Arkay Behind the Scenes: An Insider’s View of Who We Are and How We Got Here
Step behind the curtain and discover the heart of Arkay: Our talented teammates! With their commitment to innovative technologies, high quality, and sustainability, they come together to create exceptional experiences for the people who buy our customer’s products.
Arkay has an abundant history of welcoming people into our Arkay family who may be extremely diversified with their backgrounds, religions, belief systems, and talents – but who all share one unifying trait: The collective embrace of mastery and expertise. In this exclusive look, we’ll introduce you to a few members of our team, who share how they work and reveal the values driving them to excel:
Steven Fish, Arkay’s 3rd Shift Pressroom Supervisor
Steve grew up in and around Boston where his father worked in the printing industry for 35 years at Ames Safety – and where Steve spent most Saturday mornings. All his brothers worked in the printing industry at one time or another and his oldest brother is still running a printing press for over 40 years. Steve’s been professionally involved in the industry for 33 years himself, but of course he’s been around the business all his life and he feels right at home in Arkay’s pressroom. Even though Steve now lives in Virginia, he remains an avid Boston sports fan so you can catch him rooting for the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots whenever a game is on – while at the same time he’s enjoying the Roanoke skyline!
Ashley Glenn, Talent Acquisition Specialist
Ashley is a Roanoke native who cured her shyness by joining the Cheer Team in middle school and even becoming a Captain in her senior year of high school – a fact that she believes contributed to her overall achievements in college and life in general. Ashley then went on to be her sorority Social Chair in College at High Point University and graduated with a BA in Business Admin. Down the line Ashley landed the position of Recruiting Manager for Enterprise Rent-a-Car and did that for 11 years, attracting and hiring talent for 33 offices. From there she went on to be the Director of the Career Center at Hollins University for nine years, but when Ashley’s youngest daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2018, she left Hollins to take care of her. Ashley missed recruiting – and just being around people after Covid – so when she heard Arkay was looking to hire a full time Recruiter, she showed up and the rest is history. Ashley says: “I am blessed beyond measure to work here at Arkay!” The feeling is mutual, Ashley!
John Humphries, Prepress Manager
John is actually third generation in his family in the offset litho industry. John’s paternal great grandfather worked at Georgia Bonded Fibers making offset bond paper back in the early 1900’s and his maternal grandfather was a General Manager for Reeves Brothers in the mid 1900’s where he oversaw the production of offset litho blankets – so John definitely has a paperboard pedigree! Adding to an esteemed familial history, John won two individual Paperboard Packaging Council Awards in 2017 and 2018 for his work on package designs for craft beer and he was also part of a group that won the PPC Package of the Year for yet another craft beer project in 2019. I’d say John’s forefathers are smiling down on him for sure!
Rhonda Justice, Senior Sustainability Representative
Rhonda says all it took was perusing the Arkay website, when – mesmerized by all our beautiful packages – she decided to try and join us. Realizing she lived close to where all those gorgeous boxes were being manufactured, Rhonda completed an online application, and within two days she had an interview with the Quality Manager. As part of the interview process, she was taken through what she called this “squeaky-clean manufacturing facility” and was hooked. “I want to work here!” Rhonda decided – and happily she was hired on December 7th, 2015. Having worked for several years at primarily Japanese companies in the automotive industry, Rhonda was excited for her future at Arkay – particularly as an advocate for sustainability – and she appreciated the opportunity to share her past experiences with her new employer. Then all too soon one routine health exam was to change her life forever: She had cancer. Devastated, Rhonda was incredibly buoyed by the encouragement of her new family – the Arkay family – and credits Arkay with literally and figuratively holding her hand until she was cured. Cancer-free since 2016, Rhonda blesses Arkay every day for the myriad ways she was – and continues to be – supported.
Mitchell Kaneff, Chairman/CEO
Mitchell is the very epitome of a Renaissance Man! Among other things, he is a bona fide Rock Star who performed, wrote and produced with his own band, The Young Presidents, has numerous albums and videos to his credit, and is now one half of the Mitch & Millie Duo with his wife, Amelia. He also wrote a book, “Taking Over: Insider Tips from a Third-Generation CEO,” is in the process of writing a new book (title and release date TBD), designed his home in Southampton, New York, is an avid photographer whose photos deserve framing and admiration, and is the proud dad of two wonderful sons who are now the face of Arkay’s 4th generation! Mitchell exudes charm and intelligence everywhere he goes and we celebrate how – under his leadership – Arkay so fortuitously entered its second century in business.
