Southern Champion Tray (SCT) has appointed Tyler Siira as President, effective July 1, 2026, elevating the company's former Chief Financial Officer into the top operational role at the Chattanooga-based packaging supplier. Brian Hunt, who led SCT as President, transitions to a sole focus as Chief Executive Officer, establishing a dual-executive structure the company says is designed to accelerate growth at a firm approaching its 100th year in business.
The Leadership Move
Siira brings a cross-functional résumé unusual for a packaging executive. Before joining SCT as CFO, he served as Vice President and Treasurer of Unum Group and ran DCI Manufacturing as owner and president — a combination of Fortune 500 treasury experience and entrepreneurial operations that SCT's board views as well-suited to scaling a family-owned manufacturer. He holds a BS in Accounting from Bryan College and an MBA from Instituto de Empresa in Madrid.
"With his extensive background and vision for the future, we are confident that he will lead SCT to new heights and drive our mission even further," said Hunt.
Why It Matters for Foodservice
For foodservice operators and their procurement teams, SCT is a meaningful supplier in two high-volume categories: bakery packaging and foodservice disposables. The company, founded in 1927 and still family-owned in its third generation, distributes product throughout North America — including Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America — serving bakery, foodservice, institutional, and retail packaging customers.
The leadership restructuring comes as paper-based packaging suppliers navigate a complex operating environment. Fiber input costs have been volatile, while foodservice operators continue shifting toward sustainable packaging formats to meet brand commitments and, in some markets, regulatory requirements. SCT's decision to bring a financially trained operator into the president seat signals a focus on cost discipline and margin management alongside any top-line growth agenda.
Team and Footprint
Siira will oversee more than 950 team members across SCT's three manufacturing locations: Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fairfield, Ohio; and Mansfield, Texas. That multi-facility footprint gives the company geographic reach across major U.S. distribution corridors — a competitive asset as supply chain reliability remains a procurement priority for national foodservice chains and regional distributors alike.
For operators evaluating packaging and supply partnerships, the executive change at SCT represents continuity of ownership with a sharpened operational focus. Siira's background managing both P&L and balance sheet functions positions him to engage directly on the cost-structure conversations that dominate supplier negotiations in the current environment. Foodservice buyers monitoring leadership transitions at key vendors will note that Hunt's continued presence as CEO preserves institutional relationships built over the company's long tenure in the category.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
