What are people talking about in packaging right now?
At PDA, we’re always tracking what is trending, what might be trending in the future, and what is current in packaging news. Our passion for knowledge sharing keeps us asking questions and gathering information for our community. The fall conversations in packaging have been challenge focused, as companies prepare for the unknown of the 2020 holiday season. Find out what else is happening in packaging news this fall.
PDA Introduces Curbside Mailer
Ecommerce, which was already increasing at a rapid rate, is expected to grow by about 19 percent this year alone, fueled, in part, by the pandemic. And along with that growth comes the waste that can go hand-in-hand with some packaging options. Packaging Distributors of America (PDA) – the country’s largest packaging industry member organization – is stepping up its commitment to sustainability as a result and has introduced the innovative EcoMailer™ to its membership.
PDA is comprised of owner-operated facilities from across North America. Its mission is enabling ingenuity in packaging by bringing members together to share best practices and develop new business. It also makes packaging solutions available to members that improve efficiency, customer satisfaction and environmentally-responsible practices, such as EcoMailer. The paper-based product is a durable, lightweight mailing envelope that can be used to ship a variety of products. It is 100 percent recyclable via curbside pickup and has even received How2Recycle® certification and a Dow Packaging Innovation Award.
PDA 2020 Awards Presentation
Covid-19 did not stop the PDA community from joining together to celebrate each other and connect as a community.
Packaging Distributors of America’s 14th annual meeting took place through Zoom as a way to keep our members and suppliers safe but connected. Our member distributors and preferred suppliers joined together to review the year to date progress, welcome new members and suppliers, celebrate philanthropic contributions, and share other achievements.
George Strobel, President of PDA, welcomed the 65 attendees who joined the online meeting. Strobel welcomed the group by sharing his gratitude for those who joined. He then shared other announcements, including the welcoming of new member Korpack.
M-Line pivots to create product to keep kids safer in the classroom
“We made a YouTube video on how to use it, and that video got shared and shared and shared and shared,” says Dan Mihacevich, of M-Line Inc. “And the next thing you know, what started with just a concept design went from who can we order them from and how fast can we get them.”
The company received 10,000 Safe Booth orders after producing a prototype for an Election Day partition for the Medina County Board of Elections when teachers heard about it.
“One of our employees was dating a teacher, and the teacher said I think we can use those in our schools,” says Mihacevich. “From there, it ramped up really fast.”
GenNx360 Capital Partners Announces Acquisition of B2B Industrial Packaging and AMW Packaging Supply
GenNx360 Capital Partners (“GenNx360”), a New York City-based private equity firm investing in middle market business-to-business industrial and business services companies, in partnership with the management teams of B2B Industrial Packaging LLC (“B2B Industrial” or the “Company”) and American Machinery Works, Incorporated (“AMW Packaging Supply”), is pleased to announce the acquisition of B2B Industrial and the assets of AMW Packaging Supply.
Headquartered in Addison, Illinois, B2B Industrial sells a full range of packaging supplies and equipment, including strapping, stretch film, corrugated, and fasteners, as well as tool repair services, to more than 6,000 active clients across a wide variety of end markets across its footprint in Illinois, Texas, California, Oregon, Washington, and Kansas.
