What Star Packaging does

Star Packaging Corp. Inc., operating as Star Packaging Inc., is a privately held U.S. manufacturer of spiral wound paperboard tubes and cores, headquartered in the Indianapolis, Indiana metropolitan area. The company produces four documented product lines: Stock Tubes (pre-manufactured standard tubes for immediate shipment), Custom Tubes (manufactured to customer-specified length, diameter, and color), Custom Cores (tailored for specific industrial applications), and Shipping Supplies (ancillary packing and shipping materials). Its core technology is conventional spiral-wound paperboard construction, and its principal differentiator is the ability to custom-produce tubes and cores across a range of dimensions and colors, which is rated in the source material as a moderate competitive advantage.

The business operates on a direct-sales, quote-based revenue model with no publicly disclosed pricing, no e-commerce channel, and no online purchasing. Customers order by calling 317.357.3707 or emailing [email protected], indicating a low-volume, relationship-driven sales motion targeted at industrial and commercial packagers with horizontal (use-case-based) segmentation. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees, and the firm's operating geography is domestic/United States. The company maintains no disclosed subsidiaries, parent entities, ownership structure, management team, patents, certifications, partnerships, awards, or social media presence, and its website (starpackaging.net) has a documented last-modified date of 10/23/04, suggesting a traditional, low-digital-footprint industrial operator.

Name

Star Packaging

Legal name

Star Packaging Corp. Inc.

Website

https://starpackaging.net

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Star Packaging Corp. Inc. is a privately held Indianapolis-based manufacturer of spiral wound paperboard tubes, custom cores, and shipping supplies, selling direct via telephone and email to industrial and commercial packagers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Packaging Manufacturing

NAICS

Paperboard Container Manufacturing (32221), Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing (322219)

SIC

Paperboard Containers & Boxes (2650), Papers & Allied Products (2600)

akta.pro primary industry

Paperboard Cores, Tubes & Edge Protectors (IMALACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corrugated Packaging & Boxes (RSC, die-cut, bulk bins) (IMAMAHAA), Protective Paper Packaging (Honeycomb, Paper Cushioning, Paper Wrap) (IMALACAH)

Keywords

• Spiral wound tubes
• Paperboard cores
• Industrial packaging
• Custom packaging tubes
• Shipping materials supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Paperboard Tubes and Cores Sales: Manufacture and sale of spiral wound paperboard tubes and cores in both stock and custom configurations. Revenue generated through product sales with customization options for length, diameter, and color.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Star Packaging Corp. Inc. manufactures spiral wound paperboard tubes and cores, supplying both stock pre-manufactured items and custom configurations. The company also supplies complementary packing and shipping materials. Products are custom produced to specified lengths, diameters, and colors to suit customer-specific industrial and commercial packaging needs.

Product overview

Star Packaging Corp. Inc. is a manufacturer of spiral wound paperboard tubes and cores and a supplier of packing and shipping materials. The company's product portfolio centers on four main offerings: Stock Tubes (pre-manufactured standard tubes for immediate needs), Custom Tubes (tailored to specific length, diameter, and color requirements), Custom Cores (custom-manufactured for specific applications), and Shipping Supplies (ancillary packing and shipping materials). The core differentiation lies in their custom manufacturing capability, allowing production of a wide variety of tubes and cores in different lengths, diameters, and colors to suit specific customer needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stock Tubes Pre-manufactured spiral wound paperboard tubes available in standard sizes, offering a ready-to-ship option for customers with immediate packaging needs.
• Custom Tubes Custom-produced spiral wound paperboard tubes manufactured to specific customer requirements in terms of length, diameter, and color to suit individual packaging needs.
• Custom Cores Custom-manufactured spiral wound paperboard cores designed for specific industrial applications requiring tailored dimensions and specifications.
• Shipping Supplies A range of packing and shipping materials supplied by the company to complement their tube and core product lines, providing comprehensive packaging solutions.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Direct peers

• Sonoco Products Company: One of the largest global manufacturers of paperboard tubes, cores, and specialty paper products. Directly comparable to Star Packaging's core product line, though operating at vastly greater scale with national distribution.
• Pacific Paper Tube: Custom manufacturer of spiral wound paper tubes, cores, and related packaging products serving U.S. industrial customers. Closely comparable small-batch peer to Star Packaging in product mix and customization capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Smurfit Kappa: Global paper-based packaging giant with a significant paperboard tubes, cores, and corrugated packaging portfolio. Comparable to Star Packaging across product categories, but serves customers worldwide with integrated paperboard supply.
• Greif Inc. Industrial packaging manufacturer producing paperboard cores, tubes, and containerboard products alongside steel and plastic packaging. Directly comparable to Star Packaging's tube and core business but with a much broader product portfolio.
• Packaging Corporation of America: Large U.S. producer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products. While not a pure tube/core manufacturer, it operates in adjacent converted paperboard packaging categories where Star Packaging competes for industrial customers.
• Pratt Industries: U.S. corrugated and paperboard packaging producer serving industrial and consumer markets. Comparable to Star Packaging as a converted paperboard manufacturer, though primarily focused on corrugated rather than spiral-wound products.
• WestRock Company: Major paper and packaging conglomerate with paperboard mill and converting operations. Overlaps with Star Packaging in paperboard-based converted products for industrial customers.

Regional players

• Cascades Sonoco (joint venture): North American joint venture producing specialty paperboard products including tubes and cores. Comparable to Star Packaging's product line with a focus on sustainable fiber-based packaging solutions.
• Diameter: Mid-Atlantic paperboard tube and core manufacturer offering custom spiral wound products. Comparable niche/regional competitor to Star Packaging with similar customization-driven value proposition.

Others

• Koninklijke Ten Cate (now part of protective textiles industry): While primarily a protective textiles company, Ten Cate historically used paperboard cores in its manufacturing operations, illustrating a key end-market for Star Packaging's core products in industrial textile winding applications.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Star Packaging