For many years, Transparent Container’s Ontario, CA, facility has been a convenient production partner for its customers. However, recently, with trend of brands and manufacturers moving its production to Mexico. As Mexico continues to grow as a manufacturing hub for established partners and other North American brands, the company started evaluating the best ways to serve them.
Transparent Container has relocated production to follow customers before. Steve Fifer, VP of Operations, recalled a long-time customer secured in Georgia but later moved to Illinois. Now they manufacture in Tijuana and produce their packaging in Ontario, CA. In another example, Transparent Container even built a temporary facility in Scotland to support Motorola’s growing European business in the 1990s. Fifer points out, “Several of our key partners have moved their manufacturing facilities to Tijuana and Mexicali in the past few years. When we saw the general trend in that area, we determined the best way to serve businesses in Mexico is by building a new manufacturing facility. Opening this facility allows us to help our customers in two ways. We’ll be closer to our customers in the area, and Tijuana is a lower cost area for manufacturing. It will provide a lead-time savings, and a cost improvement.” The Tijuana facility is 87,750 square feet [8,150 square meters] of new construction. It will be one of Transparent Container’s largest manufacturing facilities. The building is named “Falcon I” after the Millennium Falcon, a ‘wink’ to the company’s speed-to-market philosophy.
Fifer’s production plan includes 11 thermoforming machine lines. Transparent Container will run custom thermoforming and ComboBlister® in the Tijuana facility. Transparent Container will transition from its manufacturing facility in Ontario, CA, to make this change. They’ll be able to serve customers in Mexico and on the West Coast locally with the new facility. Replacing the Ontario facility with the new Tijuana facility which doubles the manufacturing space in the region. The key to Transparent Container’s success over the years has been a focus on innovation and customer support. The Tijuana expansion is an important part of this strategy.
Transparent Container believes great packaging connects brands with consumers by designing and manufacturing packaging for many verticals, including health and beauty, housewares, office/school, sporting goods, toys, pet, automotive aftermarket, electronics, hardware, and hobby.
Transparent Container is headquartered in Illinois, with manufacturing locations throughout North America. They are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified, and their paperboard facility is G7 Master Printer Qualified and an authorized printer for UL Certification Marks.
