Southern Champion Tray (SCT), a third-generation family-owned packaging manufacturer supplying the bakery, foodservice, and retail sectors, has named Tyler Siira President, effective July 1, 2026. Siira, who most recently served as SCT's Chief Financial Officer, steps into the role vacated by Brian Hunt, who remains Chief Executive Officer.
The New Leadership Structure
The split of the president and CEO functions is a common governance move at privately held manufacturers seeking to separate day-to-day operational oversight from long-term strategic direction. Hunt, who moves purely into the CEO seat, described Siira as bringing "extensive background and vision for the future" that would drive SCT's mission forward. The restructuring gives SCT a dedicated operational leader as the company approaches its centennial, having been established in Chattanooga in 1927.
Siira's Background
Siira's career spans financial services, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. Before joining SCT, he served as Vice President and Treasurer of Unum Group, the publicly traded insurance holding company, and as Owner and President of DCI Manufacturing. He holds a BS in Accounting from Bryan College and an MBA from the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid. That combination of capital-markets experience and hands-on manufacturing ownership is relatively unusual in the packaging segment and positions Siira to address both cost-structure and growth questions simultaneously.
The appointment matters for F&B supply-chain participants because SCT is a significant supplier to the bakery and foodservice packaging categories. The company distributes products across North America — including Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America — meaning its leadership decisions carry weight for a broad base of food and beverage operators sourcing folding cartons, trays, and related substrates. SCT operates manufacturing facilities in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Fairfield, Ohio; and Mansfield, Texas, employing more than 950 workers across those sites.
What It Means for Operators
For foodservice and retail buyers, leadership continuity at a supplier approaching its 100-year mark generally signals stability in pricing and service terms. SCT's customer base — which spans institutional accounts, quick-service bakeries, and retail packagers — has historically valued the company's domestically anchored supply chain at a time when packaging procurement strategies remain under pressure from input cost volatility and shifting import-tariff regimes. Siira's CFO background suggests he will be attentive to margin management and capital allocation as SCT prepares for its centennial and any accompanying expansion plans.
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.
