03/23/2026
Here at Ernest, we pride ourselves on our humble beginnings — but we’d be lying if we said we weren’t pretty darn excited when our local news station turned up for our 80th birthday bash last month. As the oldest independent packaging business in the country, achieving this milestone is a big deal. Huge, in fact. Which is why we pulled out all the stops, throwing a totally rad 80s themed party that featured old school arcade games, an 80s-style roller-skating rink and a giant outdoor tent where we served lunch from Ruby’s Diner to everyone in their retro gear.
The flashy costumes (did we mention Tim and Brian wore matching track suits?) weren’t the only thing that attracted the media’s attention. As part of the ABC7 Salutes segment honoring veterans, the news story focused not only on our company’s landmark achievement of thriving (and growing) for eight decades, but also on our founders, Ernest and Chuck Wilson, and their legacy of service, sacrifice and family. (Fun fact: Chuck Wilson was also featured on this segment two years ago when he turned 99.)
We couldn’t be prouder of what they called our “success story born from the values of two WW2 vets.” We also want to give a big shout out to every customer, vendor and E-Teamer who’s helped us get here — we couldn’t have done it without you! In case you missed it, here’s the ABC7 Salutes segment in all its glory. Join us in saluting Chuck and Ernie, who started it all. What an honor it is to carry on their legacy of building a business based on personal relationships. May we all make them proud.
