IMFA Honors Gary Visser with Joe Grygny Award for Career of Service to Molded Fiber Industry

A Legacy of Grit, Ingenuity, and Generosity

The International Molded Fiber Association proudly honors Gary Visser with the prestigious Joe Grygny Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing a career defined by innovation, integrity, and a deep belief in people. From humble beginnings in South Africa, Gary has shaped the modern molded fiber industry through decades of strategic planning, innovation, and collaboration – but perhaps more importantly, Gary’s care and service have shaped his community in a way that will reverberate for generations.

Hard Work and Resilience

Gary’s story begins just south of Durban, South Africa, where resources were scarce, but ambition ran deep. Raised by a hardworking single mother who held the family together through decades of grit and grace, Gary learned early on that there was no substitute for effort. After completing more years of mandatory military service than anticipated, he found himself on an unexpected path working at a pork co-op. There, management recognized his potential and helped him pursue tertiary education in mechanical engineering, opening the door to a lifelong career in manufacturing and problem-solving.

He entered the paper and pulp world through a role with International Paper’s Masonite Africa operation which employed just under 1000 employees, where he quickly rose through the ranks. By 27, Gary was managing the hardboard mill’s Primary operations – an early signal of his remarkable ability to blend technical skill with visionary leadership.

Fueling a Disruptor from the Ground Up

In the early 1990s, Gary took a leap of faith and headed north to Mandeni where he joined a startup called Dynamic Fibre Moulding (DFM). At this point in time, an entrenched South African egg carton monopoly controlled 96% of the market, but Gary and DFM set out to challenge them. It was a bold move with no guaranteed outcome, but calculated risks are Gary’s specialty. DFM operated at a loss for their first few years, but Gary saw an opportunity in a neighboring paper mill’s waste stream fiber and a nearby natural gas pipeline. He engineered a system to recover and repurpose this fiber, laying the groundwork for what became a unique process in this industry, pumping low consistency clarifier fiber two kilometers up the hill to DFM.

After three years as General Manager responsible for building and running the factory, Gary became CEO and led DFM to profitability in just six months. Over the next two decades, he built the company into a dominant player, capturing more than 50% of the Southern African egg carton market.

Throughout the years, Gary’s success came from building a strong team to support and work alongside him. To advance the goals of DFM, Gary built a team of five talented rising stars, each with a different area of specialty. Leading marketing on that core leadership team, Godfrey Sabido recalls, “Gary created a family of people who wanted to work with him. There was no ambiguity: everyone knew their role, and if you made a mistake, he held you accountable but never held it against you.” Gary’s approach to leadership – respectful, thoughtful, and firm – built a culture of loyalty and pride.

Godfrey and many of Gary’s colleagues from DFM became lifelong confidants and friends, chosen family forged through shared purpose and integrity. Gary never measured success by market share alone; for him, the true measure was the jobs created, lives impacted, and the stability he helped bring to the Mandeni community.

Even in times of financial hardship, Gary would cut costs in every area of his business before considering layoffs, because the two things that are sacred to him are one’s livelihood and the ability to provide for their family. Under his steady hand, DFM, whilst only the second largest employer in the region behind a global paper company, had the largest social footprint in the region, offering opportunity to a community in need.

Marginal Gains, Big Impact

Gary’s career has been driven by a philosophy of marginal gains: the idea that small, consistent improvements lead to extraordinary results, often collectively beating out large changes. Whether tweaking a machine’s efficiency or buying tea in bulk to cut costs, no opportunity was too small to optimize. He also believed that innovation is a team sport and continued to build a trusted bench of advisors and colleagues who challenged each other to think bigger, smarter, and more sustainably.

E6PR Founder Francisco Garcia first met Gary during a time of uncertainty. “We were struggling to find a solution to create molded fiber packaging that could rival plastic or aluminum in function,” Francisco recalled. “Gary came on board as a consultant, but when he saw what we were trying to do, he jumped in fully. He believed not just in our product, but in the idea that innovation and sustainability must go hand in hand.”

Gary’s mentorship became a weekly collaboration, constantly reviewing performance and refining approaches. “You can’t tell Gary no – he’ll say try it first!” Francisco said. “His openness and willingness to share what he knows, even with competitors, has elevated the entire industry.”

His ethos of transparency and collaboration was ahead of its time. Throughout his entire tenure with the organization, Gary opened DFM’s doors to global partners on the condition they’d do the same. This spirit of shared learning shaped how Gary led and how he believed the industry should operate.

Collaboration and Friendship

When a devastating fire wiped out Omni-pac’s facility in the early 2000s, James Gallacher didn’t know how they would manage to ship products to customers and keep their business afloat. James was given a phone number for DFM, a company halfway around the world that he had no connection to. Before the dust settled (literally), Gary picked up James’ call, and within three weeks, DFM was manufacturing products for Omni-pac to fulfill customer orders. What began as a desperate business call turned into a deep, years-long partnership. “Gary didn’t just help us recover; he helped us rebuild better,” James reflected. “He has the most brilliant technical mind I’ve ever encountered.”

