What Roberts PolyPro does

Roberts PolyPro is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based designer and manufacturer of sustainable plastic multipack solutions for cans and bottles, founded in 1978 and operating as a product brand within ProMach's Bottling & Capping business line. The company's portfolio spans can rings and carriers (Grip-Pak LDPE flexible rings, Craft-Pak and Craft-Pak Versa HDPE rigid carriers) and bottle handles (multipack and single-bottle formats), all manufactured using HDPE and LDPE plastics certified 100% biodegradable under ASTM D6954. The portfolio is complemented by applicator equipment ranging from manual hand-held devices through semi-automatic units to fully automatic continuous-motion robotic systems capable of up to 1,000 cans per minute (GPA1000) or 200 bottles per minute.

The business operates a hybrid revenue model combining high-volume consumable sales (Grip-Pak can rings at approximately $0.05 per unit; Craft-Pak HDPE carriers priced for up to 25% cost savings versus competitors), low-ticket capital equipment sales (the VPA-80 applicator at approximately $11,500), and aftermarket parts and service with PMMI-certified training. Distribution is predominantly direct via regional sales managers and dedicated business-development directors for can-handle and bottle-handle product lines, supplemented by an e-commerce store for SMB parts reordering and a heavy trade-show presence at events including London Packaging Week and PACK EXPO International. Customer base is anchored in craft breweries and ready-to-drink beverage producers, with additional reach into warehouse/club store multipacks, automotive aftermarket bottle handles, and consumer-goods/paperboard converting applications.

Name

Roberts PolyPro

Legal name

Roberts PolyPro, Inc.

Website

https://robertspolypro.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Roberts PolyPro is a Charlotte, NC-based manufacturer of sustainable HDPE and LDPE plastic multipack solutions, including can rings, can carriers, bottle handles, and applicator equipment, serving craft breweries, RTD beverage producers, and consumer goods companies as a ProMach product brand.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Equipment & Sustainable Multipack Solutions

NAICS

Plastics Packaging Film and Sheet (including Laminated) Manufacturing (326112), Plastics Bag and Pouch Manufacturing (326111), Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Unsupported Plastics Film & Sheet (3081), Plastics, Foil & Coated Paper Bags (2673), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)

akta.pro primary industry

Flexible Plastic Packaging (Bags, Pouches, Sachets) Manufacturing (IMANAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mono-Material & Recyclability-Designed Packaging (Design-for-Recycling, Barrier Alternatives) (IMALAMAD), Recycled-Content Plastic Packaging (rPET, rHDPE, rPP) (IMALAMAC)

Keywords

• Plastic multipack solutions
• Can carrier systems
• Bottle handle applicators
• Sustainable packaging equipment
• Biodegradable packaging handles

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

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. Hardware/Equipment Sales: Sale of manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic applicator systems for applying can rings, carriers, and bottle handles. Equipment ranges from compact hand-held manual applicators to high-speed robotic continuous motion systems.
2. Consumable Products: Ongoing sale of consumable can rings, carriers, and bottle handles. Grip-Pak LDPE can rings average $0.05 per unit. Craft-Pak HDPE carriers priced competitively with 25% cost savings vs competitors. Post-consumer recycled (PCR) carrier options now available.
3. Parts & Service: 24/7 customer support, PMMI certified training programs, parts supply, and technical service for installed equipment. Extended support contracts and responsive service to maintain customer equipment at peak efficiency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Roberts PolyPro designs and manufactures sustainable plastic multipack solutions — including Grip-Pak LDPE can rings, Craft-Pak and Craft-Pak Versa HDPE can carriers, multipack and single bottle handles, and injection-molded multipacks — together with the manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic applicator equipment used to apply them. All plastic products are 100% biodegradable under ASTM D6954 testing and use 30–75% less plastic than competing offerings.

Product overview

Roberts PolyPro is a manufacturer of sustainable plastic multipack solutions for bottles and cans, operating as a ProMach product brand within the Bottling & Capping business line. The company's product portfolio consists of two main categories: Can Handle Solutions (Grip-Pak Can Rings, Craft-Pak Can Carriers, and Craft-Pak Versa Can Carriers, along with their corresponding applicators) and Bottle Handle Solutions (Multipack Bottle Handles, Single Bottle Handles, Injection Molded Multipack, and their applicators). Additionally, the company offers Custom Plastic Solutions including packaging edge protectors and custom bottle handle designs. All products are designed for sustainability with biodegradable materials, reduced plastic usage, and recyclable options including PCR (post-consumer recycled) materials. The company provides manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic applicator systems to accommodate operations of all sizes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Craft-Pak: HDPE can carriers for 4-pack and 6-pack cans, featuring patented T-clips for easy can removal. Available in standard, slim, and sleek sizes. 100% biodegradable with up to 30% less plastic than competitors.
• Craft-Pak Versa
• Grip-Pak

