Consensus Builder

With a long-standing track record of success in the industry, John Hickey, CEO of Smyth Companies, joins an elite group of leaders as packagePRINTING’s 2010 TLMI Converter of the Year.

This year, TLMI is again showing off its main strength in the industry—its people. In an association loaded with industry leaders, the TLMI Converter of the Year award can be considered recognition as the "best of the best."

Even with this lofty description, it is no surprise to those that know him best that John Hickey, CEO of Smyth Companies, Inc. and currently in the coveted position as past TLMI chairman of the board, has been selected to receive packagePRINTING's 2010 TLMI Converter of the Year award.

Frank Sablone, president of TLMI, says Hickey is one of the strongest and most thoughtful leaders TLMI has had as chairman. "John is a leader who will sit back and listen to fellow board members and then follow with an insightful question that helps lead the board to consensus."

Last year's TLMI Converter of the Year honoree, Dave McDowell, chairman of McDowell Label and Screen Printing, is also a big fan. "John is a picture of humility, while at the same time always exhibiting calm, confident, strong, and effective leadership," he says.

World class

The family business that Hickey owns and manages with his brothers Bill and Dan, along with long-time friend and CFO Dave Baumgardner, dates back more than 130 years. According to Hickey, family lore has it that his great grandfather secretly bought out the company stock during a period of 20 years while he served as general manager, taking full ownership in 1900.

Through four generations of family ownership, the company today is one of the premier label printers in North America and offers a wide array of decoration methods. "We offer virtually every label process so that our customers can move from whatever form of decoration they desire, depending on the market appeal," notes Hickey.

This breadth of offerings is important to the competitive markets served by the company. These include: food and beverage; personal care; household care; beer, wine, and spirits; and private label. In addition, Hickey says the company offers in-house design and prepress services, along with proprietary label application solutions and expertise.

Earlier this year, Smyth Companies entered into a partnership with Novacap, a Montreal-based private equity firm that is investing in the company. With this outside capital resource, Hickey expects to complement organic growth with possible acquisitions. But don't think that Smyth Companies will forget its roots. "I think Smyth has always represented good citizenship and business ethics to a fault. We will continue this tradition with our new partners at Novacap," asserts Hickey.

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