Their partnership flourished through mutual respect, shared visits, and constant collaboration. James says, “Gary became a mentor, a confidant, and a friend. His loyalty and generosity are unmatched.”

Above all else, Gary is a man of integrity who supports kind people and worthy products. Years ago, in a business meeting with Gary, someone spoke negatively of TAW Founder Chris Lo’s efforts and investment. Gary immediately cut the conversation short, saying, “If you cannot work with Chris Lo, I’m certain you won’t be able to work with me.” When Gary later shared this experience with him, Chris was confused – why did he so immediately throw away this chance at a new consulting client? Gary replied, “I only work with people who are kind.” 

Chris credits Gary’s leadership with turning IMFA from a struggling association into a globally respected one: open, collaborative, and financially sound. “He invites the best minds to share their expertise and keeps the market honest and transparent. That’s a gift to the whole industry.”

Recently speaking to Gary, retired CKF President and 2023 Joe Grygny Award Winner Ian Anderson shared, “You have definitely impacted me over the past nearly 20 years, Gary. I would say ‘google’ leader, and your photo will appear. Your attributes are many. You are knowledgeable, hardworking (did I say not too patient), and really tireless. Your personal attributes, straight forwardness (did I say threaten to resign a few times?), integrity, approachability, and results orientation are memorable for me. I consider you a good friend. You are a good man, good at business, relationships, leadership, family and community. Your approach has been no nonsense and exactly what we needed.  We fought headwinds, we had tailwinds, no doubt the cycle will continue”

A Legacy Beyond the Factory Walls

After retiring to Western Australia, Gary finally slowed down – if getting his pilot’s license and rebuilding an airplane from scratch can be considered slowing down. But Gary isn’t someone who sits still when there’s meaningful work to be done. Just three months into retirement, IMFA founder Joe Grygny called with a request: would Gary consider stepping in as Executive Chairman to help steer the association through a pivotal time? Gary didn’t say yes for status or monetary gain; he said yes because the industry needed him. Because people were counting on him. That’s who Gary is: when there’s a challenge worth taking on, especially one that supports others, he shows up.

His steady leadership stabilized IMFA and helped position it for long-term success. He brought his signature clarity and conviction, and as always, built trust through transparency, collaboration, and results. Today, IMFA is more globally connected and resilient thanks to Gary’s vision. He continues to mentor and guide sustainable packaging startups with the same energy and care he brought to DFM. If the product has potential and the people lead with kindness and purpose, Gary’s all in. For him, this work has never been about personal gain; it’s about legacy, impact, and doing right by others.

Integrity at the Core

Outside of the family he’s built with his wife Kim, Gary is most proud of the 270 jobs he created at DFM. Each of these positions directly supported 15 other individuals in a country struggling with 40% unemployment. If one of his employees was struggling personally or financially, he was the first person to offer advice or purchase a new pair of soccer boots for their children.

Gary has also spent his time and resources supporting causes close to his heart, transitioning rural Mandeni Primary school to include a high school that now caters for around 1,700 students. He also chaired boards of non-profit organizations in Durban and Mandeni, both of which provided counselling, care and transitional housing for women and children.

Now a couple decades removed from this transformative humanitarian work, there’s an entire new generation that continues to benefit from Gary’s generosity. The true mark of service is changing someone’s life anonymously, supporting them through hardship with no desire for recognition or accolades. His life’s work spans far beyond boardrooms and production lines and will reverberate endlessly.

Always Looking Ahead

Even now, Gary remains a collaborative developer, of machines, of organizations, and of communities. He’s helping IMFA imagine a future where plant tours and cross-collaboration are standard practice, accelerating innovation through transparency. His mantra for business success is deceptively simple: “Focus on what’s under your own roof.”

Recently, Gary’s daughter, a teacher for students with special needs, called him with a concern: Something must be wrong, because work feels too enjoyable. Gary told her that’s nothing to be concerned about and was how he felt throughout his entire career. To Gary, work was a game, fixing things and optimizing output with the resources available. Nothing is worth pursuing if it can’t be fixed (or if it’s been fixed one too many times!).

Celebrating a Remarkable Life of Service

Gary, as we present you with the Joe Grygny Lifetime Achievement Award, we honor not just your contributions to our industry, but the example you’ve set for all of us. You’ve shown that doing good work and being a good person are not mutually exclusive; they are, in fact, the same thing.

From South Africa to Australia, from the production floor and boardrooms to classrooms and beyond, your legacy will endure wherever molded fiber continues to grow. Thank you for your relentless pursuit of better, for investing in people, and for believing in what’s possible. We’re lucky to have you in our corner.