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Organized by VP of Sales & Marketing Pascal Delloue, the 2026 Annual Summit brought together team members from across North America, Europe, and Asia at the Artisan Hotel in Tuscan Village, Salem, New Hampshire, for several days of strategic planning, collaboration, team building, and customer-focused discussions.
For many of us, this is one of the few opportunities each year to spend time together in person. While technology allows us to communicate every day, there is still tremendous value in sitting around the same table, sharing a meal, exchanging ideas, and strengthening the relationships that help us work together effectively throughout the year.
The theme of this year's summit was simple: understanding customer priorities, aligning resources, and strengthening PICA's ability to support customers as they grow.
Understanding Customer Needs
During the summit, CEO Rich Shevelow shared his vision for PICA's next chapter, emphasizing the importance of investing in capabilities, strengthening customer partnerships, and positioning the company for long-term sustainable growth.
Business Managers from across the United States, Europe, and Asia presented their territories, customer portfolios, key projects, and growth opportunities. More importantly, they shared the unique challenges and priorities of the customers they support every day.
These discussions help ensure that engineering, sourcing, program management, manufacturing, marketing, and leadership remain aligned around the needs of our customers.
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As organizations grow, alignment becomes increasingly important.
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Our customers do not see individual departments. They see one company.
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Our responsibility is to ensure that every team within PICA is working toward the same objective: helping our customers succeed.
Investing for the Future
The summit also provided an opportunity to discuss the investments PICA is making to support future customer demand.
For nearly three decades, PICA has built its reputation on technical expertise, supply chain management, and strong customer relationships.
Today, PICA is making significant investments in manufacturing, technology, and operational infrastructure to better align our capabilities and capacity with customer demand.
CFO Lindsay Irving reinforced the importance of aligning investments with customer demand, ensuring that PICA continues to expand its capabilities while maintaining the financial discipline that has supported the company's growth over the years.
The Power of Human Connections
While strategy and operations were important topics throughout the week, some of the most valuable moments happened outside the conference room.
Team dinners at Tuscan Village gave colleagues from different regions an opportunity to reconnect, share experiences, and build relationships.
The summit concluded with team-building activities at Par28 in Salem, including axe throwing, indoor golf, and pool, where friendly competition and plenty of laughter reminded us that great teams are built on trust as much as expertise.
Above the PICA team at PAR 28
Many team members also extended their stay to enjoy some of New England's most iconic destinations. A group attended the FIFA World Cup match between Scotland and Haiti at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, while others explored Boston through a harbor tour, Quincy Market, the Prudential Tower, Harvard University, and other historic landmarks.
These experiences help strengthen the connections that make collaboration easier long after the summit ends.
Looking Ahead
Reflecting on both the company's history and future, the summit concluded with remarks from COO Mark Pare, PICA's first employee, who reflected on the company's evolution from a small entrepreneurial organization to a global manufacturing solutions provider. While much has changed over the last 30 years, he reminded the team that adaptability, customer focus, and strong relationships remain at the core of PICA's success.
The future will require new capabilities, new investments, and new ways of working. Our success will be determined by how effectively we align around that vision and translate it into execution.
For nearly 30 years, relationships have been at the heart of PICA's success. As we enter our next chapter of growth, those relationships, combined with alignment, investment, and innovation, will continue to define who we are and how we serve our customers.