Introducing the Markens Mutuality Award 

TMG is embarking on a new chapter of ownership under Emily Leonczyk, one that celebrates our past while looking forward with excitement to the future. To honor this milestone, Emily has created a lasting tribute to our founder, Ben Markens, whose vision, generosity, and values continue to shape who we are today. 

The Markens Mutuality Award is a new annual recognition that preserves and celebrates Ben’s legacy. Launched at this meaningful moment of transition, the award reflects the principles he wove into the very fabric of TMG from the outset: doing what is fair, finding joy in the work, putting people first, and believing in the power of community. These values have grounded us for more than three decades, and they will continue to guide us as we grow. 

At TMG, mutuality has always been our fiber, the thread that binds us together and gives strength to all we do. And fiber is more than a metaphor. Many of the industries we serve, packaging, paperboard, and trade, are literally built on the strength and sustainability of fiber. This award honors that same strength in people and relationships, reminding us that fiber is always strongest when it is woven together. 

At the heart of TMG are four roots, intertwined and enduring: 

• Fairness – doing what is right and acting with integrity 

• Fun – bringing joy and purpose to the work we do  

• Relationships – putting people first and building trust 

• Community – building connections that strengthen and create belonging  

It is only fitting that the inaugural award be presented to Ben Markens, whose warmth, vision, and ability to bring people together have defined TMG and the associations we serve for more than thirty years. In his honor, TMG will donate to the Mary Lyon Foundation, a nonprofit close to his heart. Each year, future recipients will also direct a donation to a cause they care about, extending the spirit of mutuality far beyond our walls. 

“The Markens Mutuality Award will endure as both a tribute and a guide. It carries Ben’s lasting influence forward while reminding us that our work has always been about more than management. It is about people, belonging, and the fiber of connection that makes us stronger together. It is an honor to celebrate him as we step into this new chapter.” – Emily Leonczyk 

 

This award also symbolizes the passing of the torch. With Emily’s ownership, TMG enters its next era with continuity, care, and confidence. Ben’s legacy remains our foundation, and Emily and the team will continue to build upon it, guided by the same values of fairness, fun, relationships, and community that have always been at the heart of who we are.