Mark Kowlzan

Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer, Packaging Corporation of America

Search every verified Mark Kowlzan interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. Mark Kowlzan, chairman and CEO of Packaging Corporation of America, discussed the company’s second quarter 2026 results on a July 24, 2026 earnings call, reporting net income of $192 million, or $2.15 per share, and excluding special items, net income of $210 million, or $2.35 per share, with net sales of $2.5 billion. He noted that the company’s fiber mix is currently around 30% recycled and 70% virgin, varying up to 35% recycled at times, and that recycled fiber costs for OCC and DLK had risen about 70% since the start of 2026, impacting operations directly. He also stated that the company had spent approximately $6 billion over the past eight to nine years on recapitalizing box plants and mills, which he said supported its double-digit, 20-plus percent margins, while adding that capital spending alone cannot offset broad inflation without appropriate pricing. On a January 28, 2025 call covering fourth quarter and full year 2024 results, Kowlzan reported fourth quarter 2024 net income of $221 million, or $2.45 per share, and excluding special items, net income of $222 million, or $2.47 per share. He expressed surprise that an industry publication, Pulp and Paper Week, did not recognize benchmark price increases for linerboard or medium, despite noting that around 90% of top containerboard producers had issued January price increase announcements and that certain box makers had postponed purchases. He also commented on industry measurement practices, saying the company sells by thousand square feet (MSF) rather than tons, and noted that declining basis weights on MSF could affect tonnage figures, adding that the industry often measures a product it does not sell.