Southern Champion Tray: 1980-1990's
Chuck became the Vice President on January 20, 1963. Steady growth was recorded through these years with new product lines being added and more general folding carton equipment coming on line. Approximately 50% of our sales were being handled through Rock City Packaging. We began in the fall of 1967 to negotiate plans to sell stock boxes north of the Tennessee border and west of the Mississippi while maintaining the Southern states for Rock City Packaging.
In 1968 M.C. Zeiser became Chairman of the Board with C.M. Zeiser as President. Chuck Zeiser reported plans to add a tractor-trailer for the purpose of meeting our customers' needs and for backhaul of raw materials for the company. He even drove the truck himself on the initial deliveries, combining deliveries with sales calls. The introduction of the trucking operation was not without cost, however. By the fall of 1968, 60% of our sales were made through Rock City Packaging. In view of the developing internal sales and distribution capabilities, Rock City Packaging terminated the relationship with Southern Champion in 1971 and with it went 50% of our business. We parted on good terms with each party in agreement that it had been a healthy arrangement. The development of the trucking department allowed for significant growth to take place as we began regular delivery into 37 states with a good record of on-time deliveries. It took almost three years to regain the lost sales but this proved to give us a better feel of the market and how to survive in it.
Milt Zeiser remained active in the company where he devoted most of his energy to the training of a protégé as a machinist and design engineer. Milt's skills and contribution to the company are still felt today as the training investment he made in that key individual has continued SCT's tradition of innovation through engineering design. Milton Zeiser's death in January of 1976 closed the book on twenty-nine years of entrepreneurial leadership for Southern Champion.
Milt Zeiser and his co-workers built a solid foundation based on hard work, innovation, and mechanical design. Chuck Zeiser set about building the infrastructure and the culture of Southern Champion. Chuck brought with him a strong sense of stewardship and a desire to manage the company according to Christian principles. Besides the move to company-owned trucking, Chuck's willingness to try new things led Southern Champion into several ventures designed to increase the internal capabilities of the company and reduce reliance on outside suppliers. The 1970's saw the addition of a full-service truck maintenance operation, an adhesives manufacturing arm, and an in-house rubber printing plate operation. SCT purchased American Specialties of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1979 as a means of entering the New England market. The 1980's brought further internal capabilities with the creation of an in-house graphic arts department and the acquisition of two folding carton plants in Texas. The 1980's were also the decade when computers became part of the fabric of business at Southern Champion. Growth continued at a steady pace as did the purchase of property and addition of warehouse space.
The early 80's saw the company's first operating acquisitions. All previous acquisitions had resulted in equipment and business moving to the main plant in Chattanooga. The purchase of the folding carton division of Campbell Paper Company (1981) and AD&D Packaging (1982) in Ft. Worth, Texas introduced SCT to offset printing and the world of sheet-fed carton manufacturing. The combined Texas operations grew and moved into a larger facility in Mansfield, Texas in 1985.
After many summers spent working in various parts of the company, Chuck's sons joined SCT full time, beginning a third generation of Zeiser family involvement. John Zeiser joined the company in 1982 and worked in the Texas plant for 9 years, primarily as Plant Manager of the Mansfield operation. Bruce Zeiser came on board in 1986 and gained experience in multiple areas including production management, customer service, trucking, and human resources.
Chuck became the Vice President on January 20, 1963. Steady growth was recorded through these years with new product lines being added and more general folding carton equipment coming on line. Approximately 50% of our sales were being handled through Rock City Packaging. We began in the fall of 1967 to negotiate plans to sell stock boxes north of the Tennessee border and west of the Mississippi while maintaining the Southern states for Rock City Packaging.
In 1968 M.C. Zeiser became Chairman of the Board with C.M. Zeiser as President. Chuck Zeiser reported plans to add a tractor-trailer for the purpose of meeting our customers' needs and for backhaul of raw materials for the company. He even drove the truck himself on the initial deliveries, combining deliveries with sales calls. The introduction of the trucking operation was not without cost, however. By the fall of 1968, 60% of our sales were made through Rock City Packaging. In view of the developing internal sales and distribution capabilities, Rock City Packaging terminated the relationship with Southern Champion in 1971 and with it went 50% of our business. We parted on good terms with each party in agreement that it had been a healthy arrangement. The development of the trucking department allowed for significant growth to take place as we began regular delivery into 37 states with a good record of on-time deliveries. It took almost three years to regain the lost sales but this proved to give us a better feel of the market and how to survive in it.
Milt Zeiser remained active in the company where he devoted most of his energy to the training of a protégé as a machinist and design engineer. Milt's skills and contribution to the company are still felt today as the training investment he made in that key individual has continued SCT's tradition of innovation through engineering design. Milton Zeiser's death in January of 1976 closed the book on twenty-nine years of entrepreneurial leadership for Southern Champion.
Milt Zeiser and his co-workers built a solid foundation based on hard work, innovation, and mechanical design. Chuck Zeiser set about building the infrastructure and the culture of Southern Champion. Chuck brought with him a strong sense of stewardship and a desire to manage the company according to Christian principles. Besides the move to company-owned trucking, Chuck's willingness to try new things led Southern Champion into several ventures designed to increase the internal capabilities of the company and reduce reliance on outside suppliers. The 1970's saw the addition of a full-service truck maintenance operation, an adhesives manufacturing arm, and an in-house rubber printing plate operation. SCT purchased American Specialties of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1979 as a means of entering the New England market. The 1980's brought further internal capabilities with the creation of an in-house graphic arts department and the acquisition of two folding carton plants in Texas. The 1980's were also the decade when computers became part of the fabric of business at Southern Champion. Growth continued at a steady pace as did the purchase of property and addition of warehouse space.
The early 80's saw the company's first operating acquisitions. All previous acquisitions had resulted in equipment and business moving to the main plant in Chattanooga. The purchase of the folding carton division of Campbell Paper Company (1981) and AD&D Packaging (1982) in Ft. Worth, Texas introduced SCT to offset printing and the world of sheet-fed carton manufacturing. The combined Texas operations grew and moved into a larger facility in Mansfield, Texas in 1985.
After many summers spent working in various parts of the company, Chuck's sons joined SCT full time, beginning a third generation of Zeiser family involvement. John Zeiser joined the company in 1982 and worked in the Texas plant for 9 years, primarily as Plant Manager of the Mansfield operation. Bruce Zeiser came on board in 1986 and gained experience in multiple areas including production management, customer service, trucking, and human resources.
