Three s’s molded him into the man he is today: saltwater, surfboards, and sun. Coastal North Carolina is where Wes learned to appreciate nature’s bounty and explore boundaries - nature’s and his own.
Wes’s grandfather, Walter Horace Carter, founded Atlantic Packaging, and as an adult, Wes joined the family business shortly after graduating from the University of North Carolina. He later assumed stewardship of Atlantic Packaging in April 2016, becoming the third generation of Carters to lead the largest privately-held packaging company in North America.
Upon taking over, Wes began to consider how he would make his mark on the company and on the world. He thought about his upbringing in coastal North Carolina. He thought about the gift of perfect waves he’d caught around the world. He thought about his children and the world he wanted to leave behind for them. He looked to his mentors for guidance and big consumer companies like Patagonia for inspiration.
Wes also took time to work on himself. He engaged in a spiritual practice rooted in meditation and contemplative practices, focusing on his personal healing all along. It was within his spirituality that he kindled the flame of his generosity and his impact beyond sales and profits. Wes realized he had a voice along with the privilege and platform to use that voice to make a positive and collaborative change in the world.
Wes didn’t rush into realizing his vision. Instead, he took the time to build slowly, to build the right way, and to be open to new ideas and perspectives. Like a surfer gauging the conditions on the water and sensing when to go after a wave, Wes absorbed the information at his disposal - his experience, the help and support of the people he trusts, and his intuition - as he swam in the direction of his vision. Wes has never had a destination or a goal beyond being a voice and vehicle for positive change in his industry and, one day, the world.
Today, the vehicle for that vision is A New Earth Project. It’s a partnership between the surfing and outdoor communities and the packaging supply chain to raise awareness of a massive global problem and then fix it. That problem is all of the plastic waste swirling around the world’s vast oceans.
As far as you could see in the ocean, it was just garbage. – Kelly Slater

Wes also took time to work on himself. He engaged in a spiritual practice rooted in meditation and contemplative practices, focusing on his personal healing all along. It was within his spirituality that he kindled the flame of his generosity and his impact beyond sales and profits. Wes realized he had a voice along with the privilege and platform to use that voice to make a positive and collaborative change in the world.
Wes didn’t rush into realizing his vision. Instead, he took the time to build slowly, to build the right way, and to be open to new ideas and perspectives. Like a surfer gauging the conditions on the water and sensing when to go after a wave, Wes absorbed the information at his disposal - his experience, the help and support of the people he trusts, and his intuition - as he swam in the direction of his vision. Wes has never had a destination or a goal beyond being a voice and vehicle for positive change in his industry and, one day, the world.
Today, the vehicle for that vision is A New Earth Project. It’s a partnership between the surfing and outdoor communities and the packaging supply chain to raise awareness of a massive global problem and then fix it. That problem is all of the plastic waste swirling around the world’s vast oceans.