Mark Sonderen began working in the factory at age 11 thus he has been a part of Sonderen Packaging since its inception. Fifteen years later his father, Albin Sonderen decided that he wanted to spend more time at the lake so in 1978 Mark was given the title of president (Mark was twenty six years old). In the Fifty years that Mark has been a part of the business it is safe to say that he has done each job at least once and has many entertaining stories to accompany those memories. Since becoming president, Mark has grown the company exponentially from thirty employees and two million in sales to over one hundred employees and over twenty million in sales. His visionary leadership, inherent business sense and down to earth personality are characteristics that have made Sonderen Packaging into the successful company it is today.

Mark is involved in many community organizations and has been the president of Rotary 21, the president of the Inland Northwest council of Boy Scouts and has also served on the board for the Association of Washington Business as well as two terms on the board for Greater Spokane Incorporated.

He is blessed with an incredible wife of over 35 years, two amazingly talented and intelligent children and 6 grandchildren which are his pride and joy. Mark enjoys spending time at the family lake property, water skiing, snow skiing, bird hunting, snowmobiling, fishing and traveling; to name a few. Our favorite saying about Mark is, "if you don't have fun with Mark, it's not his fault."

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Keva Sonderen joined the Sonderen Packaging team in 2004 as a Customer Service Representative and handled the accounts of some of our largest customers. Her current position is in Inside Sales and Marketing for the company. She enjoys working closely with new customers and developing packaging solutions to help bring their products to market. She is also a third generation owner of Sonderen Packaging and looks forward to a bright future with the company.

Kevas education includes a business degree from Eastern Washington University. Keva played division one volleyball at EWU and had a successful and decorated volleyball career there.

She learned many life skills that directly translate into her commitment to Sonderen such as hard work, discipline, the ability to handle tough situations under pressure, leadership and teamwork. One of her favorite sayings is “Never Settle for Less than Your Best”.

Keva was born and raised in Spokane Washington and loves spending time with her children, friends and family. Her favorite place to visit is the family cabin at Priest Lake. She enjoys playing volleyball, reading historical fiction novels, and eating unique types of food. She has traveled to Italy, Spain, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Brazil for volleyball and will some day return to Rio de Janeiro to vacation.

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Matt Sonderen began working part time for family business in 1998 while attending high school and during the summer months. Starting with refurbishing cutting dies damaged in the fire earlier that year, Matt filled in wherever he was needed in the plant working on projects for the maintenance department, loading and unloading trucks in the warehouse , or assisting and running machines in each of our four production processes. In 2002, Matt moved into administration doing accounts payable and research projects for the accounting department and was safety director and a customer service representative.

In 2010 Matt became Director of Quality Management and is also part of the executive management team. Part of Matt’s duties include continually refining our comprehensive quality management program as well as driving and facilitating many of the company’s continuous improvement projects. His favorite thing to do at Sonderen is to work with a team of people on the plant floor to solve a problem or improve a process. “To see the pride team members take in their accomplishments during a continuous improvement event and the contagious excitement they spread around the plant is a hugely rewarding experience.”

Matt was born and raised in Spokane, attended three Universities in his college career, including Regis University in Denver, CO, Saint Louis University Madrid, and finally returned home to graduate from Gonzaga University with a Bachelors degree in Finance. Matt volunteers his time and energy with Rotary Club 21 of Spokane, is a member of the steering committee for Gonzaga University School of Business’ Annual Family Owned Business Conference, and is a judge for Greater Spokane Incorporated’s AGORA awards for Business Excellence. Matt’s favorite activities are skiing, biking and fishing with his wife and three boys.

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Steve Agen joined the Sonderen Packaging Team in 1987 as a printing press feeder and later become a pressman. After a few years he moved into the sales department enabling him to benefit from both his past sales experience and his experience in the manufacturing area. He has gathered many new customers and relations over the years and enjoys helping them grow their product base by providing them a quality product and service. In 1997, Steve was named Sales Manager and later became General Manager in 2000. Steve has been an integral part in creating and shaping the Sonderen Packaging you see today. Steve is personable, friendly, knowledgeable and trustworthy. We are proud that he is a part of our executive team!

Steve received a business degree from Eastern Washington University while working in customer service for a local financial institution. He also spent 1 ½ years working in his father’s food brokerage business selling institutional food products to different restaurants in the Spokane area.

Steve was born and raised in the great city of Spokane and enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He has three grown children that have provided many memorable years of sports activities, snowmobiling, fishing, golfing and spending time at the lake. Now that Steve and his wife are “empty nesters”, he looks forward to spending more time with her touring many of the wineries in Washington and Napa Valley as well as improving their golf game while traveling.

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Jamie joined Sonderen Packaging in 1997 as a Sales Representative. Jamie has assisted many customers in growing their businesses with his close support and remarkable ability to problem solve. He became Sales Manager in 2012 and we are happy that he is able to represent Sonderen in this capacity. Jamie is one of the most humble and thoughtful people you will ever meet. He is also a fantastic storyteller and will always go the extra mile. Jamie especially appreciates and enjoys the relationships and friendships he has developed with customers over the years as a result of working closely together to address their unique packaging needs.

