YOU could say Terry Cross is the complete package . . .
He built a business from virtually nothing in one of Europe's most economical deprived areas and sold it for £80 million Finnish rival Huhtamaki.
Remarkably, he's provided jobs for 5,000 people on three continents over the last 30 years, including hundreds in west Belfast.
He's also not only dealt with global brand giants like McDonald's, but they keep coming back for more from a man they regard as a friend.
Then he diversified away from his core area of expertise in packaging manufacturing to become the driving force and main investor in a whiskey distillery.
Alongside all that, 25 years ago he rescued Château de La Ligne, a Bordeaux vineyard, and restored it to its former glory.
For good measure, you can throw in an OBE from the late Queen Elizabeth for services to the economy and voluntary service to the community in Northern Ireland, along with a clutch of business accolades.
READ MORE: New £47m packaging business launched by Terry Cross to create 169 jobs in West Belfast
So with that CV - and when you're a few months shy of your 73rd birthday - it would easy to take a time-out.
But Dr Cross doesn't work that way or do 'me time'.
“There's a significant global problem around waste leakage and plastic pollution, which we can't fix on our own but which we can maybe prevent from getting worse,” he says, matter-of-factly.
Hence, the birth of Biopax Ltd at Springvale business park in west Belfast in a 70,000 sq ft factory vacated by Caterpillar.
It represents a £47 million investment, made up of more than £40m of his own money and £4.7m from Invest NI.
Biopax is a bit like the rebirth of Terry's former Delta Print & Packaging business - only greener.
“Developing sustainable packaging solutions for customers is at the heart of everything we do,” he said.
“Biopax aims to disrupt the status quo in food and non-food packaging like pharmaceuticals through research and innovation.
“We have a team of energetic packaging experts who pride themselves on developing long-term collaborative partnerships with our customers.”
The new Biopax factory is set to revolutionise the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) and packaging and labelling market with certified green solutions using the latest European, US and Chinese technology and producing bespoke packaging and labels, both printed and unprinted, for the food service, retail, distribution and beverage sectors.
Its opening will also create 169 jobs (average salary is £30,000-plus) over the next four years, with further investment planned in a second phase.
It's safe to assume, though, that the payroll won't peak at 169, nor will the annual wages bill sit at £5.7 million.
“There's always something to be done, and for me it's still about bringing economic benefits to west Belfast and to Northern Ireland,” he says.
The official opening was attended by a number of business people and politicians keen to paid tribute to the business acumen of the Biopax founder and owner.
West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said: “This is a momentous day, a symbol of our collective resilience, ingenuity and unwavering commitment to a greener and more prosperous world. So let's embrace a future where sustainable practices and economic growth go hand in hand.”
NI Food & Drink Association (NIFDA) chief executive Michael Bell said: “Our sector employs 25,000 people directly but that grows to 113,000 when you take in the wider 'eating eco-system' which includes this type of business.
“Sustainable packaging is mission-critical to the economy in Northern Ireland and for food and drink. Terry is bang on the money here.”
The company's sales and marketing director Liam O'Connor - who spend more than a decade working with Dr Cross in Delta - said: “Global brands with retail channels in the European Union are not afraid to source their packaging from Northern Ireland.
“Our unique position of unrestricted dual-market access to both EU and GB must be seized upon, and it is our full intention to do so.”
The work starts now at Biopax . . . and expect Terry Cross to have his sleeves rolled up with all the rest.
