November 6, 2026
I’ve spent the last 27 years in the corrugated industry, partnering with box plants and manufacturing leaders across North America.
My connection to this industry runs deep. My father, John, spent his entire career in corrugated. After playing golf and earning an accounting degree from the University of Notre Dame—which he believed was an essential foundation for business—he served in the Marines and faced three choices: go into accounting, sell life insurance, or sell corrugated boxes. He chose boxes and built a fulfilling lifelong career.
While I spent my first 15 years in another field, my father’s genuine passion for corrugated eventually drew me in. I had the honor of working side by side with him for two years, and I’ve had the privilege of spending nearly three decades working alongside driven, passionate leaders and colleagues across this great industry.
Looking back across nearly 30 years, plant operations now run faster, and technology has transformed how manufacturing gets done. Yet, through every market cycle, one fundamental truth remains unchanged: Integrity is the single asset you can never afford to compromise.
Early in a career, it is easy to view business through short-term metrics and immediate wins. But after 27 years, the core beliefs taught to me by my father and close mentors have proven true. A company’s true foundation isn’t defined by marketing, but by character. A quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln captures this well: “Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”
In our industry, that foundation begins with an unshakeable belief in what we bring to the customer. If we don’t genuinely believe our solutions deliver measurable value, we are in the wrong line of work. When clients invest with us, they place their trust—and the productivity of their workforce—in our hands. Long-term success is built on ensuring that customers realize a return that far exceeds their investment.
When your primary focus is bringing genuine value, financial performance takes care of itself. Benjamin Franklin famously advised, “Well done is better than well said.” In an industry driven by margins, staying focused on long-term value creation remains the ultimate competitive differentiator.
If 27 years in manufacturing teaches you anything, it’s that challenges will arise. Project timelines slip, and operational hurdles happen. Integrity means taking immediate responsibility, communicating transparently, and fixing the process. Owning a mistake with complete honesty builds far deeper trust than pretending perfection.
As I reflect today, my focus has expanded toward mentorship and legacy. True leadership is about leaving your team, colleagues, and customers better off than you found them and modeling an uncompromising standard for the next generation.
The world will continue to accelerate, but foundational principles remain timeless: Believe in what you deliver, honor your commitments, own your mistakes, and lift those around you. As my dad’s favorite golfer, Ben Hogan, stated: “There is no shortcut to success. You have to earn it, and you earn it in the dirt.”
Brian Foley is national sales manager, corrugated board, at BOBST and vice chairman of AICC’s Associate board.
