Howard Packaging

What Howard Packaging does

Howard Packaging, LLC is a privately held, trade-only B2B distributor and printer of custom packaging products founded in 1959 and headquartered in Illinois (relocating from Skokie to Wheeling in April 2024). The company designs, prints, and distributes custom packaging — including recycled paper shopping bags, tissue paper, eurototes, plastic bags, folding and set-up boxes, specialty bags and boxes, basket liners, sandwich wraps, and printed napkins/coasters/cups/sleeves — serving the retail, food service carry-out, cannabis retail, and marketing services industries throughout North America. Printing methods span flexographic, offset/lithographic, foil stamping, and embossing, with sustainability features including recycled content, PFAS-free grease resistant papers, water-based inks, FSC certification, and bag-ban compliance.

Howard Packaging's business model combines one-time custom print orders (subject to factory minimums ranging from 500 to 25,000 units by product) with stock product sales (no minimum order) and a managed-services warehousing and distribution component targeted at multi-location retail and restaurant operations of 5 to 500 locations. The company sells exclusively to the trade, not to individuals, with a sales-led model including dedicated phone representatives, online ordering, fax, and an enterprise field sales motion for national chains. The Free Printing Plate Program is positioned as the industry's most extensive such offering, eliminating up-front printing plate costs on new custom orders. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firm is privately held with no external funding rounds and a headcount of 11-50 employees. Howard Packaging has been recognized four times as the Retail Packaging Association's Distributor of the Year.

Name

Howard Packaging

Legal name

Howard Packaging, LLC

Website

https://howardpkg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Howard Packaging is a privately held, trade-only B2B custom packaging distributor founded in 1959, printing and supplying retail, food service, cannabis, and marketing-services customers across North America with bags, tissue, boxes, and branded food service consumables.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Printed Retail Packaging

NAICS

Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing (322220), Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111), Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing (322212), Packaging and Labeling Services (561910)

SIC

Plastics, Foil & Coated Paper Bags (2673), Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Wholesale-Paper & Paper Products (5110)

akta.pro primary industry

Paper Bags & Sacks (retail, industrial, multiwall) (IMAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Paper Bags & Sacks (Multiwall, SOS, Grocery) (IMALACAD), Flexible Plastic Packaging (Bags, Pouches, Sachets) Manufacturing (IMANAEAC), Protective Paper Packaging (Honeycomb, Paper Cushioning, Paper Wrap) (IMALACAH), Paper-Based Packaging & Single-Use Paper Products (Paper Bags, Wraps, Cartons) (CRADALAL)

Keywords

• Custom printed packaging
• Retail shopping bags
• Food service packaging
• Cannabis retail packaging
• Branded packaging design

Headquarters

HQ city

Skokie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Printed Packaging Products: Sale of custom printed packaging products including recycled shopping bags, tissue paper, eurototes, paper bags, plastic bags, and boxes. Products are sold with custom printing, branding, and distribution services included.
2. Stock/Standard Packaging Products: Sale of stock packaging products with no minimum order requirements for stock items. Products sold by full cases only to maintain competitive pricing.
3. Customized Distribution Programs: Warehousing and distribution services for customers who need stored inventory distributed as needed. Particularly offered for cannabis dispensary customers with limited storage space.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Howard Packaging provides custom printed packaging products including recycled shopping bags, tissue paper, eurototes, paper bags, plastic bags, and boxes for the retail, food service carry out, and marketing services industries throughout North America. The company also offers customized distribution and warehousing programs for multi-location operations of 5 to 500 locations, plus a Free Printing Plate Program that eliminates up-front printing plate costs for new custom print orders.

