Leadership Insights: Travis Mlakar, CEO of Millcraft, on Sustainability, Customer Partnerships and the Future of Paper

1. Could you share an overview of Millcraft’s journey and the key principles that continue to shape the company’s vision and growth?

We continue to believe there are growth opportunities in the graphic arts industry. We don’t subscribe to the idea that commercial print is going away. Instead, we see a vibrant base of customers—often smaller, entrepreneurial, privately held businesses. These companies are evolving as customer demands adjust to today’s communications and advertising environment. One pillar of our growth strategy and vision is to continue adapting so that we can proactively support our customers as they change and diversify their business models. We remain rooted in the Midwest and focused on the principle that “bigger is not better; better is better.” We look for opportunities where we believe customers are underserved and need greater support. We try to do all of this while taking a long-term approach to our business, our investments, and our time horizon.

2. As CEO, what are your primary strategic priorities for Millcraft, and how do sustainability and responsible business practices fit into your long-term vision?

We view sustainability as longevity. It means understanding the ramifications of decisions not just today or tomorrow, but over the next 10 years. Our priorities include maintaining a balanced workforce in terms of age, gender, and diversity. We strive to bring together veterans with decades of experience, core career professionals with the energy and drive to exceed our goals and reach the next level, and new, enthusiastic team members who are just discovering the opportunities this business offers. We also work to develop supplier relationships that last for decades. We are not interested in chasing the latest “deal” in the market. Instead, we align ourselves and our customers with partners we can confidently rely on as a foundation for growth.

3. How do you see the paper and packaging industry evolving over the next five years, particularly in response to changing customer expectations and environmental priorities?

As I alluded to earlier, I am excited. I see tremendous change and entrepreneurial ingenuity coming from our customer base. I am constantly amazed by how the print industry has expanded—not only into packaging, apparel decoration, wide-format signage, and architectural or experiential printing, but also into data and analytics. I see customers using custom QR codes to enhance and create interactive experiences that provide a much richer return on investment for the end user.

2. EcoVadis Bronze Medal Recognition

4. Millcraft recently received an EcoVadis Bronze Medal in recognition of its sustainability performance. What does this achievement mean to you and the organization?

The EcoVadis Bronze Medal is the next step in documenting what has always been a strength of Millcraft. Our business practices and our choice of partners are guided by the same goal: We want our customers to feel confident that if we put our name behind something, they can put their brand behind it as well. For us, business is personal. We take results personally, and we accept responsibility for the fact that what we do—and whom we do it with—reflects directly on our reputation as a company and as individuals.

5. What initiatives or improvements have contributed most significantly to Millcraft’s sustainability progress?

We have spent 106 years trying to do the right thing. Whether it is EcoVadis, FSC, SFI, or any number of other certification programs, we view the process as a way to formalize our approach and document the decisions we make along the way. I don’t believe we did anything different to earn the EcoVadis Bronze Medal. I simply believe we documented the responsible choices we have always made.

6. How does the EcoVadis assessment help Millcraft evaluate its current practices, identify areas for improvement, and strengthen its overall sustainability strategy?

In today’s world, people and companies want and need third-party verification. In my opinion, third-party assessment tools are valuable because they bring formality to a process and push you to consider areas you might not otherwise examine. Standards that call on us to do better can help all of us improve.

7. How has this recognition influenced conversations with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders who increasingly prioritize sustainability?

I believe the recognition allows us to continue working with our customers not merely as a transactional source—someone who can fill an order or satisfy demand—but as an integrated partner. We work with and advise our customers to help them meet their needs across sourcing, environmental responsibility, logistics, lean process management, and working capital.

It is incredibly important to analyze options based not only on price, but also on quality, environmental stewardship, corporate responsibility, and sustainability in every sense of the word. Price alone will never determine the best option and, in my experience, often points to the worst one.

3. Sustainability and Responsible Business Practices

8. Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important consideration across the paper supply chain. How is Millcraft working to balance environmental responsibility with customer needs, product performance, and commercial priorities?

The reality is that companies committed to environmental responsibility care about doing the right thing—not just when it is required, but all the time. These are often the same companies that focus on what is right rather than the minimum necessary. I have always found that companies committed to quality and reliability are also committed to doing what is right from both environmental and social perspectives.

