A 10-Year Reflection from George W. Dempsey, Co-Founder & CEO of KCooper Brands, Inc.

As KCooper Brands, Inc. approaches its tenth anniversary on February 19, 2026, I find myself thinking back to the early days when Kathi and I first imagined what this company could become. We believed that a business built on discipline, integrity, authentic customer relationships, employee satisfaction, and a deep understanding of distribution and manufacturing could outperform much larger competitors. We believed that if we stayed close to the customer and close to the problem, we could build a platform that consistently delivered better outcomes—not just better products.

Ten years later, that belief has proven true. What began as a focused, entrepreneurial effort has grown into a high-performance organization serving a diverse set of markets through our DBA, Dempsey International Packaging. Today, we support traditional rigid packaging customers across personal care, food, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, and industrial manufacturing. Under our corporate brand, KCooper Brands Inc., we also serve a rapidly expanding group of nonwoven customers in quick-serve restaurants, casual dining, convenience stores, grocery, retail, and medical environments. Across every one of these channels, our mission remains the same: to deliver performance, reliability, and value through an OEM model built on our Performance Through Technology®—a model that gives customers high-quality, U.S.-based solutions that outperform the competition.

One of the clearest indicators of our growth is the talent that has chosen to join us. Our employees make the difference—without them, none of this happens. Growing a company requires extraordinary effort, thoughtful strategy, and unwavering execution. It is not an easy journey, and it is certainly not for the faint of heart. Kathi and I have worked hard to create an environment that fosters teamwork, opportunity, and individual success. We are, and always will be, family first and grateful to those who are walking the journey with us.

In addition to our employees, we have assembled a Board of Directors that reinforces our vision and elevates our capabilities. Leaders such as John Inwright, David Cox, and most recently David Tolson—who joined us in 2025—bring experience that spans multi-billion-dollar supply chains, major foodservice organizations, and complex M&A transactions. Their financial and operational expertise, earned over decades at the highest levels of the industry, is invaluable. Their willingness to lend their time, guidance, and counsel is one of the strongest validations of the platform we’ve built.

As I look at the past two years specifically, the momentum behind our company has never been stronger. We’ve expanded our U.S.-based OEM network, deepened relationships with key customers, and strengthened our supply chain both domestically and abroad. We are operating with more capability, more precision, and more confidence than at any point since our founding. The market increasingly recognizes the value of stable, American-driven supply, and that recognition has opened the door to opportunities we could not have imagined ten years ago.

Looking ahead, the next decade for KCooper Brands will be defined by scale—strategic, disciplined, and firmly grounded in our values. We will continue broadening our presence in foodservice, grocery, retail, and medical markets, while also deepening our footprint in the rigid packaging categories that built our foundation. We will strengthen our OEM partnerships in the United States to enhance supply resilience, product performance, and speed to market. And we will remain committed to the operating philosophy that has guided us from day one: build from the customer backwards and execute at a standard that sets us apart.

What makes me most proud isn’t just what we’ve accomplished—it’s how we’ve accomplished it. Our team shows up every day with urgency, accountability, and a sense of ownership that defines who we are. Our customers trust us because we earn that trust through consistency, transparency, and follow-through. Our suppliers & partners know the fidelity of our commitments and believe in the direction we’re going. And our board continues to help us think bigger and operate smarter as we scale.

As we celebrate ten years of KCooper Brands, I want to personally thank everyone who has been part of this journey. Your support, partnership, and belief have fueled every achievement. And while I am proud of what we have built, I am even more excited about what lies ahead.

“Our first decade built the foundation- Our next decade will define our future.”

George W. Dempsey

Co-Founder, Chairman & CEO

KCooper Brands, Inc. (dba Dempsey International Packaging)