The food packaging industry is slowly shifting towards a circular economy that encourages the reuse of materials through techniques such as recycling. Brand owners are increasingly favoring sustainable, eco-friendly packaging, including recyclable, compostable, and reusable options, as well as source reduction.
Flexible packaging has a plethora of benefits, including extending the shelf life of products through proper substrate selection, specialty coatings, and laser perforation. These innovations not only give consumers more time to relish the taste of their favorite food but also eliminates unnecessary food waste, which makes up for 1/10th of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Flexible Packaging is the most economical form of packaging available, offers the lowest tare weight ratio of any packaging form, and keeps the food we eat safe from deadly contaminants, bacteria and other airborne diseases. Innovations in films and machinery have made flexible packaging the optimal choice for the most efficient and highest production output at the lowest cost.t Advancements in flexible packaging are the main reason why food costs in the United States are lower than that of any other country in the world.
Founded in 1992, Poly Print is a pioneer in flexible packaging and is leading the way in this space with its innovative solutions, explosive growth, and expanding footprint. The company has successfully implemented recyclable, compostable, and source reduction options for snacks, produce, pet food, beverages, and many other applications.
Poly Print’s team of packaging experts have also developed exceptional substrate combinations, specialty coatings, and other solutions that have increased its clients’ production by 50% or more.
Guided by an accomplished and dedicated team with over 300 years of combined industry experience in flexographic printing and packaging, Poly Print efficiently meets the needs of its customers. With a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant that showcases a myriad of new printing and converting equipment with an array of capabilities, Poly Print strives to produce the highest quality products.
Short-term challenges in the food packaging space include significant increases in cost stemming from supply shortages, COVID-19’s impact on the global economy, labor force constraints, a dynamic political landscape, delays in transportation, container shortages, congestion at ports, and other unprecedented events.
Poly Print has effectively addressed these challenges while maintaining continuity of supply for its customers, by expanding its facility, and allowing additional storage of key materials such as film substrates, inks, solvents, adhesives, and more. Poly Print’s strong, long-standing reputation with its suppliers, and its shipping volumes, have helped keep the company at the front of the line when faced with logistical issues. The company’s reliable team of professionals also rose to the obstacles posed by the workforce dynamics and helped Poly Print efficiently carry the load of customer demands.
Our Mission Since 1992 Has Been To Service The Flexible Packaging Market By Offering High Quality Flexographic Printing, Adhesive Lamination, Laser Perforation, Pouches As Well As Applying Our Knowledge, Experience, And Resources To Provide Solutions And Support Within The Flexible Packaging Market. Says Joe Genova, Poly Prints Owner, And Vice President
Long-term challenges in the food packaging sector include the shift towards sustainable packaging, capacity constraints, market consolidation, and cost optimization. Poly Print’s unique converting capabilities have enabled them to provide both industrial and home compostable options as well as recyclable options.
Digital printing is an emerging trend in the food packaging space allowing for shorter runs with multiple SKU’s and eliminating the need for printing plates. This option can be attractive for new and established brands with multiple SKUs or low volumes that are looking to test the market while mitigating risk. Digital printing does however have limitations which include low machine speeds, sizing constraints, the requirement of multiple downstream finishing lines and pre-laminates. Poly Print’s wide web format offers low minimums as well as in-house lamination capabilities, making it very cost-competitive compared to digital options.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the political landscape, overseas purchasing trends have shifted, and packaging buyers have in part or in whole transitioned to domestic sources for their packaging needs.
Transitioning packaging suppliers requires time and planning. Choosing a printing converter without the right resources, capacity and business model can jeopardize the supply chain for food manufactures and the like. To make this transition seamless and comfortable for brand owners, Poly Print offers a unique new business onboarding process, making the shift for customers simple. Coupled with the onboarding process, Poly Print has made considerable investments in new converting technologies and equipment, in every department.
This not only gives the company additional capacity to welcome new customers, but also reduces cost through improved quality, increased efficiency, and minimized waste. The company’s facility has also been expanded to house more inventory, so as to meet customer demands, and combat supply shortages.
Another long-term issue that packaging buyers may not see coming is the implications of market consolidation in the flexible packaging space. Given the industry’s overall stability, private equity firms have been acquiring and consolidating converters of all sizes.
