Some company milestones are measured in square footage, machines, output, and new buildings. Others are measured by people. On April 25, 2026, Axium Packaging brought both together at the Bartlett, Illinois plant during its 6th Years of Service Awards event. The celebration recognized 41 employees for their continued service. Forty employees received 5 year awards, and one employee received a 10 year award. It was a simple event, but a meaningful one. The kind that reminds everyone in the room that growth does not happen by accident.
The event was hosted by Joann Warren and Angie Rodriguez, Bartlett and Addison HR reps. Paul Judge, CEO of Axium Packaging, and Harp Dhaliwal, Senior Leadership Operations, attended as special guests. The program began around noon, with employees gathering for finger foods, salads, and recognition. Award recipients also received cash gift cards as a thank you for their dedication.
Joann opened the event by welcoming employees and guests, then invited Paul to speak. His message was direct and personal. He thanked the Bartlett and Addison teams for their hard work, while also pointing to the fast growth happening across the region.
Paul noted that Axium has grown significantly over the last eight to ten years, with even faster momentum in the last three to four years. He also spoke about the company’s recent closing on a new Gifford warehouse, adding roughly 450,000 square feet of space to support expanding operations. That detail matters. It shows how quickly Axium is scaling, and how much future capacity is being built around teams like Bartlett and Addison.
He also recognized the unique capabilities now coming into the region, including technologies and equipment not currently found in every Axium location. In his words, that investment reflects trust in the team. “You guys have shown amazing work. You have done some outstanding things, and honestly, we just want to say thank you for that, and continue the hard work,” Paul shared during his remarks.
As Axium celebrates 15 years as a company, that message carries extra weight. We are expanding rapidly across the United States, growing in every region, and continuing to invest in the people, facilities, and technologies that move us forward. But even with that pace, Paul reminded the team that culture cannot get lost in the growth. He spoke about respect, teamwork, and staying connected with leadership as the company continues to scale. Change will happen. That is part of growth. But the values that helped build Axium still need to stay visible in everyday work.
After the event, Harp Dhaliwal shared his own reflection. He called the event fantastic and said it was great to see employees who had given 5 and 10 years of hard work to help make the company successful. His message to the recipients was straightforward. “Keep doing what you have been doing. Whatever has made us successful over the last 5 to 10 years, if we keep that culture and the same hard work, the next 5 to 10 years will be just as good,” Harp said.
The event lasted about an hour, but the recognition behind it reached much further. It honored years of reliability, effort, patience, teamwork, and the kind of consistency that does not always make noise, but always makes a difference.
Congratulations to all 2026 Years of Service Award recipients at Bartlett and Addison. Thank you for helping shape Axium’s growth, culture, and continued success.
