What Howell Packaging does

Howell Packaging is a division of F. M. Howell & Company, a fourth-generation, family-owned packaging manufacturer founded in 1883 and headquartered in Elmira, New York. The division designs and produces folding cartons, thermoformed plastics, rigid boxes, and contract packaging for pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer healthcare, and industrial customers, operating four FDA-registered, cGMP-compliant facilities in Elmira. Differentiated capabilities include DSCSA-compliant unit-level serialization operational since August 2018, two patented child-resistant compliance package formats (howell•CR•III and howell•CR•IV) validated to CPSC F=1 child resistance with 100% senior-friendliness, 59,000 cubic feet of validated 2-8°C cold-chain storage, and over 60,000 cubic feet of DEA Schedule III-V controlled-substance cage storage supporting more than 700 pallets. The division is complemented by sister businesses Howell Marketing Services (HMS), which provides DTR/DTP pharmaceutical sample fulfillment and distribution, eCommerce enablement, and a customized online rep portal for sales representatives, and Howell Plastics, which runs separate thermoforming operations.

Revenue is generated through a quote-based B2B model with regional direct sales coverage across the Northeast, New England, upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and a New York metropolitan sales office in Suffern. The go-to-market combines field enterprise sales with self-service inside-sales channels for promotional and sample fulfillment, supported by industry-event presence at CPHI North America, the[PACK]out, and Pack Expo. Customer concentration is spread across multiple pharmaceutical and medical device accounts served under multi-year contracts, with sales-rep-facing digital ordering generating incremental, higher-velocity volume on top of anchor manufacturing programs. Certifications including G7 Master Printer (since 2011), GMI Full Certification (2015), WBENC Women's Business Enterprise (2009), VAWD, and recent FSC/SFI/PEFC sustainability accreditations underpin the regulatory and quality positioning the firm sells against.

Name

Howell Packaging

Legal name

F. M. Howell & Company

Website

https://fmhowell.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1883

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Howell Packaging, a division of F. M. Howell & Company, designs and manufactures folding cartons, thermoformed plastics, rigid boxes, and FDA-registered contract packaging for pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer healthcare, and industrial customers from four Elmira, NY facilities, with DSCSA serialization, validated cold-chain storage, and patented child-resistant compliance packaging.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pharmaceutical contract packaging manufacturing

NAICS

Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212), Packaging and Labeling Services (56191), Packaging and Labeling Services (561910), Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing (322211), Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Folding Cartons & Paperboard Packaging Converting (IMAMAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Secondary Pharmaceutical Packaging (Cartons, Inserts, Leaflets) (IMALAIAC), Pharmaceutical Labels & Patient Information Packaging (Labels, IFUs, Booklets) (IMALAIAK), Medical Device Packaging (Trays, Clamshells, Kits) (IMALAIAD), Folding Carton & Paperboard Packaging Printing (IMALAKAH), Plastic Trays, Clamshells & Blister Packaging Manufacturing (IMANAEAE), Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Packaging (GMP, Tamper-Evident, Cold-Chain Packs) (TLAIAGAI)

Keywords

• Folding cartons
• Contract packaging
• Thermoformed plastics
• Pharmaceutical packaging
• Compliance packaging

Headquarters

HQ city

Elmira

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Packaging Services: FDA-registered contract packaging for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer products including kitting, cartoning, pouching, wallet packaging, and promotional packaging.
2. Folding Cartons: Manufacture and sale of folding cartons for pharmaceutical and consumer product markets. Core manufacturing capability with advanced flexible and versatile production.
3. Thermoformed Plastics: Custom thermoformed plastic parts and packaging products for medical, industrial, automotive, and consumer markets.
4. Fulfillment and Distribution Services: Sample fulfillment, distribution, and direct marketing services for life sciences industry including pharmaceutical sampling (DTR/DTP), literature distribution, and eCommerce fulfillment.
5. Rigid Boxes: Design and production of rigid box packaging combining graphic reproduction with classic box structures.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Howell Packaging designs and manufactures folding cartons, thermoformed plastics, and rigid boxes, and provides FDA-registered, cGMP-compliant contract packaging services for pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer product customers. Through its Howell Marketing Services (HMS) division, the company also delivers DEA-licensed sample fulfillment, DTR/DTP distribution, eCommerce solutions, and an online ordering portal for pharmaceutical sales operations. Capabilities include DSCSA serialization, validated cold chain storage (2-8°C), child-resistant compliance packaging under patents howell•CR•III and howell•CR•IV, and 24/7 direct-to-practitioner and direct-to-representative sampling fulfillment.

Product overview

Howell Packaging is a division of F. M. Howell & Company offering a comprehensive portfolio of packaging products and services. The core products include Packaging Design & Engineering, Folding Cartons, Contract Packaging, Thermoformed Plastics, and Rigid Boxes. These are complemented by specialized services such as Serialization (DSCSA-compliant), Cold Chain Storage (2-8°C validated), Kitting, Compliance Packaging (howell•CR•III® & howell•CR•IV® child-resistant/senior-friendly packaging), and Source Tagging. The related Howell Marketing Services division provides sample fulfillment, distribution, eCommerce solutions, and an Online Rep Portal for pharmaceutical sampling operations. The Howell Plastics division (separate business unit) provides custom thermoforming services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• howell•CR•III®: Child-resistant and senior-friendly wallet-style compliance package for solid-dose pharmaceuticals with F=1 rating for child resistance
• howell•CR•IV®

