As someone who’s passionate about supply chain innovation, I love talking with leaders who challenge conventional thinking. My recent Supply Chain Unfiltered conversation with Adam Walker, President and CEO of Summit Packaging Solutions, was nothing short of inspiring. Adam’s journey from winning the Super Bowl, to entrepreneurship, to building a contract packaging powerhouse is filled with insights, grit, and yes, even some colorful stories.
But beyond his incredible personal story, what stood out most was how Summit Packaging is tackling today’s biggest supply chain challenges: complexity, speed, and transparency. Here are my top 3 takeaways from our chat—lessons that any supply chain professional can learn from.
1. Digital Transformation Is a People-Centered Journey
When I asked Adam how Summit is leveraging digitization, his answer was refreshingly human. For him, technology is not about replacing people: it’s about empowering them.
“Our people are our most appreciable asset,” Adam said. “It’s not about replacing them. It’s about giving them better tools.”
That’s why Summit has invested in smart factory infrastructure, real-time data collection, and performance dashboards across its four sites. But more than the tools, it’s the culture he’s created that impressed me most. Adam insists that every idea must be backed what he calls “bringing math to the meeting.” It’s a mindset that turns data into decisions and ideas into action.
The digitization journey isn’t easy, especially for smaller co-packers who might still be running operations on spreadsheets. But Summit proves that a clear strategy, the right tools (like Nulogy), and a focus on empowering your team can set you apart in a crowded market.
2. True Customer-Centricity Starts with Internal Trust
It’s easy to say “the customer is at the center,” but Adam’s approach goes deeper. At Summit, customer-centricity is built on a foundation of internal trust, transparency, and over-communication.
“Although our customer is at the center, Team Summit has to come first,” Adam explained. “We must take care of our internal team to take care of our external team.”
That means building a culture where team members can debate ideas without fear, where every quarterly business review begins with a simple but powerful question: “Do you trust me?” If the answer isn’t yes, the meeting doesn’t move forward until the issue is addressed.
This level of intentional trust-building has created an agile, responsive organization that can move quickly to solve complex customer problems: whether that means managing short lead times, adapting to changing specs, or scaling labor on the fly.
And let me tell you, not every co-packer thinks this way. Many throw technology at a problem without considering whether their people and processes are aligned. Summit’s model is a reminder that trust isn’t soft—it’s strategic.
3. Collaboration Is the Ultimate Competitive Advantage
As a Nulogy customer, Adam described our partnership as a major differentiator for Summit…and that’s a huge compliment! He told me how Summit uses Nulogy to digitize complex packaging workflows, eliminate manual spreadsheets, and gain real-time visibility across all its facilities.
“Being powered by Nulogy signals to our clients that we aren’t just a vendor. We’re an intelligent extension of their supply chain,” he said.
I loved hearing that, but what struck me most was how Adam talks about collaboration—not just with technology partners like us, but with Summit’s own customers. In fact, he’s introduced Nulogy to several of his clients, and in some cases, those companies ended up making our solution mandatory across their co-pack network.
Why? Because when a co-packer like Summit shares the same digital platform as the brand, it creates transparency and traceability that benefits everyone.
And in today’s climate, where 30% of the products on retail shelves are touched by a co-packer, that kind of transparency is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s the new baseline.
As Adam put it so well:
“Don’t wait for disruption to force change. Build for resilience today.”
Final Thoughts
Adam’s journey—from being cut 12 times in the NFL to building a nationally recognized packaging business—is nothing short of remarkable. But what I took away most from our conversation was this: in supply chain, people are still the differentiator. Invest in them. Empower them. Build trust with them.
Technology matters. Visibility matters. But it’s the culture of collaboration and agility that sets companies like Summit apart.
So if you’re looking to elevate your contact packaging or manufacturing operations, here are my takeaways from my conversation with Adam:
- Start with trust.
- Digitize with purpose.
- And always, always bring math to the meeting.
Want to see how Nulogy can help your own co-pack business accelerate efficiency and growth? Contact us or request a demo today.
