Building on technology keeps American Paper Bag at top
Apr. 30—From Go Puff to Eataly, from Walmart to Amazon, companies have seen more people shopping from home.
All of those entities use paper bags for at least some of their deliveries — and many turn to American Paper Bag, right here in the Hanover Industrial Estates.
"Our bags work really well for home delivery," company founder and CEO Ian Robson said, opening a flexible bag to show the inner pull-away strips that make sealing extremely easy.
American Paper Bag opened its Northeastern Pennsylvania facility shortly before COVID, "the wildest time to start a company," Robson said. "But we were able to keep going and find new customers."
State-of-the-art equipment at American Paper Bag prints logos on bags — in up to nine colors — adds handles to bags, adds glue and seal strips to bags.
The machines are so sophisticated, a roll of paper can be changed without the machine having to stop. And if someone wanted, say, a photograph or portrait to appear on a very distinctive bag, American Paper Bag can make that happen.
Showing off a prototype bag that features a photo of galloping horses, Robson said he expected American Paper Bag's primary market would be such bags, which his company can design and print more quickly that competing manufacturers, thanks to modern machinery.
But COVID-19 and other pressures dramatically changed the market, and made brown bags with much less printing the mainstay of his customers.
As for size and shape of a bag, Robson said, it's not difficult to produce a custom-made bag that precisely meets a customer's needs.
"Three of these fit perfectly," Robson said, pointing to low, wide bags that American Paper Bag has customized to fit three to a Walmart crate.
Perhaps ironically, while American Paper Bag supplies many bags nation-wide to Walmart, the local Walmart doesn't use them. "The local Walmart uses plastic bags," Robson said.
"Paper is more sustainable," Robson said, adding the paper his company uses is 40% post-consumer content.
Speaking of recycling, the machines at American Paper Bag are able to print unique QR codes directly onto envelopes, which means they don't need a label, so the envelopes will be easier to recycle.
A native of Great Britain, Robson is pleased with his decision to locate American Paper Bag in Northeastern Pennsylvania.
"It's unbelievably good," he said. "I don't think I could have found a better location geographically, and the Chamber of Commerce here has been superb and local business organizations are unbelievably helpful."
His company has 65 employees, and the manufacturing facility runs 24/7. It has expanded three times since it opened.
