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Management

(Clockwise starting top left: Ron Welch, Bob Brown, Barry Hamblett, Daryle Sheely, Debbie Sullivan,
Bob Schroeder, Mark Sanders, Betty Sanders, Linda Timmons, Mortiz DeFord)

Mark Sanders, CEO & Chairman of The Board

Chairman Mark Sanders, son of founder Hardy Sanders, literally grew up in the corrugated box business and has been with Bates for over thirty years. He has spent time in a number of different positions learning the business inside and out. He has worked at Bates as a Cost Accountant, in Production, Shipping, Sales and as Chief Operating Officer. After Hardy Sanders passed away in 2003, Mark Sanders became Chairman of the Board and continues to be involved operationally. In 2011, with the retirement of Linda Timmons, Mark took on the additional role of CEO. Through his many years of experience, in-depth knowledge of the packaging industry and ownership in Bates Container, Mr. Sanders is an invaluable asset to the Company and will continue to be involved in Bates Container's operations. In addition to his work with Bates Container, Mr. Sanders currently serves on the board of the Fibre Box Association.

Betty Sanders, Vice President of Community Relations

Betty Sanders, wife of the late Hardy Sanders, has been integral to the success of Bates Container since its inception. Although not directly involved with the business in its early years, her support gave Hardy the confidence to continue when times were tough. In recent years she has led Bates Container's Community Relations efforts. The Company continues to support our local community and social welfare efforts through the United Way, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, The Arts Council of Fort Worth and Tarrant County, and other non-profit organizations. Mrs. Sanders oversees all of our charitable donations and external support efforts with which Bates is involved. With certainty, Betty Sanders is one of the reasons Bates Container remains successful today. Her selflessness and social servitude has made an impact in much of the Dallas/Fort Worth area and is an example for the whole company.

Mortiz DeFord, President

Mortiz DeFord was recently promoted to President in April of 2011. He has been with Bates since 1980 and has held several key positions since that time. Starting as an inside Sales Service Representative, and moving into Purchasing, Mr. DeFord became familiar with Bates’ customers and their needs and also gained knowledge on what is needed, from a purchasing standpoint, to run a box plant. After Purchasing, Mr. DeFord took a position as a Sales Representative and quickly became a leader in the Sales Department. From Sales, Mr. DeFord was promoted to Sales Manager in 2000 and then Vice President of Sales in March 2003 and COO in 2008. Mr. DeFord oversees the operations of all facilities and has been instrumental to the continued growth of Bates Contianer. The consistent elements he believes have made him successful in his professional life are integrity and hard work, along with his support of the community, from the United Way to the American Heart Association.

Bob Brown, COO

Bob Brown joined Bates Container in April, 2010 as Director, Product and Process Development, and was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the North Richland Hills corrugated facility in January, 2011.  Prior to a 3-year stint outside the industry, Bob was with International Paper where he served in Regional Sales Manager and Region Manager capacities, all of which involved a close association with Bates Container dating back to 1994.  Bob graduated from Texas Tech University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and also has a MS in Material Science and Engineering from The University of North Texas.

Debbie Sullivan, CFO

Chief Financial Officer Debbie Sullivan graduated from the University of Houston with a BS in Accounting and is a licensed CPA in Texas. Mrs. Sullivan started as an Accountant with Bates in 1989, working her way up to Controller and eventually to CFO in 2001. Mrs. Sullivan attributes much of her success to her ability to multitask and her ongoing drive to learn, not to mention her genuine care and concern for her co-workers. She enjoys working with youth and has been on the Board of Christmas Providers for many years.

Bob Schroeder, Vice President, San Antonio Division

Bob Schroeder, with over 40 years in the corrugated box industry, is one of the most experienced individuals at Bates Container. He began in the industry with CCA (Container Corporation of America, now Smurfit-Stone), working in Sales, Production and Management for over 25 years. Having also worked at Willamette (now Weyerhaeuser) as General Manager and Area Manager for 10 years, Mr. Schroeder knows the "ins and outs" of the corrugated box world. Mr. Schroeder came to Bates in 2001 as General Manager of the San Antonio plant and was promoted to Vice President in 2003. Bob Schroeder believes that his strong work ethic, along with keeping an open mind, has helped him remain successful in his personal and professional life.

Ron Welch, Vice President, Specialty Division

Mr. Welch got his start in the packaging industry with Bates Container over twenty years ago as a Van Driver and Purchasing Assistant. It was quickly apparent that Mr. Welch had talents that could better serve Bates in other areas. Mr. Welch jumped into Shipping and was quickly promoted to Shipping Supervisor. After mastering the intricacies of Shipping, he then moved back to Purchasing as Purchasing Manager. After several years in Purchasing, Mr. Welch decided to give Sales a try and selling non-corrugated, specialty items seemed a perfect fit. He revitalized Specialty Sales and after helping to expand this division it had to move into a larger space in another facility. Mr. Welch was made General Manager of the Specialty Division in 1998 and in 2006 Vice President. Mr. Welch attributes much of his success to a "work until the job is done" attitude, his ability to get along with everyone, and a healthy balance of work and home life.

Daryle Sheely, Vice President of Manufacturing

Mr. Sheely has been working in the corrugated box industry since 1980 and has been with Bates Container since 1996. Throughout his career at several box companies, Daryle Sheely realized success through goal setting and an innate drive for achievement. He got his start working at a sheet plant as a Baler Operator, commonly known as the most entry level job in the industry and quickly was promoted through various roles in Converting and Shipping. Originally hired at Bates as Production Manager of San Antonio, Mr. Sheely was brought to Fort Worth in 2000 to oversee manufacturing. Thriving in the high pressure, fast-paced environment of a box plant, he was promoted to Vice President of Manufacturing in 2003. His ability to improve efficiencies and quality in the manufacturing processes has been a great asset to Bates Container.

Barry Hamblett, Vice President, Longview Division

Barry Hamblett serves as the Vice President/General Manager of our location in Longview, Texas. Mr. Hamblett came to Bates in November 1990 from Container Service Corporation with two years of prior selling experience. He began developing the Bates’ sales territory in east Texas and added tremendous sales volume to our North Richland Hills location. When the decision to open a branch of Bates Container in Longview, Texas was made in 2004, Mr. Hamblett was named Sales Manager and chosen to oversee the start-up of this operation. As business increased a building was secured in Longview and Mr. Hamblett assembled a team of sales, office and production staff.  He oversaw the installation of new equipment and continued to sell boxes to customers.  Mr. Hamblett was promoted to General Manager of our Longview location in June 2005. Mr. Hamblett believes his strong work ethic and high level of integrity have contributed to his success at Bates Container.