Products and services

• Packaging Design & Engineering Structural design and engineering services for paperboard and plastic packaging, recognized for innovation with multiple patents and packaging excellence awards; supports pharmaceutical, medical device, and consumer product customers.
• Folding Cartons Paperboard folding cartons manufactured for life sciences and consumer products markets, produced under cGMP-compliant standard operating procedures and FDA-registered pharmaceutical packaging controls.
• Contract Packaging FDA-registered contract packaging services for pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and consumer products including cartoning, wallet packaging, medical device packaging, pouching, promotional packaging, shrink-wrapping, patient starter kits, and physician access units.
• Thermoformed Plastics Custom thermoformed plastic parts and packaging products for healthcare, industrial, and consumer markets, including blister packs, clamshells, ESD packaging, and medical device trays with complete prototyping and sampling services.
• Rigid Boxes Premium rigid box packaging combining graphic reproduction with classic box structures, often incorporating thermoformed trays or paperboard inserts for functional, premium presentation.
• howell•CR•III® and howell•CR•IV® Child-Resistant Compliance Packaging Patented child-resistant and senior-friendly wallet-style compliance packages for solid-dose pharmaceuticals, with howell•CR•IV passing CPSC F=1 child resistance testing and achieving a 100% senior-friendliness rating; used for compliance trade packages, patient starter kits, and titration units.
• Validated Cold Chain Storage Validated cold chain storage (2-8°C) across 59,000 cubic feet of two independent refrigeration units with continuous mapping, independent monitoring systems, and emergency backup generator for pharmaceutical drug products and biologics.
• DSCSA Serialization Unit-level prescription drug product traceability with complete transaction history per DSCSA requirements, including serial number creation, printing, verification, aggregation to corrugated shippers and pallets, and aggregated data transmission back to the manufacturer.
• Kitting Integrated kitting operations combining project management, packaging design, component manufacturing, contract assembly, and storage/distribution for domestic and international markets.
• EAS Source Tagging Electronic Article Surveillance source tagging using Checkpoint or Sensormatic tags, applied automatically in-line at folding carton operation or during contract packaging assembly.
• Sample Fulfillment and Distribution (HMS) Full-service sample fulfillment, distribution, and direct marketing for life sciences and consumer products industries, including Direct-to-Representative (DTR) and Direct-to-Practitioner (DTP) sampling with DEA Schedule III-V controlled substance handling from a VAWD-certified, FDA- and DEA-registered facility.
• eCommerce Solutions (HMS) Branded eCommerce storefront development and integration, inventory distribution and management, call center services, and fulfillment for new product launches in weeks, including Shopify-integrated OTC drug and consumer product storefronts.
• Online Rep Portal (HMS) Web-based online ordering portal for pharmaceutical sales representatives to order samples, premiums, marketing materials, and promotional items 24/7 with customizable branding, electronic catalog, real-time inventory views, approval workflows, and next-day shipping.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.98% on-time delivery rate achieved in 2024
• +5 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Independent Carton Group (ICG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHowell Packaging is a member of ICG, an organization of 21 independently owned folding carton companies in the US and Canada. Membership provides benchmarking, networking, and industry best practice sharing. The group meets three times annually at member company facilities for tours and collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Catalent: Contract development and manufacturing organization serving pharma with packaging, serialization, and cold-chain capabilities. Directly comparable for Howell's pharmaceutical contract packaging, DSCSA serialization, and biologics cold-chain storage offerings.
• PCI Pharma Services: Contract packaging and clinical trial services provider for pharma and biopharma, with serialization, cold-chain storage, and DEA-handling capabilities. Closely aligned to Howell's pharmaceutical contract packaging and compliance packaging value proposition.
• Sharpe Packaging (Independent Carton Group peer): Independent folding carton converter and fellow Independent Carton Group member serving consumer and healthcare markets. Directly comparable as an independently-owned, mid-market folding carton peer with overlapping product capabilities and customer segments.
• CCL Industries: World's largest label and specialty packaging producer with a Healthcare division serving pharma and medical device customers. Closely comparable as a pharma-focused packaging peer with serialization, compliance labels, and folding cartons in healthcare.
• Constantia Flexibles: Flexible and folding carton packaging producer with a strong pharmaceutical packaging portfolio. Comparable as a folding-carton and blister-pack specialist serving pharma and consumer health customers globally.
• Multi-Color Corporation (now part of CCL Healthcare): Label and packaging decoration specialist acquired by CCL Industries for healthcare/pharma expansion. Comparable as a high-quality printed packaging and labels peer serving pharmaceutical and consumer health customers.

Broad incumbents

• WestRock Company: Large publicly-traded paper and packaging manufacturer producing folding cartons, paperboard, and corrugated packaging for consumer goods and healthcare. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering folding cartons and contract packaging at greater scale than Howell across multiple product categories and geographies.
• Sonoco Products Company: Diversified global packaging manufacturer with paperboard, rigid plastics, and healthcare packaging operations. Comparable as a multi-format packaging incumbent that competes in pharma/medical device packaging and contract packaging services.
• Graphic Packaging Holding Company: Major paperboard and folding carton producer serving food, beverage, and consumer products. Directly comparable as a folding-carton-focused incumbent with scale advantages Howell lacks, though with less pharmaceutical specialization.
• Smurfit Westrock: Combined global paper-based and consumer packaging giant formed from the WestRock-Smurfit Kappa merger. Closest scaled comparator for Howell's paperboard folding carton and corrugated packaging lines for healthcare and consumer end markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Howell Packaging