Without a doubt, there is a strong family legacy at MJS Packaging. Of course, the core part of the tradition is the Jacob family’s lineage within the business, however, there are also strong and long-standing ties with an extended ‘corporate family’ as well. Thankfully, many have contributed to providing packaging and packaging components.
In fact, the Stieler name has been part of MJS Packaging for decades and Paul Stieler is someone we really hope you get to know. In his role as a VP, he has both followed in his father’s footsteps and made his own way.
The Jacob Family and the Stieler Family
Paul’s dad, Bob Stieler, was hired by Elaine Jacob and worked for MJS Packaging from 1956-2013. Since the Jacob family had the Detroit area fairly well-covered, he was hired to cover West Michigan. It wasn’t long until he developed inroads with a few big names like Amway and Perrigo. (Both are still customers today.)
It’s no surprise that Bob was the most successful salesperson MJS Packaging has ever had. His dedication was unparalleled and he left a strong impression on Paul.
“When I was a young boy, Dad would call in every day while we were on vacation,” Paul remembered. “He would do this to check on messages from customers. I think the customers really appreciated that, too.”
Sometimes, the family would accompany Bob when he traveled to West Michigan for customer meetings. Bob could conduct business and the family could relax at the beach.
Despite the strong presence of MJS Packaging in the Stieler household, Paul wasn’t originally pursuing a career with the company. Instead of work that had to do with packaging or packaging components, Bob advised Paul to pursue a career in dentistry.
“I quickly figured out while in college that this was not the right path for me,” Paul said. “Instead, I pursued a degree in Business Management from Oakland University and also completed a couple of interesting minors [dual minors in Computer Science and Russian History].”
After graduation, in July of 1981, Paul joined MJS Packaging and learned through listening.
Paul was exposed to customers, suppliers, and all other facets of the business. From devising packaging solutions to finding the right packaging components, Paul learned it all.
Paul found he was attracted to sales. He started accompanying Bob on sales calls in his first few years at MJS Packaging. In the car ride home after the calls, Paul gained quite a bit of knowledge by asking questions and picking his dad’s brain.
By 1984, the original customer contact at Amway retired. With this change, it was a natural time for the Amway account to transition to Paul.
Making a Difference & Staying Competitive
With the Stielers and so many others over the years contributing to sales and quality account management, MJS Packaging has been able to grow. This is also supported by the innovation and investment in customers of various sizes.
“Our size is a huge advantage,” Paul asserted. “It gives us the flexibility to serve our customers quickly and effectively. We have very few layers within our organization and it’s a pleasure to see our customers experience the upside of this.”
Growth, innovation, and account management have all been incredibly important during Paul’s time at MJS Packaging. Just as packaging has changed over the years, so has the sales process and the means necessary to serving customers.
Paul contends that it has been important for him and the team at MJS Packaging to keep in mind that customer needs have stayed the same at the core.
“Customers are counting on us because we help them fix their problems,” Paul said. “Behind everything we do is the mission to help customers find the packaging solutions and packaging components essential for their business to excel.”
Trends in Packaging and Packaging Components
There are a few notable areas where Paul is seeing immense growth. One of those areas is tamper-evident packaging. He notes that it is used on nearly everything now. Similarly, he notes how he is seeing child-resistant packaging, senior-friendly packaging, and sustainable packaging also on the rise.
“Some projects are among the first you see for a trend and they stick with you,” Paul said. “And some are especially rewarding because of the challenge involved. This was the case for my work toward innovating Bar’s Products.”
Bar’s Products is a long-time customer with a similar family-owned model. They needed to meet federal regulations for child-resistant packaging and they needed the packaging components to be functionally compatible with all car makes and models.
“I loved brainstorming solutions for their bottle design,” Paul explained. “Even when it involves the challenge of developing technical solutions as I have done with Amway, I enjoy working alongside their internal resources and finding just the right fit.”
Quality Relationships to Foster Success
Paul has been at this for quite a while and we are grateful for his approach. From the early years where his dad served as a mentor, to Paul’s own approach and care he shows for every project, we look forward to seeing the impact he makes for new customers we take on.
“For 35 years, I have enjoyed serving customers,” Paul said. “I’ve always enjoyed the way my job allows me to help a customer or friend solve a problem.”
Many customer relationships have even become true friendships over the years, too. We think every business can benefit from that kind of personable and solutions-oriented approach.
