The Whole Package, by Premier Packaging: Recent Episodes
The Whole Package
Our engaging, informative podcast explores industry trends and the people who make Premier and the packaging world special. Watch for new episodes twice a month.
In this exciting first installment of 2026, host Billy Watkins is joined by Joe Cox, Director, Corporate Enterprise & Corporate Resources at Premier Packaging. Joe has played a key role in overseeing and growing Premier’s Mexico operations over the past decade. With 2025 ending in their most successful year thus far, Billy and Joe discuss how their team has been able to thrive in Mexico’s market space, current and future initiatives to streamline their processes, and some of the hurdles they experienced breaking into a foreign market.
In this last episode of 2025, host Billy Watkins reminisces on some of the most memorable moments and guests throughout the year. It’s been an amazing journey full of expert insights, inspiring stories and dynamic conversations. Here's to reflecting on the moments that made this year’s Whole Package truly special and looking forward to what’s ahead!
Be sure to tune in next year for more insightful discussions and exciting guests. See you in the new year!
In this week’s installment of The Whole Package, host Billy Watkins is joined by Premier Packaging CEO, Jill Gaynor, and National Sales Representative, Mackenzie Lake to discuss all things WBENC. After obtaining Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) certification in April of 2025, Premier is nationally recognized as a Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE), allowing us to pursue a wide range of new partnerships and opportunities. This designation further distinguishes Premier from our competitors. As an official diverse supplier, our flexibility and commitment to excellence provide our partners with significant advantages.
In this week’s episode, host Billy Watkins sits down with Premier’s IT Department. Joined by Chief Information Officer, Mike King, and our Director, Enterprise Applications, Angel Ferrer, they discuss the silent but steady force behind our technological ability to consistently meet the unique needs of our partners. By driving innovation and leveraging cutting-edge information technology, we deliver meaningful value that enhances our clients' experiences and supports their success, while ensuring the safety and security of their data.
In this week’s installment, host Billy Watkins rejoins Premier’s Packaging Design Manager, Tom Mason, to explore how the Design Team finds the right solutions for our partners. Their expertise transforms vague ideas into innovative, practical solutions. From structural integrity to visual impact, Premier studies the details to ensure that each package not only looks great but functions flawlessly.
This week on The Whole Package, host Billy Watkins tackles the most burning questions from Premier’s partners and our listeners. Featuring exclusive clips from past episodes, he reveals insider secrets and today’s top strategies to elevate your packaging game – you won’t want to miss out on this expert insight.
In this week’s episode, host Billy Watkins is joined by Premier’s Packaging Design Manager, Tom Mason, to explore the complexities of packaging design. Growing up with a passion for numbers and art, Tom was destined to find a career somewhere in the world of design – thankfully, it was with Premier. Here, Tom guides Billy through his team’s detailed, step-by-step process for creating innovative packaging solutions that are as unique and dependable as the products they protect. Be sure to tune in for part II, where Billy discovers how Premier’s talented Design Team can expertly tackle nearly any challenge that comes their way.
In this week’s episode, host Billy Watkins takes a deep dive into stretch film with Chuck Pomles, Packaging Application Engineer at Premier Packaging. Playing a major role in the packaging industry, stretch film helps protect products from load failure during transit by securing them neatly together, typically on a standard pallet. Chuck reveals how Premier’s cut and weigh testing process can help our partners minimize costs and improve their overall environmental footprint, reducing plastic use and finding unrealized savings.
In this week's episode, we're joined by Tim Kauffmann, Product Innovation Specialist at Premier Packaging. Tim shares expert insights into mailers – revealing the numerous benefits of this incredibly robust and versatile shipping solution. Discover why mailers are becoming the preferred choice for e-commerce brands and small businesses. From theft-detection features to sustainability advantages, mailers provide a cost-effective, durable packaging solution for your shipping needs. With completely customizable design options and branding opportunities, there are endless possibilities for mailers to enhance your brand experience.