9. What role do responsible sourcing, supply chain transparency, and supplier partnerships play in Millcraft’s sustainability approach?

As I mentioned earlier, being a family-owned and operated business has given us a strong ethical foundation. My father’s guiding principle was that we must balance our business needs with a conscientious effort to protect and enhance our natural environment over the long term. Those ethics are woven into who we are. No amount of profit is worth sacrificing our morals or our reputation. I am proud of who we are, what we do, and whom we do business with.

10. Beyond environmental initiatives, how does Millcraft address broader areas of responsible business, such as business ethics, employee well-being, and social responsibility?

Millcraft is fortunate to be a 106-year-old family business. I represent the fourth generation of my family to carry the responsibility of leading this company into the future. That history has always made doing the right thing an easy choice. If I would not be proud to tell my mother—whose family business this is—what we were doing, then we will not do it. No one likes to be scolded by their mother, and even at 51 years old, I know better. I have always tried to operate the business in a way that would make the three generations of female owners who came before me—my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother—proud of the company they stewarded. Today, we do that in part through our Buy & Give program, which donates $1 for every carton of copy paper we sell to a charitable organization in one of the communities we call home. We are honored to have donated more than $1,250,000 through that program, and we remain focused on improving the economic well-being of our employees, customers, suppliers, and neighbors.

11. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing companies in the paper and packaging sector as they work toward more sustainable operations?

The biggest challenge is learning to see the opportunities ahead rather than focusing only on the obstacles. Every industry and every company faces challenges. If you cannot see the opportunities, you cannot communicate them to the next generation of talent you are trying to attract. Without great talent, you have nothing. Our success depends on the people who define Millcraft. Yes, our industry will continue to change, as it always has. What has not changed is that people still do business with people.

4. Customer Expectations and Industry Trends

12. How are customer expectations around sustainability changing, and how is Millcraft adapting its products, services, and customer engagement to meet those expectations?

Unfortunately, I think customers’ focus on sustainability has shifted from doing what is right to finding ways to prove to others that they are doing what is right. We have lost trust in one another. As a result, doing the right thing is no longer enough; now you must go the extra mile to prove it. I do not believe that is always an efficient or effective use of our time.

13. What opportunities do you see for paper-based products and packaging as businesses seek alternatives to less sustainable materials?

The opportunity is simple: Promote who we are and what we have always been. The challenge is that our industry has historically struggled to tell its story. The reality is that paper is a biodegradable, recyclable, and renewable product. Creating economic incentives to maintain forests rather than develop the land is critical for society globally. Our industry is a steward of sustainable, renewable forestry. We should be considered guardians of the forest, not harbingers of deforestation.

14. How can companies across the paper and packaging value chain collaborate more effectively to advance sustainability while maintaining quality, reliability, and affordability?

For as long as I have been in this industry, we have lacked one clear, cohesive voice that we can all agree to support and carry forward selflessly. Once we embrace a common message and advance it not for individual gain, but for the benefit of the industry, we will be better off.

5. Looking Ahead

15. What are Millcraft’s key sustainability priorities for the coming years, and are there specific areas where you hope to make further progress?

16. How does Millcraft plan to build on its EcoVadis Bronze Medal recognition and continue strengthening its environmental, social, and governance practices?

We would love to continue the EcoVadis journey we have started. We believe it is a wonderful organization, and we aspire to keep improving our scores. Our goals include achieving Silver, Gold, and ultimately Platinum ratings from EcoVadis.

We also believe that continuing to manage our carbon footprint is important, both for us as an individual business and for our role as a member of the global community.

We would like to continue offering our services and expertise to partner with and advise our customers—and ultimately their customers—to raise the bar across the entire supply chain.

17. What advice would you offer to other companies in the paper industry that are beginning or advancing their own sustainability journeys?

That’s simple. There is a wonderful quote: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Closing Question

18. Looking ahead, what legacy would you like Millcraft to build—not only as a business, but also as a responsible partner to its customers, employees, suppliers, and the broader industry?

I hope Millcraft will be regarded as one of the industry’s most respected companies—not because of our size, but because of our heart and the way we treat others.