In 1971 Doug Siemon joined LaBoiteaux Company, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, William J., who had been president of the company and his father, William G., LaBoiteaux’s executive vice president. Although the industry had changed significantly over those seventy-five since its founding the company’s focus remained the same—providing supplemental sales representation for its partner mills. In its earliest days LaBoiteaux focused on marketing chipboard, but as the paper industry’s product offerings grew so did LaBoiteaux’s. By the 1970s LaBoiteaux was marketing virgin and recycled products to manufacturers of folding cartons, corrugated boxes, rigid boxes, paper tubes and cores, and other paperboard products.

In 1994 Doug, along with Mike Greene who worked with him since 1974, decided to take the best practices of LaBoiteaux (which had become part of a large integrated paper company) and start a new company. Independent Paperboard Marketing was born. In 2003 IPM became a part of Corrugated Services, an independent containerboard manufacturer in Forney, Texas. With subsequent growth and a merger in 2008 Corrugated Services became Orange County Container. In 2012 Smurfit Kappa Group purchased Orange County and shortly thereafter offered Doug and Mike the opportunity to once again take the company private.

In November 2013 Doug, Mike, and Marc Gibbs reconstituted IPM as an independent, employee-owned paperboard marketing company. Our focus remains the same as Charles LaBoiteaux’s—to extend the reach of our partner mills by providing local representation. Our world has changed a lot since 1896, but our principles have not. We exist to bring paperboard manufacturers and converters together in mutually beneficial relationships.