Join Sustainability Manager Kevin Fritze and Senior Specialist Adara Schneider as they unveil Premier Packaging's 2024 Sustainability Report. Discover how our eco-friendly packaging solutions are reducing carbon footprints while driving customer cost savings. Learn about our sustainability initiatives, including warehouse optimization, electric forklift conversion, and our ambitious net-zero emissions target for 2040. Find out how sustainable packaging practices create business value through environmental responsibility and operational efficiency.
In this episode, warehouse optimization specialist Tony Givan reveals how Premier's Bin Boxes transformed from simple clothing organizers into customizable storage solutions that maximize space and efficiency. Discover how businesses of ALL sizes—from startups to major retailers—are revolutionizing their warehousing operations with these versatile tools. Learn insider tips for implementing bin systems that can dramatically improve your workflow and storage capacity!
In this must-watch sales and supply chain podcast episode, host Billy Watkins sits down with B2B sales expert and supply chain specialist Jessica Anderson to uncover the secrets behind building lasting customer relationships, entrepreneurial resilience, and strategic business growth. Discover how Jessica’s journey from launching a profitable lawn mowing business at just 8 years old to dominating the construction, industrial, and packaging industries shaped her proven strategies for sales success, client retention, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
This week, we met with Manager of Industrial Sourcing Max Godby, who breaks down the level of thought behind some of the sourcing materials Premier can offer. From the specificity of the tape and adhesive to the strength of the stretch film, Max and our Sourcing Team have decades of experience in helping our partners choose the right products.
We laughed, we learned, we unpacked. We're honored to have such an exceptional group of individuals assisting our partners with all their packaging needs. Here's to 2025, and taking a look back at some of 2024's most memorable moments with Billy and our incredible guests.
In this week’s episode, we sit down with Premier Packaging CEO Jill Gaynor, who walks us through some of the challenges she’s faced in a constantly developing industry. Coming from a career in Marketing, Jill played an integral role in growing Premier into the international leader it is today. From driving innovation, fostering a dynamic company culture, and staying true to the core values of Premier, Jill has been able to continue building a company-wide desire for excellence in everything we do.
This week, Premier’s Learning & Development Leader Lindsay Zeller breaks down how she works to help employees continue growing and developing professionally. Starting her career in academia, Lindsay found she had a passion for cultivating an environment that encouraged professional development almost immediately before making the move to the private sector. Whether its compliance training, learning new computer programs or suggesting general well-being practices, she’s been able to create engaging education opportunities for Premier employees.
For this episode, we sit down with Kyle Reiter, Premier’s Service Manager and Automation Technician, to explore his fascinating journey from farm life to becoming a master technician. Kyle shares his experiences managing a farm in Indiana, raising cattle, and even serving on the local rodeo board. He also breaks down the ins and outs of packaging equipment—ranging from maintenance to upgrades—and highlights how his expertise helps businesses run efficiently.
Kara Rogers, Vice President of HR at Premier, takes us through her career journey in the corporate world, sharing valuable insights from her experience in talent acquisition and the challenges of navigating a competitive job market. She also discusses her unique background, her passion for American Sign Language, and how her love for travel shapes her approach to leadership.
Every day, Angel Ferrer wrestles with the powerful forces reshaping IT in the packaging industry and beyond—AI, automation, and the system integrations that weave them together into a seamless user experience, or UX, for the rest of us. “The final product is only the tip of the iceberg,” Angel says. In other words, his role is all about finding solutions amid constant change. It’s a challenge he knows well. Since leaving Cuba at the age of 19, Angel’s story has been one of constant adaptation and innovation. As manager of integration and automation for Premier Packaging’s IT team, Angel unpacks how his team simplifies complex processes, connects digital systems, automates repetitive tasks, and continually finds smarter ways to make technology work for people—and not the other way around.
In part two of our interview, Premier Packaging President John Gaynor reflects on the company’s collaborative culture, unpacking Premier’s strategies for adapting to evolving customer expectations and empowering employees in the decision-making process. “Premier's success is a team success,” John says.
