CONCORD, Calif. – Saxco, the leading North American value-added distributor of rigid packaging to the wine, spirits, craft beer and food markets, announced today that John Berry (JB) has been named the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. Berry, who most recently served as Chief Operations Officer and Senior Vice President of Strategy at Optimas OE Solutions, brings to this role more than two decades of experience leading distribution businesses across multiple industries. Guy Marsala, who as CEO successfully led Saxco through its transition under Atlas Holdings ownership, will continue his service to the company as Chairman of the Board of Directors.
“We are very fortunate to have JB joining the Saxco team as our new CEO, and equally grateful for all that Guy has done to build a culture of excellence and effectuate a smooth leadership transition,” said Sam Astor, Partner at Atlas Holdings. “This is an exciting time at Saxco; the business that was built on a long and distinguished record of market leadership continues to identify new and innovative ways to deliver outstanding customer service and product solutions. We are looking forward to this next chapter in Saxco’s history.”
“We are extremely pleased to welcome JB to the Saxco team as our new Chief Executive Officer,” said Marsala. “As we looked for our next CEO, we wanted someone whose experience and expertise in distribution would help accelerate the exciting transformation we have launched. JB is that leader, and we’re thrilled to have him on board.”
Berry comes to Saxco from Optimas OE Solutions, a leading value-added distributor and manufacturer of highly-engineered fasteners. Optimas OE Solutions was established in 2015, having previously been the OEM Supply – Fasteners division of Anixter International Inc. Berry led the teams directly responsible for Global Sourcing and Category Management, Data Governance, Quality, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Operations. A decorated veteran, Berry served in uniform for thirteen years after graduating from United States Military Academy at West Point.
“I want to thank Guy for the tremendous job he has done in positioning Saxco for a bright future. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to lead the Saxco team and to provide our suppliers and customers with a valuable and differentiated distribution model,” said Berry. “The Saxco brand is unique in the wine, spirits, craft beer and food markets; they have been the ‘go to’ distributor for companies large and small for decades. In the years ahead, we will build upon that record and focus daily on delivering superior service to our customers.”
About Saxco
At Saxco International, LLC, our mission is to “package customers’ dreams.” With more than 80 years of industry experience providing a broad range of packaging products and services to the wine, spirits, craft beer and food industries, Saxco offers a broad range of rigid packaging products including glass, metal, and plastic containers, capsules, closures, custom packaging and mold development. Headquartered in Concord, California, Saxco’s more than 250 associates operate more than a dozen customer support and fulfillment centers throughout the United States, Canada and China. For additional information, please visit www.saxco.com.