Plastipak Founder and CEO Steps Down After 57 YearsPlastipak Founder and CEO Steps Down After 57 Years

Plastipak Packaging founder, President, and CEO William C. Young has announced that he will transition out of the role he has held for 57 years and turn over the reins to his son-in-law Edward V. Morgan, who has held various executive positions within the company for more than 20 years.

Young founded Plastipak alongside his parents in 1967 in a small building with just a few machines. He has been chairman of the board of directors, and president and CEO since the company’s inception. Today Plastipak Packaging Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Plastipak Holdings Inc., is a global leader in the packaging industry with more than 40 sites worldwide providing packaging solutions, recycled materials, and transportation services.

The Young family will retain ownership of Plastipak, and the organization will remain a privately held family business.

“As a family-owned and operated business, my goal has always been to make Plastipak a company that positively impacts the lives of its associates, customers, and the community,” said Young in a prepared statement. “Our passion and commitment to our associates, packaging innovation, and sustainability has positioned us for continued success. I am excited for Plastipak’s future and I know that [Morgan] understands that focusing on long-term customer relationships and innovation is a differentiator.”

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Morgan has more than 25 packaging-related patents and has served as senior vice president of operations, extrusion development, global manufacturing processes, and intellectual property over the course of his 20-plus years with Plastipak. Before joining Plastipak, he worked at Deloitte Consulting and Ford Motor Co. He has a master of business administration from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of science in business administration from Ohio State University.

Image courtesy of Plastipak; graphics via Canva.

“Working directly with Bill, a serial entrepreneur, you gain an intangible edge, another level of thinking that is unconventional at times and beyond the traditional management approach,” said Morgan. “His passion for the business is contagious and has guided Plastipak for nearly 60 years, solidifying our position as an industry leader. It is a great honor to carry on his legacy and Plastipak’s guiding principles. We will continue innovating and building upon our sustainability efforts to create groundbreaking packaging and recycling solutions for our customers around the globe,” said Morgan.