As a scrappy young sales rep just out of college, future Premier Packaging co-founder and President John Gaynor faced one slammed door after another—that is, until he finally came across the opportunity of a lifetime. In this first episode of a two-part series, John recounts his company’s intrepid origin story, revealing how a bold leap of faith would catapult Premier Packaging to the forefront of the packaging revolution, where it has continued to set the bar for 30 years and counting.
Steve Burmester started in sales for Premier in 1994, when he was still a college sophomore and our company was being created in a dusty old tobacco warehouse out of “hustle and dreams” and grit. Now a National Sales Representative, Steve reflects that what hasn’t changed is Premier’s focus on getting to know customers and their challenges, and being their partner in finding solutions.
Paul Cunningham puts his love of packaging to work as a Supply Chain Specialist for Premier. While sales can be a competitive roller-coaster, he enjoys finding our customers the best solutions at competitive prices and Premier becoming their partner.
Miranda Garcia, a Human Resources Manager for Premier in Southern California, went into HR like her mom (“the family business”). Miranda loves it because her job is about people. She talks about the importance of clear messaging, Premier allowing people to grow in their careers, and the many fun things to do in the area—including the Corgi races at the Santa Anita Racetrack. You read that correctly.
Premier’s Chief Supply Officer Josh Bowman makes sure we can make and ship product to our customers reliably and cost-effectively and be flexible when they need us to. He reflects on the current and future state of supply chain and how working at a health company, a diesel manufacturer, and a scientific manufacturer helped prepare him for his current role. Also: Where to get the best tattoos.
Most safety professionals get into this role by accident,” no pun intended, says Mayra Vega, Premier’s Corporate Environmental Health and Safety Manager. Her days working at a trauma center, needing to have everything ready for the injured person coming through the door, helped set her up for success overseeing safety at our facilities in the United States and Mexico. The key to making work behavior safer is truly caring about our people, she says.
Numbers like batting averages and free throw percentages always came easy to Andy Hennessey as a kid. Today, as our Chief Financial Officer, he makes sure the numbers always work for Premier. During his 13 years with our company, he has seen—and helped—us experience tremendous growth, such as doubling our manufacturing and distribution facilities. Here he offers his insights into where we’ve been and where we’re going.
"We will do whatever we have to do, to get our customers what they need.” That’s the motto of Wali Shaheed, Manufacturing Site Manager for Premier’s Rancho Cucamonga facility. A 30+-year veteran of the corrugated industry, Wali oversees a growing manufacturing facility of about 50 people, average age 22. He talks about what’s important for our customers and our employees.
What does it take to be a successful Account Manager for Premier? For Lauren Bright, who works in Southern California, it’s all about problem solving, being accessible, and helping customers how they want to be helped. She and host Billy Watkins discuss how Premier solved one customer’s challenge, the Premier “difference”—our people, and why you shouldn’t fear “Box Trolls.”
Supply Chain Specialist Luke Smith enjoys building “really cool relationships” with Premier’s customers instead of just trying to sell products. The Premier way, he explains, is getting to know and understand you and your operations so we can find opportunities to help your bottom line. Luke also talks about how much he likes living in his native Utah, with its many outdoors activities like skiing: “If you don’t like the outdoors, you should move.
As a child, Kevin Fritze saw the impact of logging on the Maine woods, and decided he wanted to help protect the environment. As Premier’s Sustainability Manager, he analyzes the way we operate and looks for ways for us to become more sustainable. Here he explains how the more sustainable packaging choice is not always the obvious one, as well as easy, inexpensive ways to build sustainability into your daily life.
Alex Garrett started college intending to become an opera singer and ended it determined to help people by coming up with packaging solutions. Opera’s loss is Premier’s gain. With us seven years now, Supply Chain Specialist Alex talks about how Premier’s target assessment process has helped businesses save hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Based in Southern California, he’s had several brushes with celebrities—including almost hitting actress Jennifer Garner with his car.
Kate Smith and Rachel Carroll, the Hat Girls, had a problem: How to protect their fragile, custom-designed, high-end hats that can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars during shipping. Enter Premier Packaging, which created a box that offers excellent protection and is luxurious too, adding to the customer’s unboxing experience. Learn more about Kate and Rachel’s head-y business and our partnership with them in this fascinating episode.
