What Friendship Industries does

Friendship Industries, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit social enterprise founded in 1964 in Harrisonburg, Virginia, that combines contract packaging services with a workforce-development mission for people facing barriers to employment, including persons with disabilities, language barriers, attendance issues, and addiction recovery. The organization operates a 55,000 sq ft FDA-registered production facility with 12 truck docks, 20,000 sq ft of conditioned warehouse, and 30,000 sq ft of refrigerated workspace, employing 125+ full-time staff plus flex-force capacity. Its wholly owned affiliate Able Solutions Inc., formed in 2012, extends the employment mission to a broader set of community members.

The company's commercial offering is organized around two product lines. First, B2B contract packaging services covering manual assembly, custom kitting, secondary food packaging in an FDA-registered warehouse, and medical device assembly and packaging in an FDA-registered facility, following ISO 9001 and GMP principles and serving customers such as Disney, Walmart, and Amazon. Second, a direct e-commerce storefront selling military-spec survival, medical, and Escape & Evasion kits under FI 271/272/273/275 SKUs to approved vendors and authorized U.S. military end-users. The company is the exclusive supplier of U.S. Air Force Escape and Evasion kits worn in the flight jackets of all USAF pilots and crew members, with products shipped to military bases worldwide under a federal contract relationship that began in April 2008.

Revenue is generated through transaction-fee contract packaging engagements, federal government contracts for kit assembly, and unit-priced direct sales of military products. Go-to-market is sales-led, with B2B outreach via phone and email and direct contracting for federal work, supplemented by community partnerships with AbilityOne and SourceAmerica that channel federal set-aside opportunities. Named enterprise customers include Disney, Walmart, and Amazon, and the company maintains a single-anchor exclusivity on the USAF E&E kit program, which is both the highest-prestige engagement and a key concentration risk. Leadership is provided by a volunteer Board of Directors with Marcy Engle as Chairman for the 2025-2026 term; no executive management team bios are disclosed.

Name

Friendship Industries

Legal name

Friendship Industries, Inc.

Website

https://friendship-industries.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Friendship Industries is a 501(c)(3) social enterprise founded in 1964 in Harrisonburg, VA that provides FDA-registered contract packaging, kitting, and medical device assembly while employing people facing barriers to work. It is the exclusive supplier of U.S. Air Force Escape & Evasion kits and serves enterprise customers including Disney, Walmart, and Amazon.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Contract Packaging Services

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary & Multipack Packaging (IMALAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tertiary/Transit Packaging for Food & Beverage (IMALAHAC)

Keywords

• Contract packaging services
• Medical device assembly
• Secondary food packaging
• Custom kitting
• Military survival kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisonburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Contract Packaging Services: B2B contract packaging services for businesses needing secondary packaging, kitting, and manual assembly. Services include secondary food packaging, medical device assembly, and custom kitting for various industries.
2. Military/Government Product Sales: Direct sales of Escape and Evasion kits, Survival Modules, Medical Modules, and CamoCravats to U.S. military (Air Force) and approved commercial vendors. Products have government NSN numbers and are restricted for military end-users.
3. Federal Government Contracts: Government contracting for specialized kit assembly and packaging for Department of Defense, including production that began in April 2008.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Friendship Industries provides contract packaging services to enterprise manufacturers, food companies, medical device manufacturers, and federal government agencies, specializing in manual assembly, custom kitting, secondary food packaging, and FDA-registered medical device assembly and packaging. The organization also produces and sells specialized survival, medical, and escape & evasion kits (FI 271, FI 272, FI 273, FI 275) for the U.S. Air Force and approved commercial vendors through a restricted e-commerce storefront, serving as the exclusive supplier of USAF Escape and Evasion kits worn in flight jackets.

