Fredman Bag Company

What Fredman Bag Company does

Fredman Bag Company is a custom flexible packaging manufacturer founded in 1889 and headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The company produces poly bags, films, and laminated pouches used by consumer goods manufacturers across eight-plus verticals including bakery, produce, frozen foods, hardware, pet products, confections, medical, and promotional applications. Its six core product lines are Zipper Bags, Wicketed Bags, Header Bags, Laminated Pouches, Form Fill & Seal Rollstock, and Promotional Products (tote bags, flags, banners).

The company operates an integrated converting facility spanning two buildings (~50,000 sq ft) at 5801 and 5901 W. Bender Court in Milwaukee. Technical capabilities include 8-color wide-web flexographic process printing (two presses), solventless lamination with solvent recovery, slitting and rewinding, bag-making, and stand-up pouch manufacturing. Differentiated features include photographic-quality 8-color print, barrier laminations for shelf-life extension, tamper-evident and reclosable zipper profiles, and sustainable material options (PIR, PCR, closed-loop, biobased, compostable). The company holds SQF Food Safety certification (audit score of 98 across 2021-2023), ISO 9001 compliance, UL Certified Printer status, Target Approved Printer status, and is a Wisconsin DNR Green Tier participant since 2012. Operations have been landfill-free since 2016.

Fredman Bag runs a sales-led, custom-specification business model. Pricing is quote-based per project, with sales led by a Senior Account Executive and supported by trade show presence, direct outreach, and inbound website/phone inquiries. Products are manufactured to order for direct sale to manufacturers, with no distributor or retail channel. In January 2023, Fredman Bag was acquired by Summit Plastics and is now merging with ClearView Packaging to form a single multi-location printing and conversion brand operating under the Summit Plastics platform.

Name

Fredman Bag Company

Legal name

Fredman Bag Company

Website

https://fredmanbag.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1889

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Fredman Bag Company is a Milwaukee-based custom flexible packaging manufacturer (founded 1889) producing poly bags, films, and laminated pouches for consumer goods manufacturers across food, hardware, medical, and promotional verticals, now a subsidiary of Summit Plastics.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flexible Packaging Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111), Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112)

SIC

Plastics, Foil & Coated Paper Bags (2673)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Sacks & Bags (Paper/Plastic/Woven) (IMALAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Paper Bags & Sacks (Multiwall, SOS, Grocery) (IMALACAD)

Keywords

• Flexible packaging manufacturing
• Custom poly bags
• Flexographic printing services
• Laminated stand-up pouches
• Form fill seal rollstock

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Flexible Packaging Products: Fredman Bag generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of custom flexible packaging including zipper bags, wicketed bags, header bags, laminated pouches, and form fill seal rollstock. Products are sold directly to manufacturers and consumer goods companies with pricing quoted based on specifications.
2. Promotional Products: Manufacture and sale of promotional products including tote bags, plastic flags, and banners with custom printing for trade shows and marketing purposes.
3. Sustainable Material Options: Sale of packaging materials with sustainable attributes including PIR content, PCR content, closed loop materials, biobased, and compostable options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fredman Bag Company manufactures custom flexible packaging products including zipper bags, wicketed bags, header bags, laminated stand-up pouches, and form-fill-seal rollstock, as well as promotional products such as tote bags, plastic flags, and banners. Products are custom-printed up to 8 colors with process-quality graphics and converted from polyethylene films, polypropylene, and laminated structures for consumer goods manufacturers across food, hardware, houseware, medical, and promotional industries.

Product overview

Fredman Bag Company is a flexible packaging manufacturer producing custom poly bags, films, and pouches. The product portfolio includes six core offerings: Zipper Bags (reclosable bags with tamper-evident and open-mouth options), Wicketed Bags (bags on wickets for automated filling), Header Bags (hanging bags with reinforced headers), Laminated Pouches (stand-up pouches with barrier properties), Form Fill & Seal Rollstock (materials for automated packaging), and Promotional Products (tote bags, flags, banners). Capabilities include 8-color process printing, laminating, slitting/perforation, and converting. Products serve consumer goods markets including food, hardware, houseware, medical, and promotional applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Zipper Bags Reclosable poly bags available as tamper-evident or open-mouth variants, suitable for wicketed applications and automated centerfold rollstock. Feature options include gussets, tamper-evident perforations, hang holes, and vents, with various zipper profiles from light to heavy duty. Used by consumer goods manufacturers across food, hardware, arts & crafts, and retail markets.
• Wicketed Bags Individually-cut flat poly bags packaged on wire or plastic wickets in bundled quantities for ease-of-filling and automated filling applications. Common applications include baked goods, produce, frozen foods, textiles, and houseware.
• Header Bags Bags with a reinforced or sealed header area at the top for hanging applications (peg-able bags). Suitable for products that hang on retail shelves, with options for reinforcement and eye-catching graphic display space.
• Laminated Pouches Stand-up laminated pouches produced with low-density poly film providing rigidity to stand upright when filled. Feature options include reclosable zippers, opening features, perforations, and 8-color process printing for point-of-purchase marketing. Provides barrier properties for extended shelf life.
• Form, Fill & Seal Rollstock Rollstock materials for automated form, fill, and seal packaging lines. Available in single-wound-sheeting (SWS) and centerfold (CF) configurations in polyethylene, polypropylene, or laminated structures. Can include vents, headers, or reclosable zippers for automated packaging operations.
• Promotional Products Custom-printed promotional items including tote bags with die-cut handles, plastic flags in embossed poly material, and heavy-gauge polyethylene banners printed up to 8 colors. Used for trade shows, events, and retail marketing.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% landfill diversion achieved since 2016 with 504,000 lbs recycled in 2022
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ClearView PackagingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFredman Bag is merging with ClearView Packaging to create one printing and conversion packaging brand with two locations: ClearView Packaging Albany and ClearView Packaging Milwaukee. Both are multi-generational family businesses with strong focus on culture and employee base, operating as subsidiaries of Summit Plastics.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Green Tier ProgramcoreOthersFredman Bag has been a Green Tier participant since 2012. Green Tier empowers organizations on the path to sustainability using a systematic approach to minimize environmental risk and achieve measurable environmental improvements.
• Havenwoods CommunityminorOthersVolunteers from Fredman Bag participate annually in the Havenwoods Community Clean Up, demonstrating community engagement and environmental responsibility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

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 Fredman Bag Company