Pregis Sets Up Memorial Fund for Slain Employee

DEERFIELD, Ill., Dec. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Pregis Corp. has set up a memorial fund for one of its Tulsa, Okla.-based IntelliPack foam-in-place (FIP) employees who was slain over the weekend in a home invasion.

Jerry VanEllen, 38, quality control technician, was shot to death in his driveway on the 5800 block of South 87th East Avenue, attempting to apprehend two fleeing suspects who had held his family at gunpoint and slain their dog.  The suspects demanded cash, cell phones and other items from VanEllen, his wife and brother.

"The extended Pregis family is deeply saddened by this senseless, tragic loss," said Todd Hanna, vice president and general manager of Pregis' FIP systems.  "We are doing everything possible to support the family's financial needs during this very difficult time.  However, we know that won't be enough in the long term.  This is why we are reaching out to the local community."

VanEllen began his career at Pregis IntelliPack in August 2006. He was responsible for testing the final assemblies on foam-in-place machines. He was also a member of the Army National Guard and had spent time in the Officer Candidacy School as an avionics technician.  

VanEllen leaves behind his wife Annie, and two children, 2-year old Rachel and 1-year old Kyle, who had celebrated his first birthday hours before his father's death.

For those wishing to assist his family, donations can be mailed to:

Jerry VanEllen Memorial Fund, MidFirst Bank, 321 S. Boston Avenue, Suite 100, Tulsa, OK  74103-9934.

About IntelliPack

Since 2003, Pregis' IntelliPack brand has been instrumental in offering the marketplace new technology for a wide variety of foam-in-place (void-fill, cushioning or block/brace) applications. With more than 1,000 installations across the United States, the business unit was the first-to-market with value-added technical solutions such as telemetry and bar coding.  IntelliPack's software and advanced processes have been instrumental in minimizing downtime and creating source reduction.  For more information: www.intellipack.com.

About Pregis

Pregis Corporation is a leading global provider of innovative protective, flexible, and foodservice packaging and hospital supply products. The company offers packaging and product solutions for a wide variety of consumer and industrial market segments including food and foodservice, healthcare, agriculture, automotive, furniture, electronics, construction, fulfillment, catalog and military/aerospace. The specialty-packaging leader currently operates 47 facilities in 18 countries around the world. For more information about Pregis, visit www.pregis.com.

SOURCE Pregis Corporation