Balance
Balance, Inc. is a privately held luxury packaging designer and manufacturer founded in 2000, serving prestige beauty and consumer goods brands with sustainable, custom packaging and managed fulfillment across a four-office transpacific footprint.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersDanbury, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Balance does
Balance, Inc. is a privately held, founder-owned luxury packaging company founded in 2000 by Susan and Frank McDermott and headquartered in Danbury, Connecticut. It designs and manufactures premium and sustainable packaging for prestige beauty, color cosmetics, and consumer goods brands, serving enterprise clients that include Estee Lauder, Tom Ford, MAC Cosmetics, Fenty Beauty, Glossier, Victoria's Secret, and Disney across custom compacts, PR mailers, holiday packaging, folding cartons, and licensed character programs.
The company's product portfolio centers on luxury packaging design and production, supplemented by managed Logistics & Fulfillment Services (warehousing and distribution) and a dedicated Sustainable Packaging Solutions line organized under the proprietary BALANCE Green Standard framework. Technical capabilities include film-free recyclable foils, custom holographic patterns, recyclable glitter and pearl papers, bamboo and sugarcane molded fiber, coatings that replace lamination, magnet-free knockdowns, separable constructions, and custom surface textures, validated by third-party re-pulpability testing through SGS, Lucense, and WMU. Balance holds EcoVadis Platinum (2025), FSC Chain of Custody, and WBENC Women-Owned Business certifications, and won the 2021 Luxe Pack In-Green Competition.
Commercially, Balance operates a B2B enterprise field sales model with quote-based, project-level pricing and no publicly disclosed price list. It serves its customers through a four-office transpacific footprint spanning Danbury, New York, Los Angeles, and Dongguan, China, executing deals in over 10 countries. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise relationships with industry trade show presence (Luxe Pack) and earned media in Beauty Packaging and Global Cosmetic Industry. Revenue is generated primarily through one-time custom packaging programs with managed services recurring revenue layered on through fulfillment.
Balance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Balance
- Legal name
- Balance, Inc.
- Website
- https://balanceink.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Balance, Inc. is a privately held luxury packaging designer and manufacturer founded in 2000, serving prestige beauty and consumer goods brands with sustainable, custom packaging and managed fulfillment across a four-office transpacific footprint.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Balance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Packaging Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing (322219), Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing (322220)
- SIC
- Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Secondary & Gift Packaging (Folding Cartons, Sets, Rigid Boxes) (IMALAJAK)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sustainable Cosmetic Packaging (Refillable, PCR, Mono-material, Reusable) (IMALAJAM), Flexible Cosmetic Packaging (Pouches, Sachets, Stick Packs) (IMALAJAE), Sampling & Travel-Size Packaging (Minis, Vials, Blisters) (IMALAJAL)
Keywords
Where Balance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Danbury
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Balance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Packaging Design and Production Services: Core revenue stream from designing and manufacturing luxury packaging solutions for beauty and consumer goods brands. Services include concept development, material sourcing, production, and quality control.
- Managed Fulfillment Services: Product fulfillment, warehousing, and distribution services offered as managed services to complement packaging solutions.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
Balance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Balance designs, engineers, and manufactures luxury and sustainable packaging for beauty, cosmetics, and consumer goods brands. Offerings span the full concept-to-delivery lifecycle, including structural design, paper engineering, sustainable material sourcing (e.g., FSC-certified papers, bamboo/sugarcane fiber, film-free foils), production, and managed fulfillment and distribution.
Product overview
Balance is a luxury packaging company offering a comprehensive portfolio centered on design, innovation, and production of premium packaging. The core offering is Luxury Packaging Design & Production, supported by Logistics & Fulfillment Services for managed warehousing and distribution. The company specializes in Sustainable Packaging Solutions under its BALANCE Green Standard, including film-free recyclable materials, FSC-certified papers, and molded fiber options. Additional services include Packaging Innovation and Paper Engineering for custom constructions and textures. All offerings are delivered through offices in Danbury CT, New York NY, Los Angeles CA, and Dongguan China.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Luxury Packaging Design & Production
- Sustainable Packaging Solutions (BALANCE Green Standard)
- Logistics & Fulfillment Services
- Packaging Innovation & Paper Engineering Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Achieved EcoVadis Platinum status for sustainability performance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Balance
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Balance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature16 records
Balance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- EcoVadiscoreEcoVadis provides sustainability ratings and intelligence for global supply chains. Balance has achieved EcoVadis Platinum status, the highest rating, demonstrating leadership in environmental and social responsibility practices.
- Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)coreFSC is an international non-profit organization that promotes responsible management of the world's forests. Balance holds FSC Chain of Custody Certification, verifying that products with FSC claims come from responsible sources.
- Sustainable Packaging CoalitionminorThe Sustainable Packaging Coalition is an industry working group focused on sustainable packaging. Balance maintains membership, demonstrating commitment to industry sustainability standards.
- Luxe PackminorLuxe Pack is the leading trade show for luxury packaging. Balance won the 2021 Luxe Pack In-Green Competition for sustainable packaging innovation.
- Beauty PackagingminorIndustry publication covering beauty packaging news. Balance has been featured in Beauty Packaging magazine.
- Global Cosmetic Industry (GCI)minorLeading industry publication for cosmetic packaging. Balance was featured in GCI magazine coverage of sustainable packaging.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Balance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Berlin Packaging: One of the largest hybrid packaging suppliers in North America offering rigid containers, closures, and design services across beauty, food, beverage, and personal care — broader incumbent with overlapping beauty packaging capability.
- TricorBraun: Large global packaging distributor and rigid container supplier serving beauty, personal care, food, and beverage — broader incumbent with overlapping beauty customer base and stock/custom hybrid offering.
- Graphic Packaging: Large US-based paperboard packaging manufacturer with folding carton and sustainable packaging solutions serving beauty, food, and beverage — broader incumbent with overlapping paperboard capability.
- Smurfit Kappa: Global paper-based packaging giant with significant folding carton, sustainable packaging, and beauty/cosmetics customer footprint — competes on the paperboard/folding carton side but at vastly greater scale.
Direct peers
- Diamond Packaging: Rochester, NY-based folding carton and rigid box manufacturer specializing in luxury cosmetics and beauty packaging with a strong sustainability focus — directly comparable to Balance in product category, customer base, and premium positioning.
- APC Packaging: Specialty beauty packaging supplier offering stock and custom cosmetic packaging solutions to indie and prestige beauty brands — directly comparable to Balance in target customer (beauty/cosmetics brands) and product mix.
- PakLab: Full-service contract manufacturer and packaging provider for beauty, personal care, and consumer goods with design, formulation, and fulfillment capabilities — directly comparable end-to-end service model.
- McLean Packaging Corporation: Specialty folding carton and printed paperboard packaging manufacturer serving cosmetics, beauty, and consumer products — comparable product format (paperboard/folding cartons) and customer verticals.
- Pollard Boxes: Specialty folding carton and rigid box manufacturer with focus on cosmetics, beauty, and premium consumer goods packaging — comparable format and customer vertical to Balance.
Regional players
- Hip Lik Packaging: Hong Kong-based luxury packaging manufacturer serving global beauty and premium consumer brands — comparable product category and customer base but primarily Asia-based.
Market position
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Balance social profiles
Digital presenceBalance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance6 records
Balance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Balance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Balance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Balance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Balance
What does Balance do?
Balance designs, engineers, and manufactures luxury and sustainable packaging for beauty, cosmetics, and consumer goods brands. Offerings span the full concept-to-delivery lifecycle, including structural design, paper engineering, sustainable material sourcing (e.g., FSC-certified papers, bamboo/sugarcane fiber, film-free foils), production, and managed fulfillment and distribution.
Is Balance a public or private company?
Balance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Balance founded?
Balance was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Balance based?
Balance is headquartered in Danbury, United States, in the North America region.
How does Balance make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Packaging Design and Production Services are the primary driver. The others are managed Fulfillment Services.
Who are Balance's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Berlin Packaging, TricorBraun, Graphic Packaging and Smurfit Kappa. Direct peers are Diamond Packaging, APC Packaging, PakLab, McLean Packaging Corporation and Pollard Boxes. Hip Lik Packaging is listed as a regional player.
Does Balance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Balance.
What industry is Balance in?
Balance's product category is Luxury Packaging Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMALAJAK, Secondary & Gift Packaging (Folding Cartons, Sets, Rigid Boxes), with a secondary code of IMALAJAM, Sustainable Cosmetic Packaging (Refillable, PCR, Mono-material, Reusable). Its NAICS code is 322219 and its SIC code is 2650.