Distinguished Alumni
Carolyn Chipman Faulk
Awarded 2015
Plastic may bend and mold, but Carolyn Chipman Faulk’s resolve to be a businesswoman with integrity has remained so inflexible that she has branded her company “a service business that just happens to sell plastic.”
The 1970 recipient of a Bachelor of Business Administration degree established her A&C Plastics, Inc., in Houston, in 1973, with only a $5,000 investment and a “never give up” attitude.
This mentality has served Faulk well over the years and her hands-on involvement in every aspect of the company has led A&C to become an international resource in a predominantly “male” industry, as well as the single largest plastic distributor in the U.S., with locations in Texas, Colorado and Illinois. A&C Plastics has been recognized as a top 50 woman-owned business and as one of the fastest growing private companies in the country.
“She has been widely recognized as a businesswoman who competes with energy and determination, but always with fairness, in building a small plastics company into one of the largest and (most) respected distributors in the country,” a nominator said.
She also now serves as president and CEO of Faulk Properties, LLC, and president of Marco Plastics.
Her work ethic has earned her accolades among Forbes magazine’s “100 Most Powerful Women in Texas” (twice), a top 10 leader in Houston, one of the Houston Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business,” and “Entrepreneur of the Year” by Ernst & Young.
Faulk’s devotion to service does not end at the doorway of her companies. She has spent more than 40 years working with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, served on SHSU’s alumni board for three years, served with the President’s Circle and Athletics Advisory Council for four years, and is “always willing to support a worthy cause with her time, talent and treasures.”
She also is a member of Second Baptist Church in Houston.
“The City of Houston and citizens throughout the state have benefited from Carolyn’s leadership and contribution,” a nominator said. “Carolyn has helped hundreds of young people reach college who would not otherwise have had the chance.
“Her Faulk Foundation (supporting children with devastating diseases and their families) touches lives in a powerful way, which helps open opportunities to many deserving people. She contributes time, energy and money to a wide variety of community activities, all of which are better because of her.”
Faulk has two children, Katie and Brian, and four grandchildren.