From woodenware to high-speed digital printing — few companies have balanced legacy and innovation like New Packaging & Display.
In this episode, President Ben Urquhart joins hosts Ken Theriot and Randy Kessler to unpack nearly 200 years of evolution in corrugated packaging.

Ben shares how his seventh-generation family business continues to thrive in a changing market from navigating tariffs and technology to building sustainable operations that stand the test of time.

If you’re passionate about packaging, manufacturing, or how legacy brands stay modern, this episode is for you.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 – Intro: From Woodenware to Packaging Innovation
01:15 – Meet Ben Urquhart, President of New Packaging & Display
02:00 – Rebranding a Legacy Company for a Modern Market
04:00 – Early Career & Path Back to the Family Business
06:00 – Nearly 200 Years of History in Corrugated Packaging
09:00 – The Impact of Tariffs on U.S. Manufacturing
12:00 – Shifting Demand, Offshoring, and Domestic Opportunity
14:10 – Inside the Facility: Scale, Operations & Materials
15:45 – Sustainability as a Core Value and Certification Standards
18:10 – Customer-Driven Innovation and Regional Market Differences
20:00 – How E-Commerce Changed Packaging Design
23:00 – Real-World Example: Fast Turnaround and Two-Sided Print
25:00 – On Marketing and Brand Stewardship vs. Ownership
28:00 – Lessons from COVID: Resilience and Gratitude
32:00 – Investing in People and Machinery
36:00 – How New Packaging Decides on New Equipment
39:00 – The Role of Trade Shows and Vendor Relationships
44:00 – Workforce Development and Internal Advancement
48:00 – The Challenge of Retaining Skilled Workers
50:00 – Industry Consolidation: Independents vs. Integrators
53:00 – Associations and the Power of Learning (AICC)
54:30 – Excitement About EFI’s Single-Pass Digital Printing
56:00 – Favorite Brands and Lessons from History
58:45 – Dramatic Reading of a 19th-Century Accounting Letter
1:02:00 – Closing Thoughts on Leadership and Legacy

🎧 Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

📦 About Unpacking the Brand

Join hosts Ken Theriot (TheRiot Agency) and Randy Kessler (Labels & Labeling) as they dive into the intersection of business, branding, and innovation. Discover how leading brands adapt, evolve, and thrive in today’s fast-moving world of marketing, packaging, and design.

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