Charles Coker, Jr. to Head Sonoco's Flexible Packaging

HARTSVILLE, S.C., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charles W. Coker, Jr. (45), Sonoco's division vice president and general manager - Protective Packaging, has been named division vice president and general manager-Flexible Packaging, effective immediately, it was announced today by Charles L. Sullivan, executive vice president. Coker replaces Rex Varn who has left the Company for personal reasons. Coker's replacement at Protective Packaging has not yet been announced.

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Coker joined Sonoco in 1981 and has held numerous corporate and division management, sales, marketing and staff positions. In his current position, he has led the Company's Protective Packaging business which principally serves the white goods industry in the United States and Mexico. He previously served as director and staff vice president - corporate purchasing and logistics from 1997-1999. He also served in a number of positions with the Consumer Products division, including director of business planning and development from 1996- 1997, division sales manager from 1993-1996 and division marketing manager from 1991-1993.

Coker is a 1981 graduate of Vanderbilt University with a B.S. degree in general engineering and received an MBA degree from the University of Virginia in 1985.

"Under Charles' leadership, our Protective Packaging business has achieved consistent annual increases in sales and earnings. We are delighted to have Charles, with his successful general manager and consumer product experience, lead our growing Flexible Packaging business," said Sullivan.

Sonoco, founded in 1899, is a $3.8 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 35 countries, serving customers in some 85 nations. Additional information about the Company is available at http://www.sonoco.com/.