Experience Speaks: Mike H. Edlin

Published: January 01, 2011

• President & CEO of Protective Packaging Solutions (Cincinnati, OH, and Louisville, KY) and Foam Fabricators (Denver, CO)

• Management style | Give people the opportunity to shine!

• How did you get into the converting business? The industry lacked solutions our customers needed, so we decided to create a market niche, offering custom and high-end solutions.

• What is your key to retaining good employees? Protective Packaging offers a profit sharing plan that makes everyone an “owner.”

• What is the key to growing a business in a bad economy? Aggressive marketing, offering high-value solutions, and employing knowledgeable staff who are empowered to provide excellent customer service and quality products to our customers.

• How do you handle a difficult customer? A challenging customer is a customer with an unresolved need or needs. Our resolution is to find out what need is not being met and fulfill it to the best of our ability.

• What do you know now that you wish you had known when you started out in business? I wish I would have known how much I would miss working directly with our customers once my daily functions became mostly managerial.

• What do you most enjoy about your job? I enjoy the challenges presented every day in our industry and the satisfaction from helping our customers solve their packaging needs.

• What do you least enjoy about your job? The government regulations that can be very costly in time and dollars to our customers and industry are one of the least-liked aspects of my job.

• What does your company do for your customers that makes them come back again to enjoy the experience of doing business with you? We treat everyone, including our customers, like we would like to be treated. We also try to anticipate their needs and prevent problems from occurring.

• Do you have a personal motto by which you live life or do business? I wake up every day believing that it is going to be a great day.

• What is the best advice you ever got? Never ask someone to do something that you would not do if the roles were switched.

• Any hobbies or outside interests? My wife and I love to travel and play golf. We have a bucket list of 100 golf courses we wish to play.

About Protective Packaging Solutions

• 10345 S. Medallion Dr., Cincinnati, OH; 45241 513-769-5777

• www.protectivepackagingsolutions.com

• Founded 1981; 3 plants; 56 employees

• Specialization | Protective packaging, including custom and high-end solutions

What's on your “bucket” list? Share your perspective. Write to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..