Ep 35: Volk Packaging Corporation: Green Before "Going Green" was Cool

Derek Volk is the owner of Volk Packaging Corporation, a third-generation family-owned and operated corrugated box manufacturer in Biddeford, Maine. He has been working at Volk Packaging since high school and has been running the company for nearly 30 years. Derek and his wife Amy also founded a contract packaging company, Volk Paxit, in 2021. 

Derek is a Maine businessman, best-selling author, former radio personality, and nationally recognized public speaker. He is a grateful supporter of veterans’ organizations and created the Volk Packaging Heroes Wall as a way to honor members of the US Armed Forces, past and present. Along with his family, Derek was named the 2015 Spurwink “Humanitarian of the Year.” That same year, Maine Biz named Derek to their NEXT List, recognizing him as one of Maine’s business trailblazers. In 2020, Derek was inducted into the Manufacturer Association of Maine’s “Manufacturer’s Hall of Fame.”

Listen to this latest episode of Profits with Purpose where we talk with Derek Volk about growing generational businesses, staying sustainable, and applying real-life experiences to professional outputs.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Volk Packaging Corporation got started and grew on to be able to be passed down from generation to generation
• The importance of not micromanaging your team 
• How Derek developed Volk Paxit in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic and the challenges of expanding the business around helping other companies and communities through this difficult time 
• Why writing a book (on anything, essentially) increases your credibility 
• Insight on Derek’s upcoming book, based on his lessons learned coaching girl's softball, as well as his current book; Chasing the Rabbit – A Dad’s Life Raising His Son on the Spectrum as he advocates for spreads awareness for Autism 
• The Volk Packaging Heroes Wall and how Derek actively participates on the Maine Business Leadership Network; focusing on giving back to veterans and employees with disabilities 
• The challenges Derek faced in finding labor and corrugated materials for products 

I hope you find this episode as informative and as exciting as we have. Derek Volk was so generous to share with us about growing generational businesses, staying sustainable, and applying real-life experiences to professional outputs. 

Please let us know your thoughts!

Connect with Derek: 

Websites: 

www.volkboxes.com 

www.volkpaxit.com 

Socials:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volkpackagingcorp/ 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/volkboxes 

Connect with Marc Freedman:

Email:     [e-mail]

Website:   https://evolvedprofits.com/

          https://expensetoprofit.com/

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/freedmanmarc/

Twitter:    https://twitter.com/ExpenseToProfit

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/expensetoprofit/

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