One of the truisms of the business world is the saying: “A business that is not growing is dying.” That is certainly a reality for packaging converters in North America as they scramble to reach the pinnacle of this industry.
Once again, Flexible Packaging offers its annual list of the Top 25 Converters in North America for the year 2019. These rankings are based on each company’s revenues for the year 2018. As expected, the rankings are scrambled a bit from the previous year, but most companies are familiar figures in this year-to-year feature.
The Top 25 Converters annual rankings have consistently proven to be this magazine’s most popular feature. In an industry composed of both public and private companies, industry observers are eager to see which companies are making moves that solidify or grow their positions in this competitive arena.
These data have been gathered from multiple sources, including direct reporting from each company, annual reports, SEC documents, media reports and other sources. In some cases — especially for private companies — it was necessary to make estimates based on available data. Converting is a popular target for investors. The year 2018 saw substantial merger and acquisition activity. The FPA State of the Industry report indicates there were 33 mergers or acquisitions of converters last year. The top 10 converters account for a whopping 55 percent of the market, the study states. This accounts for many of the changes you will see in the following ranking.
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1. Novolex
2018 sales (in billions): $3.61 / Hartsville, South Carolina
Novolex is a leading provider of packaging solutions serving retail, grocery, food service, hospitality, institutional and industrial markets. Novolex in 2018 acquired The Waddington Group from Newell Brands, Inc. Headquartered in Covington, Ky., The Waddington Group is a manufacturer and marketer of packaging and disposables serving the foodservice, bakery, deli, produce and confectionery markets.
Novolex | (800) 845-6051; www.novolex.com
2. Bemis
2018 sales (in billions): $2.8 / Neenah, Wisconsin
In June 2019, Amcor Completed its acquisition of Bemis Company Inc. The purchase was initiated in 2018, but had to overcome substantial antitrust hurdles in several countries. The combined company will now operate as Amcor Plc. Amcor CEO Ron Delia described the acquisition as “a significant milestone as two strong companies with histories each dating back over 150 years look forward to one great future.”
Bemis | (920) 527-5000; www.bemis.com
3. Sealed Air
2018 sales (in billions): $2.5 / Charlotte, North Carolina
Sealed Air was recognized by the World Packaging Organization (WPO) with World Star awards in five countries in the packaging and food categories. Sealed Air also announced sales and marketing agreements with Cubiscan, which provides systems and software that capture the dimension and weight data of packages. In addition, the company entered into an agreement with Kuraray, to offer food packaging materials derived from its Plantic bio-based resins.
Sealed Air | (980) 221-3235; www.sealedair.com
4. Sigma Plastics Group
2018 sales (in billions): $2.5* / Lyndhurst, New Jersey
Sigma continued to provide its line stretch films and custom films to customers throughout North America. The Sigma Plastics Group also acquired the assets of PolyPak America, an extruder, printer, and converter of outdoor bags as well as mailer bags and other packaging. PolyPak America will become a wholly owned division of Mercury Plastics of the Sigma Group.
Sigma Plastics Group | (201) 933-6000; www.sigmaplasticsgroup.com
5. Berry Global
2018 sales (in billions): $1.9 / Evansville, Indiana
Berry Global is headquartered in Evansville, Indiana, and has over 131 facilities across the globe and more than 23,000 employees. The company expanded in 2018 with the acquisition of Laddawn, a manufacturer of blown polyethylene bags and films, and completed the previously announced purchase of the Clopay Plastic Products. Clopay is a supplier of printed breathable films as well as an innovator in the development of elastic films and laminates. Revenue total reflects flexible packaging sales only.
Berry Global | (800) 343-1295; www.berryglobal.com
6. TC Trancontinental Packaging
2018 sales (in billions): $1.6 / Vaughan, Ontario, Canada
TC Trancontinental Packaging makes a major leap in the rankings due to several 2018 acquisitions that included Les Industries Flexipak, Multifilm Packaging and Coveris Americas. TC Transcontinental Packaging also won an FPA award for a recyclable, multilayer standup pouch developed for Harney & Sons, an American tea company, for its loose tea flexible plastic pouch. TC Transcontinental Packaging swept the wide web/process/film category at the Flexographic Technical Association’s 2018 Excellence in Flexography Awards by winning bronze, silver and gold awards.
