What J.S. McCarthy Printers does

J.S. McCarthy Packaging + Print is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP since 2019) folding-carton packaging manufacturer headquartered in a 150,000 sq ft facility in Augusta, Maine. Founded in 1947 as a commercial printer, the company has since pivoted to folding-carton packaging, which represents approximately 80% of revenue and serves CPG brands in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, beauty and personal care, and retail/cannabis verticals. Named accounts include True Citrus, Inspired Beauty Brands (HASK), Marin Skincare, and frozen-pizza brands, with finished products distributed through Walmart, CVS, Kroger, and Amazon.

The company operates a vertically integrated production stack anchored by H-UV offset printing and the first U.S. installation of the Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 (21K) press, complemented by BOBST die-cutting, foil stamping, and folder/gluing equipment, plus in-house prepress, sheeting, bindery, and a 28,000 sq ft WMS-enabled fulfillment warehouse. It holds SQF, FSC, G7 Master Printer, SGS (Jan 2026), EcoVadis Silver (2025), Green-e, PrintReleaf, and UN Global Compact credentials, and runs 100% wind-powered operations since 2007. In March 2026 it set a verified world record of 460,149 sellable sheets in a 24-hour window.

Revenue is generated through project-based quoting for custom folding cartons, offset-printed commercial work, and managed logistics/fulfillment services, with sales executed via dedicated enterprise account managers and an inside-sales/customer-service team. Direct field-sales relationships target enterprise and mid-market CPG brands, with 2-3 week turnarounds and world-record throughput cited as competitive wedges against multi-site consolidators. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company is privately held under Tardiff family operational leadership (Jon Tardiff, CEO; Matthew Tardiff, CFO; Amy Tardiff, VP/General Counsel; Rick Tardiff, Chairman), with no external institutional capital other than a 2017 $1.5M grant from the Maine Technology Institute.

Name

J.S. McCarthy Printers

Legal name

J.S. McCarthy Co., Inc.

Website

https://jsmccarthy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

J.S. McCarthy Packaging + Print is a 100% employee-owned folding-carton packaging manufacturer in Augusta, Maine, serving CPG brands in food and beverage, pharmaceutical, beauty, and retail with H-UV offset printing, BOBST finishing, and integrated logistics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Printing and Packaging Manufacturing

NAICS

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212), Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Folding Cartons (Folding Boxboard, SBS/SUS) (IMALACAB), Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB), Secondary Packaging & Case Packing (Multipacks, Shrink, Cartoning) (AFAFAJAK)

Keywords

• Folding carton packaging
• Offset printing services
• Commercial print manufacturing
• Packaging finishing services
• Warehouse fulfillment solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Augusta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Folding Carton Packaging Manufacturing: Production of custom folding carton packaging for food & beverage, pharmaceutical, beauty, and consumer goods industries. Custom packaging with various styles (straight tuck, reverse tuck, auto-bottom, seal end, etc.) and specialty treatments (foil stamping, embossing, spot UV, soft-touch coatings). Represents the largest and fastest-growing segment of business, approximately 80% of revenue.
2. Commercial Offset Printing Services: High-end offset printing using HUV technology for catalogs, books, annual reports, brochures, posters, greeting cards, magazines, and other printed materials. Includes coatings and special effects (spot UV, high pile UV, soft-touch, pearl, scented coatings, foil).
3. Logistics and Fulfillment Services: Warehousing, online fulfillment ordering platforms, inventory management, kitting, and shipping services. Includes 'Pay as You Pull' warehousing model for scalable storage costs. Online ordering systems for customers to manage fulfillment orders.
4. Prepress and Technical Services: File preparation, preflight services, PDF workflow, color management, electronic ordering, and technical support. Also includes package prototyping and package structure design services.
5. Box on Demand Manufacturing: On-site corrugated box production system that creates custom-sized boxes to reduce waste, shipping costs, and storage requirements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

J.S. McCarthy Packaging + Print manufactures custom folding carton packaging and provides H-UV offset printing, finishing (die-cutting, foil stamping, folder/gluing), prepress, and warehousing/fulfillment services for enterprise and mid-market brands. Folding cartons account for approximately 80% of revenue, serving food & beverage, pharmaceutical, beauty, and consumer goods industries.

