Arnold Packaging

What Arnold Packaging does

Arnold Packaging is a family-owned packaging distributor and automation solutions provider headquartered in Sparrows Point, Maryland. Founded in 1933 as Arnold Factory Supplies and rebranded in 2016, the company is led by CEO Mick Arnold as the third generation of Arnold family leadership. The company operates from a 100,000 SF facility that combines distribution, custom wood container manufacturing, and foam fabrication, and offers three core lines of business: (1) standard packaging supplies including corrugated boxes, stretch film, bubble wrap, tape, kraft paper, poly bags, mailers, and strapping sold through an e-commerce storefront with a $400 minimum order; (2) custom solutions including engineered wooden shipping containers, custom foam inserts, and protective packaging design with a free no-cost packaging analysis as a customer acquisition tool; and (3) Arnold Automation, a dedicated division offering end-of-line packaging automation including robotics, case erectors, case sealers, stretch wrappers, shrink wrap systems, strapping equipment, labeling systems, autonomous guided vehicles, and custom equipment, distributed from manufacturers such as Ready Robotics, Wexxar, Shanklin, and Combi.

The company serves six primary verticals: Food & Beverage, E-commerce & Fulfillment, Manufacturing & Industrial, Military & Government, Construction & Building Supplies, and Disaster Restoration. Its service and repair coverage spans Maryland, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C., with limited geographic extension into West Virginia and Tennessee since 2012. The business model combines transactional consumables sales, project-based custom manufacturing and automation integration, and recurring service and repair contracts. Long-standing distribution partnerships with 3M (since 1962), Signode (since 1986), and Sealed Air (since 1987) provide preferred supplier positioning, while recent product launches including the ECORRCRATE sustainable shipping crate and PlantWave plant-based air pillow film reflect a strategic emphasis on sustainability solutions.

Revenue is generated through one-time equipment and consumable sales, custom manufacturing projects, professional services for service/repair and packaging analysis, and recurring preventative maintenance contracts. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; customers must register and sign in to view pricing, and a 24-48 hour account setup window is required. The go-to-market motion is sales-led B2B with direct outreach, the e-commerce portal, and the no-cost packaging analysis as lead generation mechanisms. The company is privately held with no institutional investment or parent company identified.

Name

Arnold Packaging

Legal name

Arnold Packaging Company

Website

https://arnoldpackaging.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Arnold Packaging is a family-owned Baltimore-based packaging distributor and automation integrator founded in 1933, serving food & beverage, e-commerce, manufacturing, military, and construction customers across the Mid-Atlantic with consumables, custom wood containers, and end-of-line automation equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging

NAICS

Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191), Packaging Machinery Manufacturing (333993)

SIC

Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110), Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Printing Trades Machinery & Equipment (3555)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAMAIAI

Packaging Papers & Converted Paper Distribution (Corrugated sheets/boxes, Paper bags, Labels, Stationery)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Paper & Forest Products/Forest Products Distribution & Trading

SECONDARYIMALAOAG

Conveying, Feeding & Material Handling for Packaging Lines

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Packaging & Containers/Packaging Machinery and Equipment

SECONDARYIMALAOAD

Labeling, Coding & Marking Equipment (Labelers, Inkjet, Laser)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Packaging & Containers/Packaging Machinery and Equipment

Keywords

• Industrial packaging supplies
• Custom wood containers
• Packaging automation equipment
• Protective packaging materials
• Packaging distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sparrows Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Packaging Supplies Sales: Sale of standard packaging materials including corrugated boxes, stretch film, bubble wrap, tape, kraft paper, poly bags, mailers, and strapping. Products are sold through their e-commerce platform with a $400 minimum order.
2. Custom Wood Container Manufacturing: Design, engineering, and manufacturing of custom wooden shipping containers and crates. Includes free consultation with packaging engineers and inventory management programs.
3. Automation Equipment Sales & Integration: Sale and integration of end-of-line automation equipment including case erectors, case sealers, stretch wrappers, strapping machines, shrink wrap equipment, labeling systems, robotics (including cobots), and autonomous guided vehicles. Also offers robotic rental programs through Ready Robotics partnership.
4. Service & Repair: Maintenance, repair, and preventative maintenance services for packaging equipment and automation systems. Includes field repairs, in-house repairs, spare parts ordering, and service contracts. Service coverage across Maryland, Northern Virginia, Southern Pennsylvania, and Washington D.C.
5. No-Cost Packaging Analysis: Free supply chain review and packaging-based solutions consulting covering productivity, storage efficiency, software capability, material costs, labor allocation, material handling, and freight costs. Serves as a customer acquisition and upsell mechanism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Arnold Packaging designs, manufactures, and distributes industrial packaging materials and supplies (corrugated boxes, stretch film, bubble wrap, tape, poly bags, mailers, strapping) sold through its e-commerce platform and direct sales. The company also manufactures custom wood shipping containers at its 100,000 SF Sparrows Point, Maryland facility, and resells and integrates end-of-line packaging automation equipment including robotics (cobots), case erectors, case sealers, stretch wrappers, shrink wrap systems, strapping machines, and labeling systems. It supplements these product lines with service, repair, and no-cost packaging analysis services.