TC Trancontinental Packaging | (514) 954-4000; www.tctranscontinental.com
7. ProAmpac
2018 sales (in billions): $1.3 / Cincinnati, Ohio
ProAmpac continued its expansion with the acquisition of Oregon-based Bonita Pioneer Packaging Products; Pactech Packaging, specializing in pouch converting; and Gateway Packaging Company, a flexible packaging company headquartered in Tennessee. ProAmpac has won numerous awards for its packaging, including an Ameristar award for Miracle Gro pouch.
ProAmpac | (513) 671-1777; www.proampac.com
8. Printpack
2018 sales (in billions): $1.2 / Atlanta, Georgia
Printpack celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018. CEO Jimmy Love, announced that Printpack is investing $40 million the company’s Prescott Valley, AZ, manufacturing plant. Printpack also announced the closing of a film manufacturing plant in Orange, TX.
Printpack | (404) 460-7000; www.printpack.com
9. Winpak
2018 sales (in millions): $890 / Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winpak manufactures and distributes packaging materials and related packaging machines. The company’s products are used primarily for the protection of perishable foods, beverages and in health care applications. New extrusion capacity was to be fully operational by mid 2019 at the company’s rigid container facility in Sauk Village, IL, and a new Mexican plant with printing for flexible packaging was to be fully operational in the second quarter of 2019.
Winkpak | (204) 889-1015; www.winpak.com
10. Amcor Flexibles Americas
2018 sales (in millions): $780 / Buffalo Grove, Illinois
As noted, Amcor completed its $6.8 billion acquisition of Bemis in June 2019, making it one of the largest global manufacturers of flexible packaging. In addition, Tekni-Plex has purchased three manufacturing facilities from Amcor. The three facilities are located in Madison and Milwaukee, WI and Ashland, MA. The company was recognized in the FTSE4Good Index for its sustainability efforts, which the introduction of AmLite Ultra Recyclable, its first packaging product made from the company’s more sustainable high-barrier polyolefin film.
Amcor Flexibles Americas | (224) 315-7000; www.amcor.com
11. Hood Packaging Corp.
2018 sales (in millions): $700 | Burlington, Ontario, Canada; Madison, Wisconsin
Established in 1978 as Southern Bag Corporation, Hood has expanded as a leading North American manufacturer of plastic film and bags, woven polypropylene bags, coated and laminated materials, and paper packaging. With over 150 years of bag making experience, Hood Packaging has 19 manufacturing facilities in 12 states and provinces across North America.
Hood Packaging | (905) 637-5611; www.hoodpkg.com
12. Mondi Americas
2018 sales (in millions): $618 / Romeoville, Illinois
As a global leader in packaging, Mondi offers a world of opportunities. The company's expertise lies in finding the most dynamic and reliable solutions. Mondi has delivered more than 10 years of successful growth as a listed company – building on its heritage of 50 years as Mondi and more than 200 years in manufacturing. Today, Mondi is a global industry player with an outstanding reputation for excellence, leadership, and sustainably adding value.
Mondi Americas | (573) 335-4900; www.mondigroup.com/na
13. Sonoco Products Co.
2018 sales (in millions): $600 / Hartsville, South Carolina
Sonoco Products Company is celebrating its 120th anniversary. Robert Tiede has taken over as the new president and CEO of Sonoco. The company is focused on targeted acquisitions and development of products. In October 2018, the company acquired the remaining 70 percent interest in the Conitex-Sonoco joint venture and Texpack’s composite can operation in Spain.
Sonoco | (800) 377-2692; www.sonoco.com
14. Pregis
2018 sales (in millions): $535 / Deerfield, Illinois
Pregis was purchased in May 2019 by Warburg Pincus. Since May 2014, Pregis has made six acquisitions (Eagle Film Extruders, Easypack Ltd, Sharp Packaging Systems, 3M PolyMask, Rex Performance Products and FP International). The company has grown from 14 to 22 manufacturing facilities across North America and Europe. Pregis also announced a $6 million investment in its Grand Rapids, MI facility for a third blown film line.
Pregis | (877) 692-6163; www.pregis.com
15. American Packaging Corporation
2018 sales (in millions): $450* | Columbus, Wisconsin
In early 2018, American Packaging Corporation announced Jeff Koch’s appointment to president. Peter Schottland, will remain Chief Executive Officer and move into the position of co-chairman. The company also moved its corporate headquarters from Rochester, NY to Columbus, WI, near its largest operations and packaging innovation center.
