Guest Speaker: Brian Wells, Packaging Engineer

Post date: Nov 05, 2015 2:46:15 PM

Hey everyone, our guest speaker presentation yesterday was great! Mr. Wells described packaging engineering as 50% math, 50% creativity, as packaging requires close attention to how products fit in their cases, how those cases fit inside shipment units, and ultimate how the products appeal to consumers in the store. He explained that it was great to see the packaging of a product from its conception to the shelf. He also enjoys working with people, and the freedom he has to switch to different areas of business from packaging engineering very easily. Packaging engineers work with people of all different backgrounds, such as mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, industrial engineering, and supply chain management. Mr. Wells proudly showed us his first designed product, the Sour Patch Big Kids, and described some of his favorite packaging designs, such as the Oreo Snack n’Seal. Aside from candy, packaging engineers are also needed in medical fields, consumer goods, industry, cosmetics, and electronics. Because the NY-NJ area is home to many commercial companies, packaging engineering is a big deal. Through the new Rutgers Packaging Engineering Program, Mr. Wells was able to secure an internship and co-op with Colgate and Mondelez, a $35 billion company that Mr. Wells now works for.

Amidst sharing all of these interesting facts about Packaging Engineering, Mr. Wells also shared with us a ton of candy, as documented by the pictures below. We had a great time, and wish Mr. Wells the best of luck with his career!