Leading CPG, food and pharmaceutical packaging supplier Carton Service CSI is expanding their current liquid packaging production facility in Shelby, Ohio, with more investments. 

“We’ve invested more than $10 million in new offset and flexo printing, new skiving and sealing equipment and a new packaging laboratory which includes liquid filling equipment for speed-to-market test purposes (testing of traditional and non-traditional uses of liquid-filled cartons),” said company president Reid Lederer. “This makes us one of North America’s few accredited printers and producers of liquid-filled direct contact gable cartons.”

Lederer added: “It also makes us one of the most innovative companies because we create cartons for liquid contents no other company has attempted in North America like non-dairy milks, soaps, cleansers, lubricants, beverages and various alcohols. We also have the patents for these unique containers.” 

Lederer said the school milk carton shortage witnessed in late 2023 indicates that there is a limited supply of North American printers and converters for liquid-filled cartons. 

“We would like to be the ’supplier of choice’ for any liquids, whether traditional like milk, other dairy products and juices or non-traditional like soap/cleansers, drinking water and alcoholic beverages. With developing government restrictions on single-use plastic, we believe more companies are considering paper over plastic, and Carton Service intends to grow our Cartons4REarth style as the brand of choice,” Lederer said.

Carton Service has a dedicated “gable-top” team with the expertise to develop cartons with customers and also an in-house creative services team for structure and design of those packages.

“As we approach our 100th year in business, we continue to innovate, especially in the area of sustainable liquid direct contact containers,” Lederer said. 

The latest patents obtained by Carton Service relate to more eco-friendly packaging choices which can contain many different contents such as soapy, viscous liquids like body wash and shampoo. These paperboard containers perform in wet environments without leaking or leaching. Carton Service has more direct contact carton patents in the works for their own brand Cartons4REarth.

Carton Service provides FSC ® (FSC C-182277) certified products and also has a silver Ecovadis sustainability rating.