Jamie has received his education from Washington State University. He has an extensive background in the printing industry working for companies in Seattle and Spokane and has over 33 years of experience.

Jamie was born in Montana and was raised in North Idaho and Spokane. He is married to his high school sweetheart Jody, and together they have three children and one grandchild. He enjoys motorcycling, fishing and generally spending time in the outdoors with children family and friends.

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Justin Jones joined the Sonderen Packaging Team in 2004 as a Customer Service Representative. His current position is in Sales and Customer Service. Justin’s favorite aspect of his current position is meeting new clients, establishing a strong working relationship, and helping them create and define their packaging vision for their company’s product. Justin is friendly and dependable and we are proud to have him on our team.

Because Justin has worked in the industry for nearly twenty years, he has had the opportunity to work in many positions, and for many departments, in the folding carton industry. He’s worked the production floor, estimating and purchasing, customer service and is now in sales. His time spent in each position has provided him with experiences, lessons, and knowledge that make his understanding of the business more complete for his customers.

Justin was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington but now resides in Gig Harbor, Washington with his wife Jennifer, two boys and two dogs. He enjoys coaching his kids in football and baseball, is an avid outdoorsman, and enjoys spending time with family and friends.

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Jeff was hired to be a part of the Sonderen Packaging team in 2014. His current position as an Account Executive is to represent Sonderen in the Idaho, Utah and Northern California markets and work with customers on packaging solutions and new business development. Jeff also works closely with upper management with to help further Sonderen’s sophistication and meet short and long term goals. Jeff is excited to contribute to the Sonderen team in ways that ensure each and every customer becomes a ‘Customer for Life’. Jeff is great at building relationships and instills trust by his actions and authenticity. He truly cares about the people around him and will always go the extra mile. We are excited to tap into Jeff’s vast knowledge and experience and look forward to many fun and successful years to come with him by our side.

Jeff began his work career in the grocery business and spent almost 20 years in the industry in a number of key roles and positions. These experiences led him to consulting opportunities with many different clients, helping them become stronger organizations with better teams and more inspired leaders. While building his consulting and training business he came to work closely with the Potlatch Paperboard and Consumer Products groups in Lewiston, Idaho. He eventually joined them in 1999 and began his career in the paperboard industry. He spent 3 years working closely with managers, Union leadership and frontline employees in both HR roles and Organizational Development projects. This led him to the sales and marketing side of the business where he developed a deep respect for paperboard and paperboard packaging. He spent over 7 years with a West Coast printer and converter, learning the diverse markets for this product line.

Jeff was born in Pullman, WA and raised in Spokane, WA. He attended the University of Idaho before moving full time into the retail grocery business. He married his lovely wife Christine, whom he met while working in Lewiston, ID. They have a blended family with three grown children, Kyle, Brian, and Kayla and three very active and beautiful dogs who now keep them company at home, two Labs and a Brittany Spaniel. Christine and Jeff enjoy the great outdoors of the Northwest and are often golfing, fishing, hunting, camping, ATV riding and wine tasting!

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Brian Hall is one of the newer members to the Sonderen sales team but brings a wealth of industry experience and packaging knowledge. Brian works closely with new and existing customers and enjoys supporting these customers that serve a variety of industries. He also enjoys seeing the final product displayed in the marketplace, oftentimes in the retail setting. Brian is a service oriented individual and always acts with the customer in mind. He is very personable and is ever ready to offer a big smile or employ his humor and quick wit.

Brian previously spent eight years in the packaging industry and gained a wealth of experience that includes estimating, computer aided structural design, and customer service. Perhaps one of his greatest attributes is that he is able to draw from the variety of skills learned in each of these positions and brings valuable practical knowledge and ideas to the customer, while being mindful of our manufacturing process and production requirements.

Brian was born and raised in Clarkston, WA but relocated to Vancouver, where he now resides, to pursue his career in packaging. His favorite hobby is hunting on his grandfather’s ranch. He also enjoys golfing, and spending time on the beach in the summer time and traveling with his fiancé, family, and friends.

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Kim Sternod joined the Sonderen Packaging team in 2003 as the Receptionist, Payroll, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable clerk. Kim joined Sonderen’s Customer Service team in 2005 and handles the accounts of some of our largest customers. Kim is incredibly detail oriented and you can count on her to exceed expectations whenever possible. She is personable, friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about Sonderen Packagings processes and capabilities and uses that knowledge to meet her customers needs. She enjoys the relationships that she has formed with her customers. She also enjoys meeting new customers and working with them to make their ideal package come to life.

Kim graduated from Longview Business College, and attended various classes at Lower Columbia College in Longview, WA. She has worked in customer service roles for over 30 years.

Kim loves spending time with her family, although her granddaughters are her favorite. Kim has a fascinating variety of aquariums and tropical fish that she enjoys. She also enjoys spending time outdoors, and can often be found at Lake Roosevelt during the summer months. She also enjoys fishing, reading, and cooking.