Liliya Ouellette, Arkay’s COA/COC Coordinator
Liliya is from Uzbekistan and loves the multicultural environment of working at Arkay. She arrived in the United States 20 years ago without knowing a single word of English and – when a miscommunication with her American contacts occurred – found herself alone on the streets of Manhattan in the middle of the night. With a wit and fortitude which belied the difficulty of her situation, Liliya rallied, ended up on a Greyhound bus to Roanoke to meet another friend, sat next to a very nice man, fell in love, married him, and today they both work at Arkay: You can’t make this stuff up! Liliya likes to say a bus ride changed her life and we’re sure that’s true. However, at Arkay, it is our teammates – people like Liliya with their varied histories and ingenuity – who continue to change Arkay and very much for the better!
Logan Richards, IT Administrator
Logan thought long and hard about what he wanted to share and at the end of the day, for him it came down to the L world: Loyalty. For Logan, loyalty is not simply measured by time — it is measured by the unwavering trust, respect, and pride he feels in being part of something greater than himself. Over the three years he’s worked at Arkay, it has been more than just a company for him: Arkay has been a family, a foundation, and a symbol of excellence and integrity. Through every innovation, every challenge, and every milestone, Logan’s loyalty to Arkay – and he believes that of his teammates, as well – has only grown stronger, stemming from the values upheld, the people who bring them to life, and the purpose that drives every endeavor. Logan says that he is proud to stand with Arkay, not just because of what it does, but because of who it is. “Here’s to the past we honor,” he states, “to the present we cherish, and the future we believe in — together!”
Robin Rivera, Human Resources Manager
Robin is an avid reader who hates cold weather and loves being in a barn around horses and other animals (but don’t let any snakes in, Robin is terrified of snakes!). Singing makes her happy and she raises her beautiful voice in her church choir every week. Once a teen mom, Robin now revels in the joy of being with her two adult children, not to mention her precious grandchildren, one of whom calls her a baby grandma, which – let’s face it – she is! Robin is another Arkay success story, having begun 10 years ago as an assistant and risen through the ranks – and the years – to where she is today: An inspired, dedicated, and very valued head of Arkay’s HR department.
Ruth Rugoff, Chief Communications Officer
Ruth was once a nightclub singer, danced in her own show in Kuala Lumpur, entertained troops for the USO, and acted in several movies (she still has her SAG card!). But today – having begun 17 years ago as an executive assistant to CEO Mitchell Kaneff – she is proud of her position as CCO and grateful for the opportunities given her to get where she is. Utilizing her diverse background to help inform her decisions and add another dimension to her work, Ruth enjoys both the technical aspects of working on Arkay’s website, as well as posting on Arkay’s social media platforms and getting involved in every aspect of promoting Arkay she can find. She may still sing along with Morgan Wallen in her car, but Ruth’s heart now is in broadcasting the many wonderful facets of Arkay, which – when you think of it – is not that far removed from her performances so long ago!
Walter Shiels, Chief Operations Officer
Walt has been with Arkay for 51 years and, although a born and bred New Yorker, he’s accepted Roanoke as his 2nd home and enjoys his many trips to Arkay’s manufacturing facility throughout the year. Walt is respected not only for his unbeatable accomplishments as a salesperson, his unstinting eye for beauty, and his brilliant dissection of every facet of the business, but also as a friend to dozens of customers who have bonded with him over the years. As legend has it, Walt started at 17 years old sweeping the floors and rose up through the ranks to become COO of the entire company. Now if that isn’t indicative of how Arkay promotes from within, nothing is: Bravo Walt!
Mary-Kevin Stockwell, National Sales Director
Mary-Kevin (aka M-K) hails from the San Francisco Bay area and – when she’s not busy successfully enlisting new customers for Arkay – is dedicated to rescuing Golden Retrievers and works with her local Day Care to get the job done. And of course she owns a few of those wonderful dogs, as well!
These are but a few examples of the intricate and multifaceted team that makes up the fabric and culture of Arkay – and whose different backgrounds only enhance our capabilities and bring forth the many defining characteristics that are Arkay: Quality, passion, dedication, and a united spirit to be nothing but the best!!