Product overview

Arnold Packaging is a family-owned packaging distributor and automation solutions provider with over 90 years of history. The company operates as a single unified offering with three main divisions: (1) Standard Packaging Supplies including corrugated boxes, stretch film, bubble wrap, tape, kraft paper, poly bags, mailers, strapping, and corrugated sheets sold through their e-commerce shop; (2) Custom Solutions including custom wood containers manufactured at their Maryland facility, custom foam inserts, and protective packaging design services; (3) Arnold Automation offering end-of-line packaging automation including robotics (rentable cobots), case erectors, case sealers, stretch wrap machines, shrink wrap equipment (Shanklin F5AC), strapping tools, labeling systems, e-commerce solutions, autonomous guided vehicles, and custom equipment. Additional offerings include service and repair, no-cost packaging analysis, and the Love n' Business podcast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Corrugated Boxes and Corrugated Sheets Sturdy corrugated packaging boxes and flat corrugated sheets for standard, heavy, and specialty loads used for shipping, storage, layering, and product separation.
• Stretch Film Durable stretch wrap film for securing pallet loads and protecting items during transit.
• Bubble Wrap Protective bubble cushioning material for wrapping and protecting fragile items during shipping.
• Industrial Tape Industrial-grade adhesive tapes including water-activated tape and standard packaging tape for sealing boxes.
• Kraft Paper Kraft paper packaging materials for wrapping, cushioning, and void fill applications.
• Poly Bags Plastic poly bags for packaging various products and providing moisture protection.
• Mailers Shipping mailers and envelopes for e-commerce and light product packaging.
• Strapping Strapping materials and tools for securing packages and pallets, including cord strapping and related equipment.
• Custom Wood Containers Custom-engineered wooden shipping and storage containers manufactured in-house at the Sparrows Point, Maryland facility for heavy-duty protection of industrial and military equipment, with free consultation with packaging engineers and inventory management programs.
• Custom Inserts Custom-designed foam and protective inserts tailored to fit specific products and provide enhanced protection during transit.
• Robotics (Cobots and Robotics Rental) Industrial robotics including collaborative robots (cobots) for packaging tasks, pick and place, machine tending, kitting, and assembly operations, available for rental or purchase through Arnold Automation's Ready Robotics TaskMate partnership.
• Case Erectors Automated machines that form and assemble corrugated cases and boxes from flat sheets.
• Case Sealing Equipment Automated case sealers for closing and sealing filled corrugated cases and boxes.
• Stretch Wrap Machines Automated stretch wrapping equipment for securing pallet loads with stretch film.
• Shrink Wrap Equipment Heat seal shrink wrapping systems for wrapping and securing products with shrink film, including the Shanklin F5AC shrink packaging system for fast-moving production environments.
• Strapping Tools & Machines Automated and manual strapping equipment for securing packages and bundles with strapping material.
• Marking, Coding, and Labeling Industrial marking, coding, and labeling systems including inkjet printers and print-apply labeling solutions.
• Automation Solutions (e-commerce, AGV, inbound, custom equipment) End-of-line packaging automation solutions including automated labeling, sealing, and palletizing systems for e-commerce fulfillment, autonomous guided vehicles for material handling, intelligent box opening devices (IBODs) for inbound/receiving, and custom-designed automation equipment for unique packaging line requirements.
• Wexxar BEL 505-252 Pack Station Semi-automatic case packing system combining case forming, packing, and sealing in one continuous workflow, handling up to 15 cases per minute, with tool-free changeovers for manufacturers transitioning from manual packaging.
• ECORRCRATE Sustainable Shipping Crate Engineered sustainable shipping crate providing protective packaging with sustainability benefits for supply chain applications, branded as a proprietary Arnold Packaging product.
• PlantWave Sustainable Air Pillow Film Plant-based sustainable air pillow packaging film designed to replace traditional plastic air pillows for product protection during shipping.
• Shanklin F5AC Shrink Packaging System Shrink packaging system designed for fast-moving production environments, offering improved efficiency and speed for shrink wrapping operations.
• Service and Repair Maintenance, repair, and preventative maintenance services for packaging equipment, hand tools, and automation systems, including field repairs, in-house repairs, spare parts ordering, and service contracts.
• Automation Repair Factory-trained repair and maintenance services for automation equipment with on-site training for equipment operators.
• No-Cost Packaging Analysis Free packaging analysis service reviewing supply chain to identify cost reduction opportunities in productivity, storage efficiency, software capability, material costs, labor allocation, material handling, and freight costs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 25% reduction in material costs for food and beverage clients
