featured compelling presentations from industry thought leaders and keynote speakers. Futurist Jim Carroll delivered a forward-looking keynote on transformative trends shaping the future of business, while best-selling sports author Ross Bernstein closed the meeting with an inspiring presentation on leadership, integrity, and high-performance culture.
Attendees also heard from Matt Eichmann, Founder & Leadership Advisor, Catalyst Point Leadership Advisors, who provided actionable insights on building strong teams and developing future leaders.
Industry Expertise
George Staphos, Managing Director of Equity Research at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, provided an economic outlook, while Jules Van Sant, Executive Director at Two Sides North America, addressed sustainability and greenwashing in the packaging space.
A State of the Industry panel moderated by Joe Morelli, The Morelli Group LLC, featured Chad Wagner, Peachtree Packaging; Greg Tucker, Bay Cities Packaging & Design; Mike Schaefer, Tavens Packaging & Display; and Larry Grossbard, President Container.
Aleks Zlatic, Aurum Intelligence Inc, moderated a conversation about how AI is transforming business operations with panelists Gokul Gopakumar, SUN Automation Group; Jeff Putt, Deline Box & Display; Mohamed Azzouz, Royal Container Ltd.; Aki Leiniäinen, Valmet Inc.; and Jim Hawton, Bay Cities Packaging & Design.
Breakout Sessions
Two days of breakout sessions provided attendees with practical tools and strategies. Matt Eichmann led sessions on leadership development and navigating change. K.M. Zouhary, Founder & Principal Consultant, KMZ Advisors, explored the intersection of emotional intelligence and artificial intelligence, as well as leading across generations.
Tom Trinchi, Jamestown Container Companies, Roftiel Constantine, Barry Wehmiller, and Ken Saganowski, MoxFive, joined in a discussion on Cyber Security: Threats, Tactics & Trends with moderator Theo Peterson of Amtech Software.
Recognizing Excellence
A highlight of the meeting was the recognition of outstanding contributions within the industry.
Bob Cohen of Acme Corrugated Box Co. was honored with induction into the AICC Hall of Fame, one of the Association’s highest recognitions. Two of Bob’s sons, Jeremy and Erik, accepted the award on his behalf.
The longevity of AICC members was also highlighted through the Member Milestone Recognition Program. In 2026, the following companies are celebrating anniversaries of continual operation: 100 Years – Mid America Paper Recycling Company; 80 Years – Pamarco; 70 Years – Jamestown Container Companies; and 40 Years – OMP.
The Independents’ Cup Charity Golf Tournament raised $10,000 for the Foundation for Packaging Education, which helps maintain and grow educational opportunities for AICC members.
First Place winners on the South Course were: John Pepper, Kelly Albert, Adam Pauwels, and Corey Pedneault, all of Atlantic Packaging. North Course winners were: Andrew Bell, Packaging Express; Kirby Heck, Packaging Express; Marcus Rozatti, CPG StarCorr Sheets; and Nathan Schwarz, CPG StarCorr Sheets.
Networking, Community, And Engagement
The AICC Spring Meeting also highlighted the strength of its next generation and the growing impact of its community-driven initiatives.
Emerging Leaders were actively engaged throughout the week, beginning with a dedicated training session featuring Jack Fiterman, Vice President of Business Development at Liberty Diversified International, who shared insights on culture and leadership development, followed by a networking event that fostered meaningful connections among young professionals.
The AICC Women in Packaging Group continued to build momentum with a series of well-supported events, including a networking breakfast featuring Tonya Morelli of The Morelli Group LLC, as well as a golf lesson and 9-hole scramble that combined skill-building with relationship-building.
AICC also added a pickleball tournament to this Spring Meeting. The tournament winners were: Doug Butler – A.G. Stacker Inc.; Kelly Albert – Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd.; Michael Klear – Corrugated Solutions; and Dana Monaco – Corrugated Solutions.
Supporting Members
AICC thanks the following top sponsors for their support of the 2026 Spring Meeting: Premier Platinum Sponsor – Domtar; Premier Gold Sponsor – Flint Group; Major Golf Sponsor – Hood Container; Premier Silver Sponsor – AG Stacker; Premier Bronze Sponsor – SUN Automation.
A Meeting to Remember
With nearly 800 attendees and a program filled with relevant content, forward-thinking discussions, and high-impact networking, the 2026 AICC Spring Meeting stood out as a powerful gathering for the independent packaging industry, proving that when you invest and engage, AICC delivers success.
AICC’s next national meeting will be Corrugated Week, in collaboration with TAPPI, September 28-30 in Fort Worth, Texas. Learn more at www.AICCbox.org/Calendar.