Product overview

Howard Packaging is a custom printed packaging solutions provider offering a comprehensive portfolio of retail, food service, and promotional packaging products. The core product line includes Custom Printed Recycled Shopping Bags, Custom Printed Recycled Tissue Paper, Custom Printed Eurototes, Custom Printed Recycled Paper Bags, Custom Printed Plastic Bags, and Custom Printed Boxes. These are complemented by Specialty Bags (foil lined, grease resistant, tin tie, sandwich, catering, SOS bags), Specialty Boxes (confection, catering, pie boxes), Basket Liners and Sandwich Wraps, Printed Napkins/Coasters/Cups/Sleeves, and Cannabis Retail Packaging. The company also offers a Free Printing Plate Program to reduce upfront costs for new custom print orders. All products emphasize sustainability with recycled content and bag ban compliance. The portfolio serves the retail, food service carry-out, and marketing services industries throughout North America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Printed Recycled Shopping Bags Recycled paper shopping bags made from natural kraft (100% recycled, 96% post-consumer recycled content) or white kraft (40% recycled content). Available with up to three color printing, 20 handle color options, and PMS ink matching. Compliant with most local disposable bag ordinances. Designed for retailers needing branded merchandise packaging.
• Custom Printed Recycled Tissue Paper Custom printed recycled tissue paper available in white, kraft, and 50+ colors. White tissue made from 80% recycled paper (70% post-consumer recycled content); kraft tissue from 100% recycled paper (10% post-consumer recycled content). Printed with 1-2 color scatterprint designs using water-based inks. Minimums as low as 10 reams. Designed for retailers seeking branded, sustainable tissue paper for product packaging and presentation.
• Custom Printed Eurototes High-end elegant shopping bags with offset, foil stamping, and embossing options. Available in natural kraft, white, claycoat, matte laminate, and gloss laminate substrates. Custom sizes with macramé, grosgrain, satin ribbon, or die-cut handle hole options. Minimum 3,000 bags per size for custom orders; stock program available at 500 bags minimum. Targeted at retailers and premium brands seeking elegant branded packaging.
• Custom Printed Recycled Paper Bags Recycled paper merchandise and grocery-style bags. Merchandise bags made from natural kraft with up to 100% recycled material (40% post-consumer recycled content), available in 9 standard sizes, up to 3-color 2-side printing. Grocery-style bags available in 14 standard sizes, up to 2-color 2-side printing. Bag ban compliant. Targeted at retailers seeking sustainable, customizable paper bag options.
• Custom Printed Plastic Bags Custom printed plastic bags in HDPE and LDPE films. Options include Super Gloss Bags (1.25-2.5 mil), Frosted Wave Top Bags (2.0-4.0 mil), Frosted Merchandise Bags, and Flexi Loop/Die Handled Shopping Bags. Multiple handle styles, sizes, and film gauges available. Custom sizes start at 3,000 bags per size. Designed for retailers needing branded plastic shopping bag options.
• Custom Printed Boxes Custom folding boxes and set-up boxes for retail packaging. Custom folding boxes: minimum 10,000 boxes per size, printed via flexo, offset, foil stamping, or embossing. Custom set-up boxes: minimum 2,000 boxes per size, available in two-piece designs with foil stamping and embossing options. Designed for retailers seeking branded product packaging.
• Specialty Bags Specialized bag products including foil lined bags for heat retention, grease resistant bags, lined paper tin tie bags, bread and sandwich bags, apple bags, bottle bags, catering bags, and SOS square bottom bags. Minimums range from 5,000 to 25,000 bags per size depending on product type. Targeted at food service and retail customers needing specialized functional packaging.
• Specialty Boxes Specialty box products including high-end confection boxes (offset printed, foil stamped, embossed, up to 6 colors), catering boxes (flexo or foil stamped), and pie boxes. Minimums range from 1,000 to 5,000 boxes per size. Targeted at retailers, bakeries, caterers, and food service businesses needing specialty branded boxes.
• Basket Liners and Sandwich Wraps Branded basket liners and sandwich wraps for restaurants and caterers. Includes dry wax papers (PFAS-free, approved for direct food contact) and grease resistant papers in white or natural kraft. Available in standard sizes with up to four color digital printing. Minimums start at 6,000 sheets. Designed for restaurants, caterers, and food service businesses seeking branded food-contact packaging.
• Printed Napkins, Coasters, Cups, and Sleeves Food service branded paper products including printed napkins, pulp board coasters (up to 4 colors, 2 sides, made in USA), printed cups (8-20 oz, grooved paper, 4-color CYMK printing), and cup sleeves (80% post-consumer fibers). Standard cup minimums 25,000 pieces; coaster minimums 2,500 pieces. Targeted at restaurants and food service operations seeking branded disposables.
• Carry Out Bags Food service carry out bag solutions including recycled paper shopping bags (5x3x8 to 14x9x16 sizes), Eurostyle shopping bags (offset printed, up to 6 colors), wave top plastic bags (15 film colors, 9 sizes), and custom plastic shopping bags. Environmental certifications include FSC certification and bag ban compliance. Designed for restaurants and food service operations.
• Cannabis Retail Packaging Branded packaging products for cannabis dispensaries including recycled paper shopping bags (up to 100% recycled, bag ban compliant), Eurostyle shopping bags (litho/offset printed up to 6 colors), plastic shopping bags, specialty paper bags (die cut handle, apple bag, square bottom), all with dispensary-appropriate sizing. Includes warehousing and distribution services for dispensaries with limited storage space. Targeted at cannabis dispensary operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stock orders ship within 24 hours of receipt
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• McLeester Printing: Custom printed tissue paper and packaging distributor focused on small businesses and retail, with comparable customization, recycled-content SKUs, and B2B trade-only fulfillment.
• Calico Industries: Long-standing U.S. custom packaging and promotional products distributor with national reach, multi-product portfolio (bags, tissue, boxes), and enterprise distribution capabilities similar to Howard's multi-location programs.
• Nashville Wraps: Closely comparable U.S. custom printed packaging distributor serving retail, gift, and food-service trades with tissue paper, gift bags, baskets, boxes, and ribbon. Operates a similar trade-only B2B model with free design services and recycled-content options.
• Bag Makers: U.S. custom printed paper and plastic bag manufacturer/distributor with retail and food-service customers. Competitively overlaps across eco-friendly custom shopping bags, merchandise bags, and food-service bags with low MOQ tiers.

Broad incumbents

• Packaging Corporation of America: Large publicly traded paperboard container and corrugated packaging manufacturer serving retail, food, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Howard's custom printed boxes and paper bag substrate sourcing.
• International Paper: Global paper and packaging conglomerate producing containerboard, corrugated boxes, and converted paper products. Operates as a substrate supplier and competitor to converters like Howard in retail and food-service packaging.
• Inteplast Group: Large-scale North American manufacturer of flexible plastic packaging films, bags, and pouches serving retail, foodservice, and industrial markets. Overlaps with Howard's custom printed plastic bag line at a much larger manufacturing scale.
• ULINE: Major broad-line distributor of shipping, industrial, and packaging supplies including custom printed boxes, poly bags, and tissue. Competes primarily through next-day shipping scale, breadth, and procurement-tech, rather than sustainability differentiation.

Emerging players

• noissue: Digital-native custom sustainable packaging provider (tissue, stickers, mailers, shopping bags) targeting DTC and small brands with low MOQs. Captures the long-tail customer segment that Howard's trade-only, high-MOQ model cannot serve.
• EcoEnclose: Sustainable custom packaging company focused on e-commerce brands, offering recycled and reusable mailers, boxes, and tissue. Competes for sustainability-conscious buyers where Howard's recycled-content product line overlaps.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HowardPkg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HowardPackaging
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/HOWARD-PACKAGING/308030394584
• Instagraminstagram.com/howardpackaging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Howard Packaging