Five Star Announces Appointment of Alex Huis in 't Veld as Chief Executive Officer

HOUSTON, May 9, 2024 (Newswire.com) - Five Star Holding, a leader in sustainable packaging solutions, announced that Michael S. Ukropina, CEO, has retired and is succeeded by Alex Huis in ‘t Veld effective May 3, 2024. 

Prior to his appointment as CEO, Alex served as President of Five Star, following two years as the COO of Polytex and StarPak, and over a decade of leading Polytex's growth. 

Alex commented, “When I joined Five Star, I knew that we had the opportunity to do something special. Today, I am more excited about our future than ever before. Our investments in sustainability, leadership in the pet food sector, and the caliber of our people set us apart in the industry. I am thankful for Mike’s mentorship and eager to advance our legacy of growth and innovation.”

Mike added, “The last six years as CEO of Five Star were the most gratifying and growth-oriented in my career. I’m proud of our team’s efforts to manage extraordinary growth as we navigated challenges like COVID and tough competition. I appreciate the opportunities and support provided by the ownership of Five Star, its Board of Directors, and my outstanding colleagues.” 

Mike’s career began 30 years ago at International Paper, including the position of CEO for the AGI-Shorewood packaging business, followed by three years as an SVP at Graphic Packaging. He became the CEO of Five Star in 2018 and will continue as a consultant to the Company. 

Prior to joining Five Star in 2013, Alex held a series of senior positions at DSM, a large multi-national health and nutrition company, including a divisional Chief Financial Officer role.

About the Five Star Family of Companies

Five Star is a circularly-integrated group of manufacturing companies with industry-leading flexible packaging, printed films, and sustainability solutions. Five Star is centrally located in Houston, Texas, with multiple facilities that provide extrusion, printing and converting operations for Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods companies and large national retailers across the following business entities:

• StarPak combines leading-edge printing and extrusion capabilities to produce technical films, bags, and pouches for CPG and industrial products companies.
• Polytex provides innovative laminated woven sacks, quad-seal bags, pouches, and structures for various consumer markets, including pet foods and treats.
• Superbag is a leading manufacturer and converter of environmentally focused high-PCR content retail carry-out bags, e-commerce mailers, and extruded films.
• Fresh Pak is a state-of-the-art recycling operation that specializes in complex post-consumer resin applications and manufactures extruded products from recycled resins.

Source: Five Star Holding