On January 10, 2025, Wilson Manufacturing announced the retirement of Keith Chrisco, a pillar in the label and package printing community. Chrisco spent more than 30 years at Wilson, greatly contributing to the success of the company.

Chrisco joined Wilson Manufacturing in 1992 as a customer service/sales representative, bringing a wealth of experience from his previous work in the steel industry. Over his first few years with Wilson, Chrisco helped to fill in gaps as the company was growing and expanding its footprint. It didn’t take long for Keith’s technical knowledge and can-do spirit to begin producing results for the company.

“Working at Wilson is not a typical sales job where you’re knocking on doors or just calling people,” explains Chrisco. “It’s a combination of sales, customer service skills, thinking and problem solving like an engineer. You can survive being good at two of those things, but you’ve got to be great at all three to thrive.”

Chrisco worked hard at learning Wilson’s products and the principles behind the company’s engineering in order to serve customers better. Following the retirement of Wilson’s most senior salesperson, Chrisco embraced the opportunity to take over his high-volume area. At the time, this region covered Wilson’s core label printing customers in Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky, and southern Illinois. Chrisco quickly established relationships with customers across the region and the results from his already large area continued to grow. For nearly 20 years, he sustained the best sales record of any region in Wilson’s organization.

As Wilson continued to grow, Chrisco was promoted to VP of sales to provide greater support to the sales and technical teams. He immediately began providing the coaching and mentorship the department needed. 

Chrisco spent more than 40 years in sales and nearly 33 years at Wilson. “For me, seeing my salespeople and customer service reps grow is even more exciting than any individual wins,” he says.

According to Wilson, Chrisco was instrumental in helping the company’s salespeople learn through 1:1 conversations and coaching. He often spent time with them out on the shop floor to help them grasp technical concepts and come up with solutions for customers.

Chrisco’s high energy, common sense, and fairness blended together to make him successful in his leadership role. He embodied the can-do spirit and ingenuity that the company was founded on, and he leveraged those values to fuel Wilson’s continued growth.

“Keith’s contributions to our company and the industry have been invaluable, leading us with his expertise, passion, and dedication,” the company says in a statement. “Over the years, Keith’s leadership and insights have helped shape the high-quality precision rotary tooling we provide today. As we celebrate Keith’s retirement, we’re grateful for his countless contributions and the legacy he leaves behind. Thank you, Keith, for everything you’ve done for Wilson and for our customers.”