In 1948, Ford Davis, a high school chemistry teacher, designed and built a machine to produce bags using the newest material on the packaging scene, polyethylene. He soon added another home-built machine and a couple employees to the startup operation housed in his barn. Ten years later, Ford passed away suddenly. Buckeye Packaging was still quite small and in need of leadership. Ready or not, Ford's son Ronald, a recently commissioned Air Force Officer, left the military to run the company. During Ron's 35 year tenure, Buckeye grew exponentially, adding the additional processes of extruding and printing to become a fully integrated manufacturer of flexible packaging materials. Today, John Davis is the third generation of the Davis family to lead Buckeye Packaging. The old barn is long gone, replaced by a modern production facility. However, the spirit of innovation and customer commitment that Ford started remains and truly separates Buckeye Packaging from the rest of the industry.
Buckeye Packaging has remained firmly rooted in the same Ohio town from our beginning. It's an important part of our company, and is responsible for our primary asset, the dedicated work force. In fact, our average employee has been with us for over 18 years.
Buckeye is also proud of our sharp customer focus. We excel in meeting customer requirements, and it shows in our diverse list of loyal customers, many of whom have worked with us for decades.
Since our start in a barn, Buckeye Packaging has grown to include more than 100 employees and a modern facility using the latest innovations in the industry.
A half-century of community commitment has created a dedicated corporate family with one common goal – to meet our customers' needs and help them to prosper.
- John Davis