Product overview

Friendship Industries is a dual-entity organization comprising Friendship Industries Inc. and Able Solutions Inc., united by a social mission to create employment pathways for individuals with disabilities and other barriers to workplace readiness. The company operates two distinct service/product lines: (1) Contract Packaging Services, which handles secondary packaging of food, medical device assembly and packaging, custom kitting, and federal government contracts; and (2) an E-Store selling specialized survival and medical kits for military and civilian use, including the FI 271 Survival Module A, FI 272 Medical Module B, FI 273 Escape & Evasion Kit, and FI 275 CamoCravat. The company is notably the exclusive supplier of Escape and Evasion kits for the U.S. Air Force, featured in Contract Packaging magazine. Founded in 1964, with Able Solutions established in 2012 as an affiliate non-profit.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contract Packaging Services B2B contract packaging services including manual assembly, custom kitting, secondary food packaging, and FDA-registered medical device assembly and packaging, delivered from a 55,000 sq. ft. production facility with 12 truck docks. Targeted at enterprise manufacturers, food companies, medical device companies, and federal government agencies needing flexible packaging for products difficult to automate.
• FI 271 Survival Module A (Air Force Only) Survival Module A containing survival equipment for U.S. Air Force personnel, restricted for purchase by USAF only with proof of identity required. NSN: 6545-01-534-0935. Priced at $125.59 per unit.
• FI 271 Survival Module A (Commercial) Commercial version of Survival Module A, authorized for sale only to approved vendors whose end-user customers are U.S. military. NSN: 6545-01-534-0935. Priced at $160.17 per unit.
• FI 272 Medical Module B (Air Force Only) Medical Module B containing medical supplies for U.S. Air Force personnel, restricted for purchase by USAF only with proof of identity required. NSN: 6545-01-534-0925. Priced at $76.62 per unit.
• FI 272 Medical Module B (Commercial) Commercial version of Medical Module B, authorized for sale only to approved vendors whose end-user customers are U.S. military. NSN: 6545-01-534-0925. Priced at $95.33 per unit.
• FI 273 Escape & Evasion Kit (Air Force Only) Escape & Evasion Kit consisting of Survival Module A, Medical Module B, and Tourniquet, restricted for purchase by USAF only with proof of identity required. Worn in flight jackets of Air Force pilots and crew members. Priced at $231.51 per kit.
• FI 273 Escape & Evasion Kit (Commercial) Commercial version of Escape & Evasion Kit (Survival Module, Medical Module, and Tourniquet), authorized for sale only to approved vendors whose end-user customers are U.S. military. NSN: 6545-01-534-0894. Priced at $293.29 per kit.
• FI 275 CamoCravat (Air Force Only) 37 x 37 x 52 inch camouflage triangular bandage, folded and individually packaged for military use, restricted for purchase by USAF only. Priced at $6.50 per unit.
• FI 275 CamoCravat (Civilian / Commercial) 37 x 37 x 52 inch triangular bandage, folded and individually packaged for civilian/commercial use. Priced at $10.75 per unit (weight: 0.3 lbs).

Quantifiable outcome

• Thousands of projects completed across secondary packaging, medical devices, government contracts, and kit assembly

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Community Fund (TCF)minorOthersLocal community organization partnered with Friendship Industries for community support and resource connections.
• United WayminorOthersCommunity partnership providing support and resources for employees facing barriers to employment.
• Ability OnecoreOthersFederal program providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Affiliation supports the organization's mission of serving persons with disabilities.
• Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of CommerceminorOthersLocal chamber partnership supporting business community connections and regional economic development.
• Shenandoah Valley PartnershipminorOthersRegional economic development partnership supporting business growth in the Shenandoah Valley area.
• SourceAmericacoreOthersNational nonprofit creating job opportunities for people with significant disabilities through federal contracting. Affiliation supports government contract opportunities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AptarGroup: Global supplier of dispensing systems, sealing solutions, and active material science for food, beverage, personal care, and healthcare packaging. Overlaps with Friendship's medical device and regulated packaging work.
• Pactiv Evergreen: Major North American food and beverage packaging manufacturer producing cartons, containers, and foodservice packaging. Adjacent incumbent in the same FDA-regulated packaging category.
• Berry Global Group: Large-cap global manufacturer of plastic packaging products including rigid containers, films, and healthcare packaging. Overlaps with Friendship's FDA-registered medical device and food packaging segments.
• Sealed Air Corporation: Global protective and food packaging company specializing in cushioning, food safety, and automated packaging systems. Relevant incumbent in regulated and contract packaging markets.
• ProAmpac: Flexible packaging manufacturer serving food, healthcare, and consumer goods with sustainable packaging solutions. Comparable in serving FDA-regulated secondary packaging customers.
• Huhtamaki: Global food and consumer goods packaging manufacturer with FDA-compliant flexible and rigid packaging solutions. Comparable in serving food packaging customers requiring regulated facilities.
• Mauser Packaging Solutions: Industrial packaging manufacturer and reconditioner serving chemicals, food, and pharmaceutical customers with rigid containers and packaging services. Overlaps with Friendship's contract packaging customer base.
• Sonoco Products Company: Global diversified packaging manufacturer with significant contract packaging services across food, medical, and industrial end markets. Broader portfolio but overlapping FDA-regulated packaging capabilities.

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: Federated nonprofit operating contract packaging, e-commerce, and workforce development programs employing individuals with barriers to employment. Closest social-enterprise analog at scale.
• SourceAmerica: National nonprofit that creates employment for people with disabilities through federal contracting. Directly comparable as the AbilityOne network affiliate enabling Friendship Industries' government contract pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/FriendshipIndustries
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1872118

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Friendship Industries