American Packaging Corporation | (920) 623-2291; www.ampkcorp.com
16. Bryce Corporation
2018 sales (in millions): $355* / Memphis, Tennessee
Based in Memphis, TN, Bryce Company is an industry leader in film conversion and the production of innovative flexible packaging solutions. A family business conceived in the early 1920s, Bryce Company takes pride in the growth of its nationally renowned customers through advances in technology and a commitment to exceptional customer service.
Bryce Corporation | (800) 238-7277; www.brycecorporation.com
17. Scholle IPN
2018 sales (in millions): $285* | Northlake, Illinois
Scholle IPN will invest $10.29 million to expand its production facility in Smyth County, VA. Scholle IPN also has commercialized the world’s first premade, sterilized spouted pouch system for aseptically-processed products. The CleanPouch Aseptic System includes an innovative spout, plug and cap combination, pouches made within clean room environments and a small-footprint, high-output aseptic rotary filler.
Scholle IPN | (708) 562-7290; www.sholleipn.com
18. Belmark
2018 sales (in millions): $218 / De Pere, Wisconsin
Belmark is a manufacturer of pressure sensitive labels, flexible packaging and folding cartons. Belmark has built its business and reputation on providing innovative labeling and packaging solutions for their customers. They do this through their mission of speed-to-market, product development, service development and quality.
Belmark inc | (920) 336-2848 | www.belmark.com
19. PPC Flexible Packaging
2018 sales (in millions): $205 / Buffalo Grove, IL
PPC Flexible Packaging is a new addition to the Top 25 converters. In early 2018, Fisher Container Holdings rebranded its subsidiaries Fisher Container, LLC and Packaging Products Corporation, into the new entity PPC Flexible Packaging. The company also announced the acquisition of Wisconsin-based HFM Packaging.
PPC Flexible Packaging | (847) 541-0000; www.ppcflex.com
20. InterFlex Group
2018 sales (in millions): $200* / Wilkesboro, North Carolina
According to the company website, InterFlex Group continues to utilize a capabilities-based advantage within its operations. This advantage is comprised of six pillars: speed, flexibility, strategic focus, quality, people and capital resources.
InterFlex Group | (336) 921-3505; www.interflexgroup.com
21. Oracle Packaging
2018 sales (in millions): $199* / Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Oracle, a division of Tekni-Plex, Inc., continued to grow as a manufacturer of industry-leading flexible packaging laminates, which are relied upon worldwide by leading companies within global markets such as healthcare, pharmaceutical, food, dairy, household and personal care, tobacco and industrial.
Oracle Packaging | (336) 777-5000; www.tekni-plex.com/oraclepackaging
22. Oliver
2018 sales (in millions): $150* / Grand Rapids, Michigan
Oliver-Tolas and Mangar Medical Packaging officially merged in May 2016, joining forces to be known as just “Oliver” in an announcement made in January 2018. Oliver has acquired CleanCut Technologies, a medical packaging provider based in Anaheim, CA.
Oliver | (616) 456-7711; www.oliverhcp.com
23. C-P Flexible Packaging
2018 sales (in millions): $142* / York, Pennsylvania
C-P Flexible Packaging, a manufacturer of flexible packaging products, including pouches, re-sealable packages and shrink sleeves, has acquired Flexo Transparent, a plastic manufacturing and printing solutions provider.
C-P Flexible Packaging | (800) 815-0667; www.cpflexpack.com
24. Liqui-Box
2018 sales (in millions): $132* / Richmond, Virginia
Liqui-Box, a portfolio company of Olympus Partners, has purchased Smith plc’s Plastics Division to create a comprehensive and innovative leader in flexible and rigid packaging. Liqui-Box also earned a silver award from the Flexible Packaging Association in the technical innovation category for the development of Bar-Asept.
Liqui-Box | (877) 267-5949; www.liquibox.com
25. St. Johns Packaging
2018 sales (in millions): $110* / Quebec, Canada
St. Johns Packaging is a vertically integrated manufacturer of flexible packaging products that are sold to leading food and consumer product companies. Founded in 1954, the company now operates wholly-owned subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, China and Vietnam. The company is focused on the manufacture of wicket bags, pouches and printed roll stock.
St. Johns Packaging | (800) 567-8773; www.sjpack.com
Log on to www.flexpackmag.com/top25-converters to view our Top 25 lists of the past and stay up to date on all the latest news from the leading North American converters.