Products and services

• Craft-Pak Versa Can Carriers HDPE biodegradable can carriers designed to be compatible with most applicators on the market, offering 50% less plastic and 25% cost savings versus competitors. Available in 4-pack and 6-pack configurations for breweries and beverage manufacturers.
• VPA-80 Craft-Pak Versa Applicator Compact can carrier applicator running up to 80 cans per minute, priced around $11,500, handling 12, 16, and 19.2 oz cans with no changeparts required when switching between 4- and 6-pack configurations. Suited for small to mid-sized beverage operations.
• Craft-Pak Can Carriers Injection-molded HDPE can carriers that are 100% biodegradable with up to 30% less plastic than competitors, featuring patented T-clips for easy can removal. Available in 4-pack and 6-pack configurations for breweries and beverage manufacturers.
• Craft-Pak Applicators Manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic inline applicator systems for Craft-Pak can carriers. Models include ICHA60 (60 cpm), ICHA180 (180 cpm), THA240 (240 cpm), TLHA240 (240 cpm with tray loader), MCA10 semi-automatic, and MAS2 manual (40-60 cpm).
• Grip-Pak Can Rings LDPE flexible can rings certified 100% biodegradable, averaging $0.05 per unit. Available in pre-cut boxes (600, 1,200, 2,000, 4,200 units) and standard or jumbo reels (1,000 or 4,300 units). Suitable for 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-packs of 211 cans.
• Grip-Pak Applicators Can ring applicators including GPA70 (up to 70 cans per minute) and GPA1000 (up to 1,000 cans per minute). Programmably cut supplied reels into desired multipack sizes for 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-pack configurations.
• Multipack Bottle Handles HDPE #2 bottle multipack handles available for 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, and 8-packs. Made from 100% biodegradable material with up to 30% less plastic than competitors and 75% thinner than competing handles. Available in 28mm, 38mm, 43mm, and 48mm cap sizes.
• Single Bottle Handles HDPE #2 single bottle carriers and convenience handles for carrying, handling, and pouring large bottles. 100% recyclable, up to 20% less plastic and 75% thinner than competitors. Available in 38mm, 43mm, and 48mm cap sizes. Supplied in a proprietary welded cartridge format.
• Multipack Bottle Handle Applicators Applicator equipment ranging from manual to fully automatic continuous motion robotic systems for 2-, 3-, 4-, 6-, and 8-pack bottle handles. Models include manual applicator, intermittent motion (up to 20 cpm), semi-automatic (up to 12 cpm), robotic continuous motion (30-60 cycles/min), and continuous motion roll-fed (up to 600 bpm).
• Single Bottle Handle Applicators Applicators for single bottle carriers, including an intermittent motion applicator (up to 60 bpm) and a continuous motion applicator (up to 200 bpm with a 45-minute reload cycle).
• Injection Molded Multipack HDPE injection molded bottle handles in 2-pack and 3-pack configurations. 100% recyclable, up to 25% lighter than competitive handles. Engineered for comfort with superior holding capabilities. Targeted at beverages, club stores, consumer goods, and automotive applications.
• Packaging Edge Protectors HDPE edge protectors for protecting products during transit. Available in various sizes and colors (black standard, any Pantone color available). Made from recyclable material with a gloss surface finish.
• Custom Bottle Handles and Beverage Carriers Custom plastic solutions for bottle handles and beverage carriers. Capabilities include custom designs, non-standard configurations (e.g., 5-pack, 12-pack), any Pantone PMS color, and UPC labeling. Manufacturing process uses 60-75% less material than competitive injection molded handles.
• PCR (Post-Consumer Recycled) Carriers Post-consumer recycled (PCR) carrier solutions available across Roberts PolyPro's can and bottle product lines, supporting customer sustainability goals and circular-economy initiatives in addition to the company's biodegradable LDPE and HDPE offerings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-50% less plastic than competing products
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ProMachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoberts PolyPro is a ProMach product brand operating within the Bottling & Capping business line. ProMach is a global leader in packaging line solutions with operations across filling, bottling, labeling, robotics, and systems integration. Roberts PolyPro helps packaging customers protect reputation and grow consumer trust as part of the ProMach family.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Krones AG: Krones is a global packaging equipment OEM offering complete beverage line solutions including multipack applicators. It competes with Roberts PolyPro's applicator equipment business while serving overlapping beverage customers with broader integrated solutions.
• Zalkin: Zalkin is a sibling product brand within ProMach's Bottling & Capping business line, specializing in capping equipment. It is a strategic sister company rather than a direct competitor, but shares customers, distribution, and parent-company economics with Roberts PolyPro.
• International Paper: International Paper is a major paper and packaging producer serving CPG customers globally. Its paperboard multipack offerings compete indirectly with Roberts PolyPro's plastic carriers as brands shift to fiber-based sustainable packaging formats.
• PackWest: PackWest is a ProMach product brand in the Bottling & Capping line focused on capping and bottling machinery. It is a sibling brand sharing distribution and customer relationships with Roberts PolyPro rather than a direct multipack competitor.
• Sidel Group: Sidel provides packaging equipment and solutions for beverages including multipack and end-of-line systems. It competes with Roberts PolyPro's applicator equipment across beverage manufacturers globally and is part of the larger Sidel/ProMach competitive landscape.
• Pace Packaging: Pace Packaging is another ProMach product brand in the Bottling & Capping line, focused on bottle handling and unscrambling equipment. Like Zalkin, it shares customers and parent-company distribution with Roberts PolyPro but competes in adjacent rather than overlapping product categories.

Direct peers

• Graphic Packaging Holding Company: Graphic Packaging is a major producer of paperboard-based multipack can carriers (e.g., KeelClip, EnviroClip) for beverage and food markets. It is the most direct competitor to Roberts PolyPro's HDPE can carriers, competing on the same shelf with a fiber-based alternative.
• Huhtamaki: Huhtamaki produces flexible and rigid packaging including multipack solutions for beverages and food service. It overlaps with Roberts PolyPro in beverage multipack formats and shares similar customer segments across beverage and consumer goods.
• Smurfit Westrock: Smurfit Westrock manufactures paperboard multipack packaging solutions for beverage CPG customers globally. It competes directly with Roberts PolyPro's can rings and carriers, particularly as brands transition from plastic to paperboard formats for sustainability reasons.

Emerging players

• Ranpak Holdings: Ranpak provides paper-based protective and cushioning packaging solutions and increasingly competes in sustainable beverage packaging. It is an emerging player in the paper-based multipack space that could erode plastic carrier demand over time.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roberts-polypro-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Roberts PolyPro