Here at JBM Packaging, we’re celebrating a major milestone—40 years in business! The business has grown and evolved over the last four decades, but the focus on hard work and family values has remained.
Here’s a look back at the first four decades of JBM Packaging.
Decade 1: The beginning (1985-1994)
JBM Packaging began its life as JBM Envelope, a brokerage business founded by Greg Sheanshang and named for his three children (Jennifer, Bridget, and Marcus). The business quickly grew to the point where Greg recognized an opportunity to develop beyond simply buying and selling envelopes; thus, JBM became a manufacturer.
The company continued to grow and soon marked another important milestone: expanding into seed packet manufacturing, a market that remains key to the company even today. By 1994, JBM had grown from three original employees to a team of 65.
Decade 2: The growth (1995-2004)
JBM ended its first decade with a move to a new headquarters in Lebanon, Ohio, which doubled its manufacturing space. Further expansion, more equipment purchases, and accelerated growth characterized the next 10 years of JBM.
During those years, Greg developed a team and a facility that could build expertise in envelope converting, adding and modifying machines to allow more complex manufacturing. The second decade of JBM concluded with a large investment: a new printing press that allowed six-color printing. Even as growth and investment ramped up, Greg was adamant that JBM remain focused on the team members who had helped him grow the business in new ways.
Decade 3: The evolution (2005-2014)
An important turning point in the JBM story took place near the beginning of its third decade, when Greg passed the torch of leadership to his son, Marcus.
With new management came shifts in the business’s focus and company culture. Marcus brought a new emphasis on the environmental benefits of paper packaging, marketing the products to a previously untapped “eco” audience that values sustainable business practices and minimizing plastic use. He also recognized the importance of diversifying in a rapidly changing industry, expanding product lines and launching additional paper packaging options to provide the businesses JBM served with a larger product portfolio. (This shift would lay the groundwork that eventually would result in a rebrand for JBM Envelope in the next decade.)
Another shift in focus came when Marcus began to seek partnerships between JBM and community organizations. This change marked the beginning of a new emphasis on business in service of a greater purpose.
Even with the changes, family still came first at JBM. Marcus began bringing an important family member to the office—his dog Oak! (Oak still spends most weekdays roaming the JBM office, now joined by his younger brother Gunner.) In addition, Marcus has brought all of his children into the business to learn the ins and outs of JBM.
Decade 4: The vision (2015-2025)
For the first 30 years of its existence, JBM had been known as an envelope company. Decade 4 saw the company expand its focus to provide Better Solutions—including a full-service packaging solution that included design, manufacturing, filling, kitting and fulfillment. Thus, it was only fitting that the company rebrand to JBM Packaging.
The last 10 years of JBM have solidified the new direction Marcus set the company on. The company continued to emphasize and clarify its purpose, which eventually crystallized as just six words: Better Solutions. Better Lives. Better World. Six company values backed up the purpose: Grit, Innovation, Ownership, Collaboration, Growth Mindset, and Passion for a Better World.
Nowhere is that purpose more apparent than in the development of the JBM Fair Chance program. Introduced in 2016 to address skills gaps left by retiring employees, the program quickly grew into a cornerstone of JBM team culture. It provides opportunities for participants to rebuild their lives after incarceration and includes access to assistance with finding housing, transportation, counseling, and other needs beyond employment.
The future (2026-)
What will the next 40 years of JBM Packaging bring? Well, as Yogi Berra once said, “It’s difficult to make predictions, especially about the future.” But two big moves the company made in 2025 provide a direction for the business’s next steps: building a second headquarters building and launching a training program inside a prison.
The new JBM Packaging building is just down the road from the main headquarters building in Lebanon, Ohio. It’s expected to open next year and provide expanded capacity for contract packaging operations like filling, kitting and display packout, leaving the manufacturing to the original building. This investment shows that JBM will continue to innovate, expand and seek to serve customers in new ways.
The other major initiative launched by JBM in 2025 was an ambitious expansion of the Fair Chance program to provide opportunities within the prison walls. JBM now has a small production facility inside the London (Ohio) Correctional Institution, where inmates can apply for an apprenticeship to learn how to operate the machines. The fifth decade of JBM and beyond will certainly include more programs and opportunities serving people who have been or are currently incarcerated.
Bigger expansion, increased services, and an even greater focus on purpose and values—it all adds up to big things in store for JBM. The coming decade will continue to see the organization striving to be a role model for a profitable, purpose-driven company, and we’re thankful to all the team members, partners, associates, and friends who have been there every step of the way. Stay tuned for even more great strides forward for JBM Packaging!