For more information, contact:

W. Brian Fiebig

Vice President, Marketing

(920) 739-3671, (800) 236-3671

-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-

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Great Northern's Next Generation

APPLETON, Wis., August 2008—Taking the reigns of a company with 950 employees and $300 million in estimated sales last year might seem a daunting task to some, but for John R. Davis, the transition to CEO of Great Northern Corp. has been seamless.

"It’s not a dramatic change," says Davis.
"It’s [an opportunity to] stay close to customers and continuing coaching [employees]; it’s just adding another portion of the business."

Davis, 49, became CEO in April at the Menasha-based manufacturer and distributor of packaging solutions and point-of-sale displays. He also continues his role as president of the Packaging Group at Great Northern, meaning that he is now responsible for the day-to-day operations of both the packaging and specialty divisions of the company, the latter of which encompasses about 25 percent of Great Northern’s business.

He says that while it’s not necessarily common that a CEO would retain a position as president of a division of the company, it is a reflection of Great Northern’s philosophy of a lean, decentralized structure and capable leadership team.

"It’s been really smooth," says Davis of his succession to the top spot. "There have been no major changes in the day-to-day operations. [It has been] a shift in focus for me to add the specialty group and maintain my packaging group responsibilities. It’s been more of a well planned transition than a dramatic shift."

The easy transition has been aided by the ascension of former CEO William Raaths to chairman of the board at Great Northern, while company co-founders Robert Brown and Davis’ father J. James Davis also remain on the board.

Another factor that contributes to the painless changing of the guard at Great Northern is the junior Davis’ familiarity with the specialty group, which he gained from his own position on the board.

"John’s great strength is his knowledge of our business, not just of Great Northern, but the packaging industry as a whole," says Brian Fiebig, Great Northern’s vice president of marketing, who has worked with Davis for nearly two decades. "His career path has given him a pretty good understanding [of the industry], and he makes decisions based on his experience and expertise.

"The transition has been seamless; I don’t see [things] changing much. Both Bill and John are committed to and support growing the business both internally and externally."

Employed with Great Northern since 1986, Davis earned a degree from Dartmouth College before working for a packaging competitor for three years after college. He then completed business school at the University of Wisconsin, after which he joined Great Northern as administrative sales manager. Since then he has held a variety of positions within the company, learning firsthand the importance of good customer relationships.

"I enjoy two things [the most]: problem solving for customers and calling on new customers,"
says Davis. "I still do try and spend a third of my time engaged with customers."

The other management responsibility he enjoys best is team development. He says Great Northern’s leadership team works hard to create a sense of ownership in the business for employees. Their goal is to encourage employees to take on new challenges, embrace risk-taking and keep the team energized.

"John is an effective leader who cares about his community and supports the interests of his employees for things they care about and for which they volunteer their time," says James Eagon, assistant dean for administrative services at the University of Wisconsin–Fox Valley, with whom Davis serves on the board at United Way Fox Cities. "If the hard work and effective work [Davis] volunteered for United Way Fox Cities is any indication, [Davis] will be an excellent leader of Great Northern."

Davis served as co-chair for UWFC’s successful 2007 annual campaign; he believes that
Great Northern’s involvement in the community is essential.

"It is the responsibility of our company to be involved; our community supports our business and our employees," says Davis, who calls his work with United Way a great learning experience. "I learned that the needs of our community are great, but the willingness of so many people to help those in need and the generosity of our community was unbelievable."

Being visible in the community doesn’t necessarily have to be all business either. Davis is participating with other Great Northern team members in the August Race the Lake, a 90-mile trek around Lake Winnebago. He serves on the board of the Theda Clark Medical Center Foundation and will be the next president of the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting careers in advanced manufacturing.

"There’s an incredible story to tell about manufacturing in our region," says Davis, who is equally enthusiastic when discussing the sustainability of the paperbased packaging industry. "Currently 78 percent of our [industry’s] product is recovered, which [demonstrates] that the recycling effort is well organized and orchestrated. Trees are a renewable resource; the biggest challenge [our industry faces] is to continue to promote the sustainability of paper-based packaging."

Davis sees staying current with the changing market as probably the biggest challenge Great Northern faces in the next decade. While the manufacturingbased business-to-business side of the packaging industry is competitive and the market has remained flat, the selling-based retail segment is going through a surge, and Great Northern is making an effort to grow that area of the company, according to Davis. As retailers and consumer brands spend more on in-store promotion, Great Northern wants to respond to its customers needs with more creative design and better graphic capabilities.

Great Northern’s past few years have been successful ones; the company has doubled its sales in the last six years, according to Davis. He credits good organic growth, a start-up joint venture, two acquisitions and innovative new product development. By all accounts, the company’s continued success is expected under Davis’ leadership.

"He’s a really nice, nice man, a neat guy," says Joyce Bytof, owner and CEO of Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group. She also serves with Davis on the UWFC board of directors. "He’s not all this show and glamour — just a quiet, sensitive let’s-get-this-done guy."

Headquartered in Appleton, Wis., Great Northern has more than 900 employees and operations in seven states. More information is available at www.greatnortherncorp.com.

This article appeared in the Aug. 5, 2008, issue of Marketplace Magazine.

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