Crownhill Takes Part in 2022 PDA Annual Strategy Meeting

Packaging Distributors of America, a network of packaging providers Crownhill is proud to be part of, recently held its annual strategy meeting at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, TN, from March 20^th–March 22^nd, 2022.

This was the first time we were able to attend in-person since 2020, so we were excited to finally see our fellow PDA members again. The festivities kicked off on Sunday with over 100 attendees helping to celebrate the start of the fiscal year.

On Monday, the day began with words from President George Strobel, who shared organization news and supplier updates. During his opening speech, George also introduced Nick Mihacevich, Chairman of the Board, who welcomed everyone to the 2022 strategy session.

The 3-day event was jam-packed with focus group discussions, networking events, and a memorable opening speech by keynote guest, Kevin Brown, best-selling author and award-winning motivational speaker. Kevin shared stories and advice from best-selling book “The Hero Effect”, which talks about what differentiates high-performance people and organizations from everybody else.

Everyone agreed that Kevin’s 45-minute talk was a fantastic way to start the day, as he’s known not only for his inspirational talks but also for his great sense of humor. We, along with our fellow attendees, were laughing throughout his speech.

Following the keynote event, PDA committee leaders shared progress updates on various programs and projects under development. Members then collaborated in separate focus groups and enjoyed both the leadership summit recap and the introduction to the equipment program.

This year organizers implemented a networking activity much like speed dating, with each attendee getting a short one-on-one with each other. This idea made for such a fun way to get to know our fellow PDA members. Monday ended with a delicious dinner sponsored by Badger Paperboard, Berry Global, BOSTONtec, DNP, IPG, Sigma Stretch Film, Stretchtape, and VersaPak.

On the last day, we began with an enlightening discussion on the current challenges faced by the packaging industry, and how to best tackle these challenges in the year ahead.

Our very own Olivia Pietersen then gave a presentation on social media automation and how scheduling software can help with content management. Olivia leads Crownhill’s marketing efforts and, along with her team, has done an incredible job of expanding Crownhill Packaging’s digital reach.

Though the time passed quickly, we greatly enjoyed being around such a great and supportive community of like-minded individuals. It’s clear that everyone departs these annual strategy meetings feeling well-informed and excited for the year ahead.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone at next year’s conference!