As Premier Packaging celebrates its 30th birthday, we look back at what our employees interviewed on the podcast like about our company, including their opportunity for advancement, our culture, and our commitment to customer service. And how did they get here? The answers range from a golf course meet-up to university MBA contacts to a Craigslist ad.
Premier offers many packaging options for our customers. Chris Winfield, Vice President of Strategic Accounts, explains the advantages of poly mailers, padded paper mailers, cold chain packaging, and corrugated boxes, from durability and recyclability to our capabilities such as dual inside/outside printing. Also: How pizza is like fine jewelry.
Premier’s manufacturing facility in Louisville, Ky, features state-of-the-art machinery, but what really sets it apart are our employees. Host Billy Watkins talks to Shipping Manager Cindy Spurlock, CAD operator Tiffany Reed, forklift driver Willie Jeffrey, and Manufacturing General Manager Jason Stinnett about their day-to-day jobs. When asked why they love working here, they all say the same thing: The people.
Every day our employees keep products and materials smoothly flowing in and out of our Corporate Distribution Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Good people are the key to tracking and moving inventory safely and efficiently. On a visit to the DC, host Billy Watkins talks to Logistics Coordinator April Angus; Warehouse Lead Tim Weathers; Warehouse Associate Richard Gooch; and Regional Operations Manager Mitch Payne about their roles in the process.
“Chemistry is a way to grow your curiosity about the world,” says Pam Wilson, Premier’s Vice President of Products. She applies her curiosity to discovering and developing the products our customers want and need, both now and down the road. Here she talks about the product development process, how a polymer background is valuable in the packaging world, and why Premier is uniquely positioned to spot and act on trends in the marketplace.
Host Billy Watkins looks back at 2023, a year of challenges in which Premier scored several major accomplishments.
Despite challenges in 2023, Premier had a record year in manufacturing, with production 20 to 25% higher than before. Ryan Benningfield, Corporate Director of Manufacturing, attributes this success to new equipment, continuous improvement and, the main factor, our employees. Ryan discusses the importance of our people and looks ahead to Premier’s goals and potential challenges in 2024.
Learning how to handle disgruntled travelers as a valet at the airport was “a quick speed run to customer service,” says Rob Lynch. Today, he’s still solving problems—as Premier’s Senior Manager of IT Operations. In this far-ranging interview, he talks about how our IT Help Desk works, cybersecurity, the dangers and benefits of AI, and what the heck happened to floppy discs.
As a kid, Tabitha Lauzon organized play for she and her sisters. Today as Premier’s Senior Corporate Event Coordinator, she plans events ranging from a small gathering of executives to six huge end-of-year parties for our employees happening simultaneously across the country. She says the secret to great event planning is staying calm and on top of all the details: “Prepare for the worst and expect the best."
Steve Arkon, Premier’s Sales Manager for the Ohio Valley, has swum in a shark tank—so to speak. While earning his MBA at Bellarmine, he developed a solution for a common issue at transportation companies as part of a course and won a local “Shark Tank”-style competition. Steve uses the lessons he learned marketing that product and working for various companies to support and develop his sales team at Premier: “We have so much to offer.”
Design Specialist Chuck Pomles, a 37-year veteran of the packaging industry, describes how Premier builds relationships with its customers to find just the right solutions for their packaging and process challenges. Chuck also talks about good package design and sustainability—with the most sustainable solutions sometimes not being what you’d first expect.
Brittany Biggs, a project manager supervisor, has always been fascinated by packaging, from products on store shelves to making intricate boxes at Premier. She talks about the importance of organization and communication in her job—and how cool it is to run into celebrities in her hometown, Covington, Georgia, where hundreds of TV shows and movies have been shot.
We try to make the best podcast possible every time, but sometimes things just go wrong. Enjoy our bloopers reel with host Billy Watkins.
