Tetra Pak, a pioneer and world leading food processing and packaging solutions company, marks the official 40th anniversary of the company’s Denton, Texas, facility this year. The plant was Tetra Pak’s first in the United States, and today the 263,844-square-foot site includes a Global Information Technology hub, a Product Development Center, a Technical Training Center, a warehouse, a packaging material production factory and office space.  

“For 40 years, our team in Denton has been helping Tetra Pak realize its vision to make food safe and available, everywhere. We work to do that sustainably, finding new ways, with new collaborations, to help deliver the innovative solutions our customers need to succeed. In this way, we help enable communities and the planet to flourish,” said Seth Teply, president and CEO, Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada.    

Creating a Legacy 

The Denton site, roughly 40 miles north of Dallas, serves as headquarters for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada and consists of approximately 725 team members, each of whom contribute to a rich and diverse workplace culture. Employing 80 people at the time of opening, six still work at Tetra Pak today: John Altavilla, Danny Cochran, Julie Hines, Dale Litchfield, Robert Mohair and Mike Otto.   

“This year’s milestone celebrates four decades of pioneering innovation, remarkable growth and an unwavering commitment to sustainability in our market,” Teply said. “And this is just the beginning. Our journey has only just begun, with much more to achieve ahead.”  

Investing in the Future 

Built in 1984, the Denton factory is currently undergoing an expansion project that will enable the factory to produce over 10 billion packages annually. As this growth continues, it will enable Tetra Pak to meet future customers’ needs, which will continue to bring new manufacturing jobs to the facility. In 2024, the Denton site is on track to produce an estimated 6.8 billion food packages. 

Earlier this year, the facility completed an expansion of its Technical Training Center, adding new equipment and resources to enhance hands-on training and workforce development opportunities for customers and employees. 

Committed to Sustainability 

As part of Tetra Pak’s long-standing promise to protect what’s good — food, people and the planet, its Denton facility produces shelf-stable packaging that allows dairy products, nutritional products, juice, broth and more to stay safe and delicious for long periods of time without additives, preservatives or refrigeration before opening. This process reduces food waste as products can be stored unopened at room temperature until they’re ready to be consumed. 

“With more than 70 years as a global company in the food and beverage space, we understand the impact packaging has on the environment and we work to lessen that impact every day,” Teply said. “As we look to the future, we have a growing global population that needs access to safe and nutritious food, and Tetra Pak will continue to lead the way toward developing secure, resilient and sustainable global food systems.”  

Tetra Pak cartons are recyclable and made primarily of renewable materials from responsibly managed sources, such as from Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC®) certified forests and other controlled sources. Additionally, plant-based polymers traceable to their sugarcane origins are available in place of traditional fossil-fuel based polymers for certain plastic caps and carton coatings within our portfolio. These renewable resources can be replenished over time, resulting in a lower carbon footprint and reduced environmental impact.