CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  They bring your brand alive with packaging.  We look at how Southern Champion Tray has been Driving Our Economy Forward with printing and production.

“Southern Champion was founded in 1927 right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We’re third generation, privately held, grown to about a thousand employees around the Chattanooga area.  We’ve also got plants in Ohio and Texas. And, just an amazing story of a of a great family that decided to put their faith first.  Our mission statement is we’re going to make great packaging, deliver, really strong customer service to our customers, but all in ways that value people and glorify God. And that’s really what we stand for.  That’s why I one of the reasons I love getting to work here,” said Ben Walter, Plant Director at Southern Champion Tray.

“So at Southern Champion Tray, there are a few key values that have been part of this culture for decades. And if you think of those, there are four of them.  There’s trustworthy, servant heart, resourcefulness and relational.  And at the core of all of it is that we’re trying to create an environment where people can thrive and flourish and where they feel valued.  So if you’re thinking of our mission, our mission is to serve our customers very well. It’s to value our people. And as we do, all of that is to find ways to glorify God through those interactions,” said Ralph Romero the Chief People Officer of Southern Champion Tray.

“My heart lies with people in my role. I really get the opportunity to make an impact on someone’s life. Whether it is as small as an insurance question or as big as a personal challenge, that they’re going through. I have the opportunity to be, that shoulder for them to cry on, the resource for them in whatever they may need in that moment. I can walk away every day knowing that I made an impact somewhere,” said Faith Whitfield, Associate People Business Partner at Southern Champion Tray.

“As I’ve been here at Southern Champion.  I’ve had the opportunity to get through several certification programs. Several book studies.  And also they have an internal mentorship program where they pair you with a seasoned leader here, to grow and develop your leadership skills, as well as their continued investment in my growth.  Right now, I’m getting to pursue my Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, provided by Southern Champion Tray.  So they just invest in me and they continue to invest in me and my growth. And it’s so amazing,” said Rebecca Hope, the Continuous Improvement Specialist at Southern Champion Tray.  So about two years into my journey at Southern Champion, I was dealing with some personal challenges that caused me to need to take time off work.  I wasn’t actually going to go through with it because I was so worried about missing work and losing my job because I really loved this company.  I loved what I was doing, but I needed to take some time for myself.  And so I sat down with my boss at the time, and I told her a little bit about what I was going through and that I would need to be off for 12 weeks.  And the first thing that she said was, can I pray for you?  There was no question of, well, who’s going to do your tasks?  Who’s going to fill your role?  It was, can I pray for you?  And then we’ll figure it out.  And I came back at the end of 12 weeks, and I was still a little overwhelmed.  And, you know, talking with Ralph, who was brand new at the time, about how am I going to fit back in.  And he said, whoa, whoa.  Let me stop you right there.  Don’t worry about any of that.  We’re glad you’re back.  We’re going to work with you.  We’re going to take it as slow as you need to take it until you’re ready to be back full force.  I had a new position.  I had a new title.  There was a lot of learning while I was still dealing with a lot of emotional uncertainty in my own life, and they supported me 100%,” said Rebecca Hope, the Continuous Improvement Specialist at Southern Champion Tray.

“We are created in the image of God. We have unique giftings, and it’s just giving people the opportunity to unlock those. And that could be at work, or that could be something in the community or that could be somewhere else. But it’s how do we help our people unlock those things that they have innately been blessed with,” Romero.