Fly the Plane

November 6, 2024

My name is Gary Brewer, and it is my honor to have been elected as your 2024–2025 AICC chairman. I am president of Package Crafters in High Point, North Carolina, and Creative Packaging in Savannah, Georgia.

My path over the past 21 years has resulted in a two-facility sheet plant operation that has been supported tremendously by my AICC membership. My career began with degrees in paper science and chemical engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Wake Forest University in North Carolina. I started out as a process engineer in a paper mill and then transitioned to various roles in a corrugator plant.

Many times, as I pursued my MBA at night while working full time, I saw classmates leave the stability and security of the company they worked for to chase an idea or a dream. It proved contagious and caused me to make the decision to break out on my own. I started my company with my father and four other team members; we bought an empty building and installed a flexo folder-gluer, rotary die cutter, and printer slotter. Then, it was time to get to work because we had no customers. Here I am now, proudly representing our indus-try.

I am a believer in AICC, its mission, and the many benefits of membership. The educa-tional resources, peer group offerings, and networking opportunities are the bedrock for me and those I work with, not only early on but through today.

The theme of my chairmanship for this year is “Fly the Plane.” I have been a licensed pilot since my 21st birthday. Entrepreneurs and business leaders, like pilots, face many distrac-tions and diversions on a daily basis. Your priorities, safety, customers, team members, sales, and family are always there, but so are many other circumstances, influences, de-mands, and interruptions. Everyone is counting on you.

Pilots have extensive education and training as well as their crew, manuals, checklists, and air traffic controllers to help them on their way. You have AICC, your colleagues, friends, family, suppliers, and experiences to help you on your way. Like a pilot, you log hours at your business and become more proficient as you build time honing your skills and embracing new ideas and technologies.

But you must fly the plane. Always. You must run your business.

We’ll develop this theme as the year progresses. I very much look forward to meeting with as many of you as I can and building the dialogue for continued successful flights.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve the Association.