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Jen Cramer joined the Sonderen team in 2018. As someone who had spent the last 25 years working in the medical field, Jen has taken the challenge of the packaging industry head on. She is a very quick learner and a fantastic team player. She brings a new perspective and a refreshing sense of humor to our customer service team.

Jen was born in the world of travel as both of her parents served in the military – and traveling is something she continues to do. She has lived from Massachusetts to California and many states in between. The military life prepared her for a life in which change is frequent and she applies that to her career. In a customer service position in manufacturing you are constantly adapting to change and must do it with a smile!

Jen has many hobbies and always has a great story to share. She loves to create quilts, read and spend time with her family, go boating and she also owns and drives a race car. Fun fact- Jen lived in Turkey when she was five and can still count to 19 in Turkish.

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Jen Ault joined the Sonderen Packaging team in 2017 as a Customer Service Representative. She was interested in working for Sonderen Packaging because Sonderen is more than a company, it’s a family! She enjoys working in a fast paced environment and building strong connections with people. Jen has over 20 years of customer service experience rapidly getting to know her customers and assisting them in achieving their packaging goals. Jen employs great attention to detail and learns quickly. Her personality is a perfect fit for the Sonderen team as she is easy going and fun to be around!

Born and raised in Boise, Idaho she struck out on an adventure with her best friend, Rick to Spokane WA in 2004. They fell in love with the area and put down roots. She began working for a locally owned outdoor clothing retailer, which helped fuel her love for the outdoors. The four seasons in Spokane made it possible to enjoy snowboarding, hiking and camping in their free time. After marrying Rick and starting a family they relocated to Seattle where she continued working for the same company. While they enjoyed Seattle, they took the option to move back to Spokane after 5 years. She still visits family in Boise as often as possible, but Spokane is where she calls home. When it came time for the next chapter she sought a family oriented company where she could grow and thrive, she found that at Sonderen Packaging.

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Nichole officially joined the Sonderen Packaging team in 2017, but grew up with the company during her adolescent years when both her mother and her step father worked for Sonderen Packaging. She remembers being a young girl at the Sonderen Company Hockey night, when the owner, Mark Sonderen, caught the Spokane Chiefs game puck, and gave it to her to keep. From an early age, Nichole has admired the family values that are an essential part of the Sonderen Packaging culture.

Nichole has over 10 years of experience in the customer service industry, and loves building relationships with her customers. Nichole works at a fast pace and is able to handle several high-profile customers while utilizing her passion and creativity. Nichole is always willing to go above and beyond for both her customer, and her team. Her positive attitude, and upbeat personality, make for great energy at the Sonderen office. Always with a smile on her face, and willingness to offer a helping hand, Nichole excels in the fast-past environment of the Sonderen workplace.

Nichole studied locally at Whitworth University, also earning her certification through the Avista Entrepreneurship Program where she was able to work, and learn alongside some of the top business owners in Spokane. Nichole took this learning process to begin her own small business she ran from home for a short time, while she stayed home with her young twin girls.

Nichole was born in Hamilton, MT. She loves the outdoors, camping, boating, riding horses, and shopping! She leads a very busy life as a mother of three daughters and her passion is exhibited through many avenues, but she is most passionate about her children, and all of her favorite pastimes are spent making memories with them.

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Rob is a fantastic addition to the Sonderen Sales Team. He is has an easy going character with a can-do attitude and is very hard working; always ready to help where needed. Robs main task is to manage the relationships with current and new customers. The best part of his job is helping customers with the technical aspect packaging design, both graphics and structural. Rob chose to work for the Sonderen team because of their reputation for producing a quality product that is second to none.

Rob has over 20 years of paperboard packaging experience, mostly in the area of Prepress and Structural design, managing projects for large national customers and small regional customers alike. He is a 1988 graduate of Western Washington University, where he majored in Finance and minored in Accounting.

Rob is a proud Washington native, born and raised on the Olympic Peninsula. Rob, and his significant other Nadia, currently reside in the Renton/Issaquah area, along with their black lab “Max”. Rob’s hobbies include automobile restoration and following various forms of motorsports.

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Cindy was hired on in the fall of 2005 as a Receptionist, Payroll, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable clerk. In 2007 she became the sole customer service representative of one of our largest accounts and in 2015 the account executive. Cindy’s ability to multitask while staying calm under pressure along with her organizational skills serves her well in this position. Cindy particularly enjoys watching new packaging launch and coordinating those projects from initial phases to the final product shipped out of our warehouse. She is wonderful at working closely with the customer and Sonderen production to ensure that the flow of existing packaging orders and inventory runs smoothly. Cindy is instantly likeable because of her good nature, compassionate heart and infectious laugh.

Born and raised in Seattle Washington she attended the University of Washington. Cindy’s husband Mike was a naval officer so together they lived up and down the east coast and had the opportunity to travel abroad in South America and Europe.

Cindy and Mike have raised four beautiful daughters and now have three lively grandchildren. They moved to Seattle in 2009 to be closer to the grandchildren and are enjoying their time with immensely with family. Cindy loves taking trips to the ocean, hiking, exploring new recipes and cuisine, and traveling to new places.

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