Will You Leave A Packaging Legacy?

This past weekend my son and I spent some quality time building a few things for Mom’s business. He has helped me with a few things in the past, but normally I keep him to simple, muscle powered tools. If I have a tool in my hand, he wants to help and like my Dad did with me, I always let him help me, no matter how much time it adds to the project.

On this day, I asked him if he wanted to work with a few of the bigger powered tools, which of course he said, YES SIR!

We took on my favorite tools in my vast arsenal, the Rigid brand Miter Saw (Dewalt Plunge Router being top of the list). We walked through the safety points of using the saw and the steps to get it into operation.

I handed him a tape measure and pencil and told him what we needed for cuts. Without hesitation, he laid out the board perfectly, using the square to ensure he drew straight lines across the boards. Our son goes to an advanced University STEM school and math is pushed hard on him. He says he hates it, but he’s good at it, regardless of his daily hours of homework at eight years old. It paid off today.

Once we got to the saw, I only held the board in place, for safety, and he cut each board on his own. He double checked each cut prior to making it and waited for the blade to stop prior to the next cut.

We started to assemble the project and he asked what else he could do. I laughed and told him he could do one of the most important parts of a good wood project… the sanding. He looked at me like I was crazy. I laughed out loud and explained that a project may look good, but detail sanding makes it look great! (It helped that I told him Mom’s business depends on the beauty of these projects)

After a quick walk-through on proper hand techniques and the two different power sanders we would use today, he was ready to go. He grabbed the sander and went to it. He took his time, followed the grain, checked his work with his hand and went back until it was perfect. After an hour of hand numbing work, he asked to take a break. I said son, we’re almost done so let’s power through and finish this. He hammered through another 30 minutes until we both agreed it was ready for final assembly.

Once the work was complete, Mom came out and put her stamp of approval on it. My son and I high fived and I opened an ice cold Yuengling, and he had a Gatorade.

That night I sent my Dad pictures and then called him. His reaction to the memory his grandson and I created that day humbled him and I could hear the pride in his voice.

Why does woodworking remind me of packaging? Because my Dad was my initial woodworking mentor (Additional shout out to Mr. Perry mu first shop teacher) and also my packaging mentor. My son’s dream is to fly C-130’s for the US Air Force so I won’t be the packaging mentor my Dad was, but I’m completely Ok with that.

Packaging is an art of its own and it takes proper tools and expertise to create the perfect container to hold a brand’s product. Like woodworking, it takes time, patience, and the right materials. Packaging is not simply created on a computer screen. Packaging starts with an idea and brought to life by a dedicated team with years of experience. The best thing we can do as the “older” generation of packaging professionals, is to ensure we are passing on the lessons from our path in packaging. Take time to ask the young guns for input and then investigate new techniques and processes with them. This is how you build your legacy in packaging. (and in my case, this is how I carry on our family legacy of woodworking).

Anyone can create packaging but I believe we should all work towards leaving a legacy in packaging that paves the way to advanced platforms to hold consumer goods. Customers and brands deserve it!