Stepps Named President of Sonoco Recycling LLC
HARTSVILLE, S.C., Aug. 06, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sonoco (NYSE: SON), one of the largest sustainable, diversified global packaging companies, today announced the appointment of Mike Pope to Segment Vice President of Sonoco Plastics’ Perimeter of the Store, effective October 1. Pope is a 16-year Sonoco veteran who brings a unique perspective to the Perimeter of the Store segment.
Pope is currently Division Vice President and General Manager, President of Sonoco Recycling LLC and has been instrumental in reorganizing the business in the face of significant change in the global recycling market, driven by volatile commodity prices. A native of Toronto, Canada, he holds a B.S. degree in Math from Queen’s University.
Palace Stepps has been appointed Division Vice President and General Manager, President of Sonoco Recycling LLC, effective immediately. In this role, Stepps will be responsible for Sonoco Recycling’s critical role in providing low-cost, quality recovered fiber for the Company’s North America mill system. He will also have operating responsibility for Sonoco Recycling’s 24 collection centers, including four material recovery facilities, which combined annually collect approximately 2.8 million tons of material. He will also lead Sonoco Recycling’s material export business.
Stepps has worked for Sonoco since 2010 and most recently served as Division Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Paper North America, where he was responsible for sales and product development for paperboard, corrugated medium and adhesives. He holds a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Winthrop University.
“The perimeter of the store and a concentration on fresh and natural foods continues to be a major focus area for our Company,” said Rob Tiede, president and CEO. “Each packaging sector must also focus on sustainability, and recycling technology and infrastructure play an important role across all of our businesses. Sonoco remains one of the few companies in the industry that sees the entire life-cycle of a package. Both Mike and Palace are proven, strong, long-term leaders in their businesses, and we are confident about the impact they will make in their new roles moving forward.”
About Sonoco
Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a global provider of a variety of consumer packaging, industrial products, protective packaging, and displays and packaging supply chain services. With annualized net sales of approximately $5.4 billion, the Company has 23,000 employees working in more than 300 operations in 36 countries, serving some of the world’s best known brands in some 85 nations. Sonoco is committed to creating sustainable products, services and programs for our customers, employees and communities that support our corporate purpose of Better Packaging. Better Life. The Company ranked first in the Packaging sector on Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2019 as well as being included in Barron's 100 Most Sustainable Companies for 2019. For more information on the Company, visit our website at www.sonoco.com.
Contact:
Roger Schrum
+843-339-6018
roger.schrum@sonoco.com
Source: Sonoco Products Company