Utah Paperbox

What Utah Paperbox does

Utah PaperBox (UPB) is a privately held, family-owned custom paperboard packaging manufacturer founded in 1914 and headquartered in a LEED Gold certified facility at 920 South 700 West, Salt Lake City. The company produces folding cartons, rigid setup boxes, litho-laminated corrugated boxes, point-of-purchase displays, sleeves, and custom structural designs for manufacturers and branded-product companies. Its named enterprise customer base spans food and confectionery (JellyBelly, Hershey's, Enstrom, Ethel M, Fatboy), beverage (Starbucks, Uinta), wellness (Young Living, Zicam, Xyngular), cosmetics (OPI, BareMinerals), and electronics (Sennheiser).

The production platform integrates offset lithography (including a Heidelberg-class XL 107 press), short-run digital printing, in-line cold foil, hot foil stamping, embossing and de-bossing, in-house sheeting via a Marquip Ward Sheetrunner, in-house die making and storage, and full assembly and finishing. The CAD and design team, in-house prepress, and structural engineering staff work alongside press operators and ink specialists. The typical MOQ is 1,000 pieces for offset production, with digital printing enabling shorter runs. Paper sourcing is FSC (FSC-C004079) and SFI certified.

The business model is sales-led and quote-based. Business Development Representatives prospect via cold outreach and referrals; inbound quote requests are handled through the website form and walked through by Sales Representatives. Pricing cannot be quoted instantly because each job is custom engineered for material, print method (up to 7 inks), coatings, and embellishments. Revenue is generated through one-time production runs, with completed boxes delivered to customer fulfillment centers. The current Keyser family is in its 4th and 5th generation of ownership, with Steve Keyser as CEO.

Name

Utah Paperbox

Legal name

Utah PaperBox Co.

Website

https://upbslc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1914

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Utah PaperBox is a family-owned custom paperboard packaging manufacturer founded in 1914, producing folding cartons, rigid boxes, litho-laminated packaging and POP displays for branded manufacturers across food, beverage, cosmetics, wellness and electronics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Packaging Manufacturing

NAICS

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212), Paperboard Container Manufacturing (32221), Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Commercial Printing (2750)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solid Fiber & Chipboard Packaging (Set-Up/Rigid Paperboard Boxes) (IMALACAC), Paper & Paperboard Packaging Converting & Finishing (Die-Cutting, Gluing, Windowing, Coating) (IMALACAL), Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Custom packaging manufacturing
• Folding cartons production
• Rigid boxes manufacturing
• Paperboard packaging
• Offset printing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Packaging Manufacturing: Full-service custom box, insert, and packaging manufacturing. From sheeting paperboard to delivering completed boxes to fulfillment centers. Includes folding cartons, rigid boxes, litho laminated corrugated boxes, and custom inserts. Revenue is generated through one-time production runs with typical MOQ of 1,000 pieces. Shorter runs available through digital printing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Utah Paperbox is a custom paperboard packaging manufacturer producing folding cartons, rigid setup boxes, litho laminated corrugated boxes, point-of-purchase displays, packaging sleeves, and custom-designed packaging. The company operates a full-service model from design and prepress through sheeting, printing (offset and digital), finishing (cold foil, hot foil stamping, embossing), die cutting, and final assembly, then ships completed boxes to customer fulfillment centers.

Product overview

Utah PaperBox is a custom packaging manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of paperboard packaging products including Folding Cartons, Rigid Boxes, Litho Laminated corrugated boxes, Point of Purchase displays, Sleeves, and Custom Design solutions. The company provides a full suite of manufacturing services including CAD & Design, Prepress, Sheeting, Cold Foil application, Coatings & Effects, Offset Printing, Digital Printing, Hot Foil Stamping, Embossing/De-bossing, Die Cutting, and Finishing. Founded in 1914 and based in Salt Lake City, Utah, the company serves manufacturers and brands requiring custom packaging solutions with minimum order quantities of 1,000 pieces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Folding Cartons
• Rigid Boxes
• Litho Laminated Corrugated Boxes
• Point of Purchase (POP) Displays
• Packaging Sleeves
• Custom Design Packaging
• Digital Printing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Turnaround time: 3-6 weeks from signed sample to delivery
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salt Lake Community CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Utah PaperBox has partnered with Salt Lake Community College as part of a 3-year work/study youth apprenticeship program in collaboration with Salt Lake City School District, Talent Ready Utah, and Utah System of Higher Education. First class of students began in fall 2023.
• Salt Lake City School DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to offer a 3-year work/study youth apprenticeship program. Second apprenticeship cohort launched with the school district.
• Talent Ready UtahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState-level partner supporting youth apprenticeship programs in partnership with Utah System of Higher Education and Salt Lake Community College.
• Utah System of Higher EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState higher education system partner providing academic framework for apprenticeship program alongside SLCC.
• Paperboard Packaging CouncilminorOthersActive member of the Paperboard Packaging Council, the industry trade association for paperboard packaging manufacturers.
• Leaders for Clean AirminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPB President Steve Keyser sits on the board for Leaders for Clean Air, demonstrating commitment to environmental sustainability in the greater Wasatch Front region.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Diamond Packaging: Rochester, NY-based folding carton and rigid box manufacturer specializing in premium packaging with offset, hot foil, embossing, and cold foil capabilities — a direct competitor to UPB in custom embellished cartons serving cosmetics, confectionery, and consumer goods brands.
• Arkay Packaging: Folding carton and rigid box converter serving cosmetics, fragrance, and beauty brands with finishing capabilities including hot foil, embossing, and specialty coatings — directly comparable premium-positioned custom packaging peer to UPB.
• Colorpak Packaging: Family-owned folding carton manufacturer producing custom printed cartons for consumer goods with offset and digital printing, die cutting, and finishing — a closely matched mid-sized independent folding carton peer to Utah PaperBox.
• Midlands Packaging: Custom folding carton and paperboard packaging manufacturer serving consumer brands with offset printing and finishing services — comparable mid-sized custom carton converter competing for similar confectionery, food, and consumer goods accounts.
• Thoro Packaging: Independent folding carton and paperboard packaging manufacturer with full prepress, offset/digital printing, die cutting, and finishing services — comparable regional custom converter competing for similar brand-owner customers as UPB.

Broad incumbents

• Smurfit Westrock: Global paper-based packaging giant formed by the merger of WestRock and Smurfit Kappa, producing folding cartons, corrugated, and rigid packaging at massive scale across multiple continents — the dominant incumbent competing for the largest brand-owner accounts that UPB also serves.
• Graphic Packaging: Major publicly traded paperboard packaging manufacturer serving food, beverage, and consumer goods with folding cartons, coated unbleached kraft paperboard, and graphics services — a broad incumbent offering overlapping folding carton capabilities to large CPG customers.
• Sonoco Products: Diversified global packaging manufacturer with consumer packaging, paperboard, and protective solutions segments — competes with UPB in folding cartons and rigid packaging for consumer brands, though at vastly greater scale and broader product breadth.
• Berlin Packaging: Largest rigid packaging supplier in North America, also offering folding cartons, closures, and custom packaging services — competes with UPB in premium rigid boxes and custom folding cartons for cosmetics, food, and beverage brands.

Regional players

• Refresco Group: Independent beverage co-packer with extensive folding carton and shelf-ready packaging needs across the U.S. and Europe — a large regional buyer of premium printed folding cartons whose suppliers overlap with UPB's beverage customer segment (e.g., Uinta, similar craft beverage brands).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ipaperbox
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utah-paperbox

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

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 Utah Paperbox