Adam House learned leadership with boots on the ground, whether as a Marine who helped evacuate the U.S. Embassy in the war-torn capital of Liberia in 1990 or a civilian working his way up from the factory floor to plant superintendent. As a Senior Manufacturing Specialist, he teaches Premier’s employees how to troubleshoot and solve problems with our machines on their own. Adam also talks about Premier’s goal of providing the best customer service possible: “We do whatever it takes.”
Justin Cockerham discovered his love of technology in school and has done everything from repair computers to work the IT help desk. In his current role as Junior Business Analyst, he studies the use of technology in different areas of Premier and helps implement improvements. This fun conversation ranges from where technology is headed to host Billy Watkin’s gamer abilities to the pressure of performing karaoke in front of Premier owners John and Jill Gaynor.
In part two of our interview, Premier’s Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gaynor talks about our culture, our state-of-the-art equipment, working the line during the pandemic, and Premier’s growth into luxury packaging. “Everything we do is service-related for our clients,” she says.
The leadership of co-owners John and Jill Gaynor has helped make Premier a success. In the first part of a two-part episode, Jill Gaynor talks about the company’s founding and growth, how we serve clients as a one-stop shop, and the evolution of her role from background advisor to Chief Marketing Officer.
Know those sealed see-through plastic packages around products that are hard to open? That’s thermoforming, one of the specialties of Acuity Packaging Logistics Sourcing—both a vendor and a customer for Premier. Steve James, Vice President of Sales, discusses packaging that we’ve all experienced but given little thought, how Acuity and Premier work together, and why Premier’s such a good fit: “ Small company attitude … large company resources.
As a color commentator for sports radio, Max Godby knows how to paint a colorful story. At Premier, he helps establish our pricing strategy and provides our supply chain specialists with information about why our products could be the best fit for customers. Max also talks about his days as an offensive lineman for the University of Kentucky and why a 7500-calorie-a-day diet is not as much fun as you might think.
Heather Updike, one of Premier’s two digital graphic designers, talks about using computer-aided design (CAD) to create the specific packaging our customers want. She enjoys the “origami aspect” of her work, trying to imagine how a design created on a flat 2-D screen will come together like multiple puzzle pieces. She also discusses where package design is headed.
Since her promotion earlier this year, Director of Customer Service Amiee Leslie has been hard at work. At Premier, the customer truly comes first and Amiee discusses how and why. She also talks about automation we have put into place to make handling customer orders more streamlined. Plus, Host Billy Watkins asks about competition between our East and West Coast Customer Service teams.
Premier’s bin box systems improve warehouse organization and increase picking and stowing speeds. Premier was a pioneer in the category, and Bin Box Program Manager Tony Givan talks about the program’s evolution and growth. Today, we have designed thousands of bin box solutions for customers. Tony also remembers Premier’s early days and childhood experiences with host Billy Watkins.
Premier has a vibrant, growing presence in Canada, servicing customers from coast to coast. Toronto-based Supply Chain Specialists Sam Ferrier and Bianca DeVito talk about the opportunities of the Canadian market—such as sustainable packaging needed because of the country’s push against plastic—and the ways Premier can help customers up north. They also discuss the intricacies of poutine.
As Premier’s Regional Operations Manager for the Ohio Valley, Mitch Payne sometimes gets calls about burst pipes, leaky roofs, and even “acts of God” affecting our facilities. He responds calmly, setting the standard for those who work for him. Here Mitch reflects on leadership, changes in warehousing since he started in 1992, and how you ensure you can find something in a building that can hold 28,000 pallets.
Is Styrofoam biodegradable or compostable? How should you dispose of your average pizza box? In this illuminating episode, Premier’s Sustainability Manager Mackenzie Crigger and Sustainability Specialist Adara Schneider talk about their front-line experiences in the sustainability field. They give us tips on how the average person should handle the packaging coming into their home: Reduce, re-use, recycle, refuse, and rot.
At Premier’s 2022 national sales meeting, we assembled a giant Premier logo from 8,000 to 10,000 Lego “bricks.” The team-building exercise was created by Dayton-based Brixilated, whose specially designed Lego models help organizations tell their story. CEO/Founder Adam Mullins talks about Brixilated’s own story as well as Premier’s role in making the company’s richly designed kits.