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ready RoboticscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2017Partnership to bring the TaskMate robot to Arnold Packaging customers. This enables robotic rental programs where customers can rent custom robotics designed for specific tasks, turning capital expenses into operating costs. Also includes collaborative robots (cobots) designed for use around people without requiring fencing or gating.
• SignodecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier global manufacturer of strapping equipment and systems. Distribution partnership began in 1986.
• 3McoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution of 3M products since 1962 at award-winning levels. Includes Shurtape brand tape products.
• Sealed AircoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPremier global manufacturer of packaging materials including bubble wrap and protective packaging. Distribution partnership began in 1987.
• Berry PlasticsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer of plastic packaging materials and films.
• KeyenceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer of sensors, measuring systems, and industrial automation equipment including labeling and marking systems.
• PregisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorManufacturer of protective packaging materials, air pillow systems, and foam packaging.
• ASIminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPackaging equipment manufacturer.
• WexxarcoreTechnology or IntegrationManufacturer of BEL 505-252 Pack Station and case packing automation equipment. Arnold Automation integrates Wexxar equipment into customer production lines.
• ShanklincoreTechnology or IntegrationManufacturer of F5AC shrink packaging equipment and heat seal shrink wrap systems.
• CombicoreTechnology or IntegrationManufacturer of case erector and case sealer equipment. Arnold services and integrates Combi equipment.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Uline: North America's largest distributor of shipping, industrial, and packaging materials with a massive catalog covering boxes, stretch film, poly bags, tape, and strapping—the same core SKUs Arnold resells. Uline is the dominant direct competitor in Arnold's primary distribution business, but operates nationally with same-day shipping rather than regionally.
• Sealed Air: Global manufacturer of protective and food packaging including Bubble Wrap brand cushioning, the same brand Arnold distributes under a 1987 partnership. Sealed Air is both a key supplier partner and a broad market incumbent whose products Arnold resells, making it comparable on product category overlap if not business model.
• Packaging Corporation of America: Major U.S. producer of corrugated packaging and paper-based containers serving manufacturing, retail, and e-commerce customers. PCA is comparable as a large-scale corrugated box producer/distributor whose products compete directly with Arnold's core corrugated box offering, though at significantly greater scale.
• Smurfit Westrock: Global paper-based and corrugated packaging giant formed by the 2024 combination of Smurfit Kappa and WestRock, supplying containerboard, corrugated boxes, and protective packaging worldwide. Comparable to Arnold on corrugated product category and customer overlap in food & beverage and e-commerce fulfillment.
• Greif Inc. Global industrial packaging manufacturer producing steel, plastic, and fiber drums, containers, and corrugated products for industrial customers. Comparable to Arnold on the industrial packaging customer base and container product overlap, particularly for manufacturing and military verticals.
• Pratt Industries: Privately-held U.S. corrugated box manufacturer and recycler with vertically integrated operations supplying retail and industrial customers. Comparable to Arnold on corrugated product category and customer overlap, though Pratt is a manufacturer while Arnold is primarily a distributor.
• Signode Industrial Group: Global manufacturer of strapping, stretch film, and protective packaging equipment, and a 1986 distribution partner of Arnold. Signode is comparable on strapping product overlap and shared end customers in manufacturing and logistics, while also being a key supplier in Arnold's portfolio.

Direct peers

• Veritiv Corporation: North American distributor of packaging, facility solutions, and print products with packaging materials, equipment, and services spanning corrugated, stretch film, labels, and packaging automation. Veritiv is the closest direct peer to Arnold in the integrated distribution-plus-automation model serving manufacturing and fulfillment customers.
• Pregis LLC: Manufacturer and distributor of protective packaging materials and automated packaging systems including air pillows, foam, paper systems, and integrated automation solutions. Pregis is a direct comparable to Arnold on the integrated protective packaging plus automation model, and is also a supplier partner of Arnold.

Emerging players

• Ranpak Holdings: Specialty manufacturer of paper-based protective packaging solutions (cushioning, void fill, wrapping) with growing focus on sustainable alternatives to plastic. Ranpak is comparable to Arnold's emerging sustainability-focused product line (PlantWave, ECORRCRATE) and shares e-commerce and fulfillment customer overlap.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MickandBritt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arnold-packaging
• Instagramlinkedin.com/company/arnold-packaging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Arnold Packaging