Image courtesy of Troy Couron
PS: Could you tell us a little bit about your military background and what inspired you to serve our country in that capacity?
TC: Being a young kid from Nebraska, there was not a lot of opportunity there, especially if you didn’t go to college, which I didn’t do. My Dad was a WWII and Korean War veteran, so I wanted to serve my Country. I did 23 years in the Marine Corps (December 1984 – January 2008), highlights of which are as follows:
- Marine Security Guard in Manila, Philippines, Warsaw, Poland, and Bonn Germany.
- I laid a wreath with President George Bush Sr., in 1989 at a memorial in Warsaw where the Jews and others were loaded on the trains to the Nazi death camps.
- I was a Drill Instructor and trained Marine Recruits from 1999-2001.
- I served in Iraq (three tours) in the following campaigns – Operation Enduring Freedom (U.S. response to the 9/11 attacks of 2001), Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003), and Operation Phantom Fury (a battle within Operation Iraqi Freedom).
- I was with 1st Battalion, 11th Marines, Bravo Battery in the first war, which was an artillery unit, and we went all the way to Baghdad, Iraq, and liberated the city.
- My second tour was in the battle of Fallujah where I participated in Operation Phantom Fury, which was the bloodiest battle of the Iraq war for America, where we had 107 killed and 613 severely wounded. I was with Regimental Combat Team 1, an infantry division, and I was in charge of the largest company in combat at that time, which was almost 1500 Marines.
- My third tour I was assigned as the SgtMaj for HMLA-369 – “The Gunfighters” – which was a Cobra and Huey squadron. Here I was the senior Marine in charge of my unit, and I was a door gunner on a UH-1N Huey helicopter.
PS: What led to your decision to go into packaging?
TC: I was looking for a job when I got out of the Marine Corps in 2008. I had called the base SgtMaj to see what civilian jobs he had coming across his desk. He told me about a retired aircraft maintenance tech for the Marines who was working as a production manager at Accutek in Vista, CA, and really enjoyed his position there. He was looking for other Marines with similar backgrounds to apply.
I went for an interview and had no idea about a packaging company at that time. I searched the internet and saw that Accutek manufactured inline systems – mostly filler, cappers and labelers. After being there awhile, I realized that I got into a very cool field and something I enjoyed.
I ended up moving over to Texwrap in 2020, where I currently serve as the National Accounts Sales Manager. Texwrap is a leader in the design and manufacture of fully automated systems for shrink wrapping and bagging and based in Washington, Missouri.
I love finding a problem, selling our solution, and then seeing our customers turn a profit after we install our equipment. I have never looked back really; however, I never forgot where I came from either. Just recently at the Pack Expo Las Vegas show, I made my way over to the Accutek booth to speak to the owners who are still there – Darren and Drew Chocholek. I thanked them for giving me my start and the tools to be a successful salesman in this industry today!
PS: What specific training did you receive that tie into your current position at Texwrap?
TC: My last tour in the Marine Corps I was assigned as the SgtMaj for the 8th Marine Corps District, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is where I learned how to sell. I was basically a senior Marine and supporting the efforts of my recruiters and oversaw the entire State of New Mexico for recruiting efforts for the Marine Corps.
PS: What are some of the unique skills and perspectives that military veterans can bring to the work environment?
TC: I would say first and foremost is our ability to work long hours, under a lot of stress and always focused on “making mission”. Another great trait or saying in the Corps was – “Do the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons” – something I have always kept with me.
PS: What advice would you give to military veterans thinking about entering the packaging industry?
TC: Join as soon as possible! It has been a great second career for me and has been a part of my life since leaving the Corps! I’ve been in packaging now for 18 years.