Product overview

J.S. McCarthy Packaging + Print offers a comprehensive portfolio of printing and packaging solutions centered on three core offerings: Folding Carton Packaging (custom packaging for food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, and consumer goods markets), Offset Printing (H-UV technology for commercial print), and Finishing Services (die-cutting, foil stamping, embossing, folder/gluers, bindery). The company provides integrated logistics and fulfillment services including warehousing, online ordering, and inventory management. Prepress services round out the offering with file preparation, color management, and technical support. The company operates from a 150,000 sq ft facility in Augusta, Maine, producing approximately 80% of revenue from folding cartons. Founded in 1947, the company became 100% employee-owned in 2019.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Folding Carton Packaging Custom folding carton packaging solutions including straight tuck, auto bottom, folded and glued, and shipped flat options. Services include consultation, engineering, prototyping, and special finishes like foil stamping and embossing for food & beverage, pharmaceutical, beauty, and consumer goods brands.
• Offset Printing H-UV offset printing technology for commercial print and folding carton packaging. Features flash-drying inks, vibrant colors across all substrates, and VOC-free emissions.
• Finishing Services Comprehensive finishing operations including die-cutting, foil stamping and embossing, folder/gluers supporting 4-corner, 6-corner, auto-bottom, and straight line configurations, plus in-line scoring, and bindery services.
• Logistics and Fulfillment Services Warehousing, online fulfillment ordering system, inventory management, kitting, and shipping services. Includes 'Pay as You Pull' warehousing model and secure web-based ordering platform for customers.
• Commercial Print Products Wide range of commercial print products including annual reports, catalogs, books, brochures, postcards, greeting cards, posters, magazines, calendars, newsletters, rack cards, box wraps, and tray cards.
• Prepress Services File transfer via secure uploader, PDF preparation (PDF X4), preflight checking, color management (ICC profiles, GRACoL standards), and technical support for customers.
• Box on Demand Manufacturing On-site corrugated box production system that creates custom-sized boxes to reduce waste, shipping costs, and storage requirements for customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 460,149 sheets produced in a 24-hour period (March 2026 world record)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EcoVadiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcoVadis evaluates JSM's sustainability and CSR performance across environmental practices, labor and human rights, ethics, and responsible procurement. JSM earned the EcoVadis Silver Medal in 2025, placing them among top-performing companies assessed.
• Schneider Electric (Green-e Wind Power)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Schneider Electric makes Green-e certified wind power available to JSM and its customers. All of JSM's facility electricity needs are met with 100% wind-generated power through this partnership.
• PrintReleafcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrintReleaf measures JSM's paper consumption and calculates equivalent trees planted through certified global reforestation projects. As of August 2025, 100% of JSM print jobs are reforested through PrintReleaf, with reforestation at certified sites worldwide.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFSC certification confirms JSM follows Forest Stewardship Council standards for responsible wood management from forest to end user. Allows JSM customers to use the FSC logo on any piece printed on FSC certified paper.
• SQFI (Safe Quality Food Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSQF certification is a GFSI-recognized food safety program. JSM undergoes annual third-party audits validating food safety management systems for food contact packaging production.
• HeidelbergcoreTechnology or IntegrationJSM operates multiple Heidelberg Speedmaster XL 106 presses (18,000 and 21,000 SPH variants). Heidelberg's Push to Stop technology, Prinect Inpress Control 3, and AutoPlate Pro are central to JSM's world-record production capabilities. Heidelberg verified JSM's 2026 world record production run.
• Smurfit WestRockcoreOthersJSM ran its March 2026 world record production on 18pt SBS PrintKote folding carton board from Smurfit WestRock. The consistency of the board across five trailer loads was critical to maintaining speeds and quality throughout the record run.
• Stora EnsominorOthersJSM's 2025 world record run used 23.6pt CKB board from Stora Enso, a premium paperboard substrate. The board's consistency at sustained speeds of 21,000 sheets/hour was foundational to the record.
• UPSminorOthersPartnership with UPS for parcel shipping as part of JSM's comprehensive logistics services for customer order fulfillment.
• FedExminorOthersPartnership with FedEx for parcel shipping as part of JSM's comprehensive logistics services for customer order fulfillment.
• USPSminorOthersPartnership with USPS for mail and parcel shipping as part of JSM's comprehensive logistics services.
• LTL Freight CarriersminorOthersPartnership with multiple Less-Than-Truckload freight carriers for efficient and cost-effective bulk shipping of large folding carton orders.
• SGScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGS certification (formerly GMI) validates JSM's processes, systems, and materials meet internationally recognized standards for quality, safety, and compliance. Required by leading retailers including CVS, Walmart, and Nestlé.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Curtis Packaging: Privately held folding carton manufacturer focused on premium consumer packaging for beauty, food/bev, and CPG brands. Direct mid-market peer to JSM in product category, customer verticals, and sustainable packaging positioning.
• Diamond Packaging: Mid-market folding carton converter producing printed paperboard cartons with specialty finishes for cosmetics, health/beauty, and food/beverage customers. Comparable on product mix, premium finishing capability, and CPG customer base.
• AR Packaging: European-headquartered folding carton and consumer packaging converter serving CPG, beauty, and pharma verticals. Comparable on product category and verticals; primarily a regional competitor outside JSM's North American base.

Others

• Smurfit Westrock: Global paper-based packaging giant; supplies the SBS paperboard substrate JSM uses for its folding carton production. Comparable as upstream supplier and broad industry incumbent rather than direct competitor.
• Berlin Packaging: Global hybrid packaging supplier offering both rigid and paper-based containers, including folding cartons, to CPG and beauty customers. Comparable on customer base and packaging-solutions positioning, broader on material scope.
• TricorBraun: Large North American distributor of rigid and paper-based packaging including folding cartons; overlaps with JSM in supplying CPG/beauty packaging but operates primarily as a sourcing/distribution partner rather than a converter.

Broad incumbents

• Graphic Packaging Holding Company: Largest US folding carton manufacturer, serving CPG food/beverage and beauty customers globally. Comparable on product category (paperboard folding cartons) but operates at materially larger scale than the subject company.
• Sonoco Products Company: Diversified global packaging conglomerate with a significant folding carton and paperboard consumer packaging segment. Comparable on product type (consumer folding cartons) and customer verticals (CPG, food/bev), though much broader in scope.
• Pactiv Evergreen: Major North American packaging producer spanning foodservice, food, and beverage cartons including gable-top cartons. Adjacent competitor in carton-based consumer packaging but with a fundamentally different substrate and product mix.

Regional players

• Rondo Packaging: Specialty folding carton converter serving healthcare, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods markets with regulatory-compliant packaging. Comparable on product category and regulated-industry certifications (SQF/FSC-like compliance).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbuOXQqUA3TYX-E0mli6Onw
• Facebookfacebook.com/js-mccarthy-printers-228391552887
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/j.s.-mccarthy-printers
• Instagraminstagram.com/jsmccarthyprinters
• Xx.com/jsmprinters

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about J.S. McCarthy Printers