Despite starting during the pandemic, Warehouse Lead Tim Weathers loves his job at Premier—from operating electric forklifts in our state-of-the-art Corporate Distribution Center to conversations with his coworkers and folks in other departments. He and host Billy Watkins discuss what it’s like to drive a forklift all day, the advantages of electric forklifts over propane ones, and how quickly Tim can unload a 54-foot trailer. Billy also learns the secret to picking up a quarter with a forklift.
In 10 years, Simpsonville-based sunglass company Shady Rays has grown from two brothers filling orders in their parents’ living room to days when their company fills 10,000 online orders per shift. Premier has played a key role in that dramatic growth, from working with Shady Rays to design its distinctive box to helping automate the company’s fulfillment with a box erector. Chief Operating Officer Dan Ratterman sees Premier as a continuing partner in Shady Rays success: “You all are coming along for the ride.”
Premier’s first-ever Sustainability Report details where we are environmentally and our efforts to become more sustainable, such as targeting zero waste in our manufacturing plants by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Sustainability Manager Mackenzie Crigger joins host Billy Watkins to discuss how we’re gathering sustainability data, what we’re doing well, and what we’re working to improve.
Packaging’s everywhere in our society—so much so that most of us don’t notice it. But Tom Mason does. The Packaging Design Manager-East Coast for Premier talks about the “plethora of solutions” we offer in packaging design, graphics, and testing for our customers. Tom discusses the special equipment in our Louisville Design Lab, trends in packaging, and how today’s packages are designed to protect and promote the products inside with the minimum material needed.
Premier Packaging has played an important role in the explosive growth of Dan-O’s Seasoning through online sales of its low-sodium, all-natural seasoning. Tyler Watson and Jon Hayes of Dan-O’s talk about the company’s growth, what’s next, and why they like working with Premier: “You’re curious about your customers, and we think that’s so important because we are too … I really like your mantra about finding the why in a relationship.”
Premier’s Purchasing Manager Paul Lococo juggles such challenges as inventory space, inflation, and supply chain issues while trying to anticipate demand for the thousands of items we sell to our customers. Paul talks about the impact of the pandemic and the Dallas freeze of 2021 on his job, as well as lessons learned from 27 years in the meat business. At Premier 17 years, he doesn’t anticipating retiring: “I might cut my hours back to 40,” he jokes.
Automation Specialist Shawn Edwards discusses the importance of automation in addressing labor issues, efficiency, and safety. Depending on the situation, automating can be as simple as switching from a hand tape gun to a case sealer, so it’s important our sales representatives know their customers’ needs and pain points. Shawn is also “wowed” by new developments in automation.
Louisville nonprofit Love the Hungry has a mission of providing nutrient-rich meals to young children suffering from malnutrition in 30 countries globally. Cofounder Dale Oelker discusses the organization’s work, its science-based meals, and Premier’s involvement. We designed and make the sturdy, colorful box that safely transports the meals in areas plagued by war and natural disasters, and our volunteers recently packaged the 8 millionth Love the Hungry meal.
Premier is in the forefront of packaging companies using tech tools like Sales Force to make our customer relationships more efficient and rewarding for both parties, according to Randi Yancey, Manager of Sales Technology. Randi also discusses her own career path and how Premier’s inclusive hiring and promoting practices have resulted in us having a higher percentage of women in IT than many companies.
In Jessica Lincoln’s 12 years with Premier, the company has grown from one manufacturing plant with 200 employees to six plants with 1200 employees. Jessica, Manager, HR – Operations, discusses how we remain competitive in attracting new workers, from our sense of community to our benefits and possibilities for advancement. We also learn about host Billy Watkins’ unusual fashion choice during his own interview.
Host Billy Watkins interviews Sustainability Manager Mackenzie Crigger, who will fill in from time to time as guest host of The Whole Package. Mackenzie talks about how living in Japan inspired her to shift her career focus to sustainability. In the same way, she talks about Premier’s changes to make our products and our operations more sustainable.