IPC boxes up deal with Pizza Hut.

B.E. 100s concern lands contract with food maker

Talk about a piping hot deal. Integrated Packaging Corp. (IPC), No. 52 on the RE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list, recently landed a $15 million contract from Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. to supply corrugated boxes to Pizza Hut locations along the East Coast.

The contract, which will be reviewed annually, comes after almost two years of negotiation, says IPC President and CEO Joe Wilson.

"We started talking to Pizza Hut about this deal when it was still a part of the PepsiCo operation," Wilson explains. He says that when PepsiCo spun off a separate division for its food-related businesses in 1997, IPC was kept in the loop.

"We were working very successfully with them and had already begun looking at their satellite divisions when they decided to make changes. At the time we began our talks, they were coming out with a brand-new grease-retardant [pizza] box, and we became part of the team that helped them with what turned out to be the final design," Wilson says. IPC beat out more than a handful of incumbent and potential suppliers to get this contract. There are only four or five other primary suppliers for Pizza Hut covering the Midwest, West and Central regions.

Daniel E. Woodside, president and CEO of the Unified Foodservice Purchasing Corp., the Tricon subsidiary that is now handling the deal, says it presents a win-win situation. "It reflects our commitment to build a diverse, world-class supplier base and their commitment to Pizza Hut's business. Ultimately, they are helping us satisfy the millions of customers that enjoy our product every week."