Innovative packing material company focus of entrepreneurship breakfast series

Contact: Alyssa Benson
Photo of Richard Daniels.

Daniels

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The founder of an eco-friendly and innovative packing materials company will be the next speaker in the Entrepreneurship Forum speaker series at Western Michigan University’s Haworth College of Business.

Rich Daniels, founder of RNS Packaging, will speak at 8 a.m. Friday, March 17, in 2150 Schneider Hall. The event is free and open to the public and begins with breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (269) 387-6059 or at wmich.edu/business/e-rsvp. Free parking is available in Fetzer Center Lot 72F.

RNS Packaging

The idea for RNS Packaging came from an almost-tragedy in 2000. During their honeymoon, founder Rich Daniels and his wife received a call that their rescue dog Bob had eaten a packing peanut from a wedding gift and would require expensive, emergency surgery to remove it from his intestine. Bob made a full recovery and inspired Daniels to find a way to package and ship products that was friendly to pets, people and the planet.

After researching and experimenting with different materials, Daniels formed Really Neat Stuff (RNS) Packaging and launched their pet, people and planet friendly FunPak product line. 

FunPak is a biodegradable, compostable and static-free packing product manufactured in iconic, memorable shapes. From the moment it hit the market, FunPak drew acclaim from eco-experts and business professionals. The company won numerous awards and attracted the attention of Meijer, Amazon and other companies who started selling FunPak directly to consumers.

Today, RNS Packaging custom designs logoed and specialty shaped FunPak for large companies and other gift givers desiring a memorable and eco-friendly packaging option. RNS Packaging is veteran-owned and based in Michigan.

About the Entrepreneurship Forum

Entrepreneurship Forum is a monthly series sponsored by BlueOx Credit Union and hosted by WMU's Haworth College of Business. The forum brings stories of entrepreneurs and startup success to the greater Kalamazoo community. To learn more about the series, visit wmich.edu/business/entrepreneurship-forum.

Future Entrepreneurship Forum Speakers

  • April 14: Patrick Mixis, Feed the World Cafe

For more information or to RSVP please call (269) 387-6059 or register at wmich.edu/business/e-rsvp. To suggest an entrepreneur for the series, contact Alyssa Benson at alyssa.benson@wmich.edu.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.