At the onset, this may appear to be a positive as these companies can consolidate resources, but that comes at the cost of other services. The goal of private equity is to acquire as many companies as possible and sell for higher multiples than they purchased for, in a relatively short time period. To do this involves cutting costs, generally removing long-term employees at the higher end of the pay scale, and investing the least amount possible which eventually leads to capacity constraints as well deterioration in quality and service.
Red tape within the organizations will prevent these companies from moving quickly to resolve issues while the ones who suffer are the employees and customers. Where these companies will struggle, Poly Print will succeed. Poly Print has managed to stay ahead of its competition because of its core values and mission.
To fulfill its promises of on-time delivery, superior quality, and extraordinary customer service, Poly Print has packaging experts located throughout the United States, who visit the customers directly as and when required. They work with the customers to understand their individual needs and packaging requirements. A dedicated customer service team, that keeps clients updated on everything from quotes, to order status is readily available.
We Look At Our Customers As Partners And Recognize The Importance Of Packaging To Their Supply Chain And Their Brand Equity. Staying Nimble Gives Us The Advantage To React Quickly To The Trends In The Market And The Needs Of Our Customers. Says Joe Genova
Poly Print has invested over $15,000,000 in the latest converting technologies including two 10 color printing presses, slitters, laser perforators, equipment upgrades, pouch and bag machines, building expansions, quality control and much more. Moreover Poly Print has invested in recruiting top talent that understand printing, packaging, operations and more. All these additions have allowed the company to not only expand their footprint and product offerings but have increased overall customer satisfaction.
Currently, Poly Print uses high definition, digitally made printing plates and is consistently achieving 225 line screens on press. Since 2013 they have been SQF certified for Food Safety and Quality. In fact, Poly Print earned a perfect score on a past SQF audit, which is truly exceptional and rare. The company has also earned a GMI (Graphic Measures International) certification, that measures processes and print quality. In addition, they are registered with the US Food and Drug Administration and held in high regard by all local and federal governing agencies.
They have a dedicated team of in-house programmers, who, for over twenty years have been developing the company’s custom ERP software. The software can be updated quickly to adjust to the companies or customer’s needs. This plays a significant part in the company’s infrastructure to manage growth, onboard new customers, and eliminate costly mistakes, while providing quick and accurate data, for informed decision-making.
Poly Print’s clientele also enjoy the benefits offered by the ERP system, such as auto -mated order entering, inventory manage -ment, online tracking, pre-press workflow, and more. They also offer EDI capabilities to those customers whose need it.
“Our vision has been to be the leading supplier of flexible packaging and the first choice for our customers’ packaging needs,” as stated by Joe Genova. As a part of its continuous improvement initiatives, the company is focused on the automation of its departments and processes, which will save on cost, increase efficiency, reduce waste and mistakes while making the whole operation safer.
Poly Print is a family of people who strive to make good impressions inside and outside the company walls. As an organization, it upholds the responsibility to protect the environment, provide quality jobs to the community, and contribute to meaningful causes.
To demonstrate its commitment to the planet, Poly Print has always fostered a culture that embraces the importance of sustainability. In 2008, the company devel -oped an Environmental Policy to reduce the carbon footprint of its processes, and guide sustainable workplace practices.
The company also has a voluntary Pollution Prevention Team that discusses opportunities for source reduction, sustainable product replacements, and ensures compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
They have installed equipment that destroys 99% of harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), preventing their release into the environment. In addition, they installed a closed-loop solvent recycler, which enabled 95% recapture of solvents that are used in the printing process. Virtually all materials used in the process have an outlet to be recycled or reused such as pallets, end boards, plastic strappings, corrugated items, and more.
These efforts have reduced the company’s landfill wastes by hundreds of thousands of pounds per year and reduced their carbon footprint. Poly Print’s future projects will take into consideration ways to reduce energy consumption, using variable speed motors, solar options, and limit switches.
Since 1992 it has been the company’s vision to be the leader in flexible packaging solutions ability to service customers, develop a phenomenal team and adjust to market demands have proven they are best in the industry. Through meticulous planning and execution Poly Print has made a massive impact in the flexible packaging market and is the reason why they were chosen as the number one Food Packaging to watch out for 2021 and for many years to come.