Who Is JBM?
At JBM Packaging, Fair Chance hiring is more than a hiring initiative. It has become an important part of how we attract, develop, and retain talent.
JBM is a family-owned company headquartered in Lebanon, Ohio, that provides high-performing flexible paper packaging solutions and contract packaging services for brands seeking alternatives to plastic. Our Fair Chance journey began in 2016 with a simple belief: a person’s past should not automatically determine their future. Over the past decade, that belief has evolved into a comprehensive workforce strategy focused not only on providing employment opportunities, but also on creating the support, development, and career pathways people need to build long-term success.
Today, Fair Chance talent represents almost half (46 percent) of our workforce and contributes at every level of our manufacturing operations. Along the way, we’ve learned an important lesson: opening the door is only the beginning.
Fair Chance Hiring: Our Approach
Traditional hiring practices can unintentionally screen out talented people before they ever have an opportunity to demonstrate what they can do.
At JBM, we’ve worked to create a different approach. Rather than relying solely on traditional interviews or someone’s background on paper, we place significant value on what people demonstrate once they are given an opportunity to work.
Our entry-level temp-to-hire model allows candidates to demonstrate their attendance, performance, attitude, and ability on the job. From there, structured career pathways allow team members to continue building skills and advancing into higher-level manufacturing and leadership positions.
This approach has created opportunities for talent that may have otherwise been overlooked, while producing meaningful business results for JBM. But hiring Fair Chance talent is only half the equation.
Wraparound Support for Career Success
For an organization to truly excel at Fair Chance hiring, it must understand that many people returning from incarceration are simultaneously rebuilding multiple areas of their lives.
Reliable transportation and stable housing may not yet be established. Court costs, fines and fees can create financial pressure. Probation or parole requirements can compete with work schedules. Others may be navigating recovery from substance use disorders, mental health challenges or trauma, rebuilding relationships with children, or managing reentry-related barriers that much of the traditional workforce doesn’t have to overcome.
That’s why our approach extends beyond the job itself.
Our Roadmap to Wheels program helps team members work toward reliable transportation. Our Better Lives Coaches support our entire workforce, meeting weekly with Fair Chance team members throughout their first year of employment to help set goals and navigate the re-entry process. Team members also have access to parenting coaching and financial guidance, along with wellness benefits, including gym membership, annual physical reimbursements and free fresh fruit in our facilities.
We’ve learned that these aren’t simply “Fair Chance programs.” They are good workforce practices.
The same philosophy applies to recovery-friendly workplaces. When employers recognize that people bring their whole lives to work and create systems that support the whole person, the impact can extend far beyond Fair Chance talent. A workplace designed to help people overcome barriers is often a better workplace for everyone.
Success Stories: From Opportunity to Advancement
The real measure of Fair Chance hiring isn’t simply how many people are hired. It’s what happens after they’re given the opportunity.
Emily Caton joined JBM in 2020 as an entry-level Machine Operator. Over the next several years, she continued developing her skills and taking on greater responsibility. Today, Emily serves as JBM’s Second Shift Lead and was recently named our 2026 Team Member of the Year. Her progression from an entry-level manufacturing role into leadership demonstrates exactly what can happen when talent is recognized, developed, and given room to grow.
Tim Motley entered JBM through a temp-to-hire Filling/Kitting Associate position and quickly demonstrated his potential. He advanced to Machine Operator and then moved directly into Litho Press Assistant training, making his progression one of our fastest internal advancement stories. Today, Tim is continuing his development through our leadership pipeline, and we’re excited to see where his career takes him next.
Emily and Tim’s stories reinforce something we’ve seen repeatedly over nearly a decade of Fair Chance hiring: when employers stop defining people by their past and start investing in their potential, they can uncover extraordinary talent.
Fair Chance hiring creates opportunity, but opportunity paired with support and development creates careers. And when employers get that combination right, the result isn’t only life-changing for the individual. It’s good for business.
By: Amanda Hall
HR Business Partner, JBM Packaging
