60 Years in Packaging and still counting….
At the Packaging Innovations Show that was held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) this February (12&13/02/25) we are very pleased to announce that Keith Barnes, a founding committee member of our Society and a Chartered Scientist and Environmentalist, was recognised for a ‘lifetime achievement award’ for his 60 years of contributions to the global packaging industry on Wednesday 12th February. The Award was presented by Jude Allen, Chair of the IoM3 Packaging Group.
Keith, a past Chairman of The Packaging Society, and a Fellow of the Institute of Packaging (now affiliated to IOM3) has lectured internationally, written extensively on packaging innovations and sustainability, and devised the structure for the Global New Product Development packaging section at Mintel International.
For 4 years Keith acted as a judge for the annual Institute’s Starpack awards. Additionally, he has coordinated a Packaging summer school in the UK for Michigan State University School of Packaging for 27 years.
At his presentation Keith commented, “Packaging is the best career choice for everyone, and it is essential that as an industry we must keep up packaging training to ensure we keep abreast of legislation and future material and machinery developments”.
Keith Barnes has held several notable appointments throughout his career. At Boots Contract Manufacturing, he served on their packaging development team, where he was responsible for leading innovative packaging solutions and sustainability initiatives. His role at Boots involved collaborating with various departments to ensure the packaging met both functional and environmental standards.
At Ilford Photographic, where he started his packaging career, Keith Barnes was the Packaging Development Manager. In this role, he focused on developing and implementing packaging strategies that aligned with the company’s goals and market demands. His work at Ilford included overseeing the design and production of packaging materials, ensuring they met quality and regulatory requirements.
He continues to serve the Midlands Packaging Society by supporting and contributing to ‘Pack to the Future’, our annual conference and networking event that has been held in the Midlands since 2012.
Article By Jeremy Plimmer