What Drader does

Drader Manufacturing Industries Ltd. is a Canadian plastics manufacturer founded in 1947 and headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, with a second production facility in Brampton, Ontario. The company designs and produces injection-molded and thermoformed plastic goods across roughly seven end-markets, including dairy and food retail (milk crates, bakery trays, dollies, and displays), warehousing and distribution (bins and totes), agriculture (Matrix Hog Floors, BagPal pallets), plumbing (Fiodrain, Fiovalve), medical (IV Stabilizers), and oilfield/industrial applications. Its product portfolio also includes the proprietary Drader Injectiweld plastic welding tool and 3D printing-based rapid prototyping services for custom plastic parts.

The company sells primarily on a B2B basis to enterprise customers in Canada, with named users including major grocery and food retailers (Safeway, Sobeys, FreshCo, George Weston, Nova Cannabis) and institutional buyers (University of Alberta). Drader is ISO 9001:2015 certified at Brampton, COR certified, a member of Operation Clean Sweep, and became Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB) certified in 2023, supporting access to government and Indigenous procurement channels. The company is privately held and Indigenous-owned, with a workforce in the 101–250 range.

Drader's revenue model is based on direct sale and contract manufacturing of proprietary and custom plastic products, supplemented by tooling, prototyping, and specialty branded lines. Growth has been driven primarily through facility expansion, capital equipment additions (including 1,500-ton injection presses at Brampton in 2022), the 2012 acquisition of Acro Foam & Plastics (adding thermoforming), and incremental product line extensions rather than pricing model changes. Geographic expansion has been contained within Canada, leveraging the east–west dual-plant footprint to optimize logistics for domestic customers.

Name

Drader

Legal name

Drader Manufacturing Industries Ltd.

Website

https://drader.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Drader Manufacturing Industries Ltd. is a privately held Canadian plastics manufacturer (founded 1947, Edmonton) operating dual facilities in Alberta and Ontario to produce proprietary and custom injection-molded and thermoformed products for grocery, bakery, medical, agricultural, and industrial B2B customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plastics Manufacturing

NAICS

Plastics Product Manufacturing (3261)

SIC

Miscellaneous Plastics Products (3080), Special Industry Machinery (No Metalworking Machinery) (3550)

akta.pro primary industry

Returnable/Reusable Plastic Packaging (RPCs, Crates, Totes) Manufacturing (IMANAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Custom Thermoforming & Contract Manufacturing (IMANAHAI)

Keywords

• Plastic manufacturing
• Injection molding
• Thermoforming services
• Plastic welding equipment
• Industrial plastic products

Headquarters

HQ city

Edmonton

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Plastic Manufacturing: Drader manufactures custom and standard plastic products for various industries including injection molding, thermoforming, vacuum forming, and extrusion. Products include milk crates, bakery equipment, warehouse bins, industrial components, and specialty products.
2. Standard Product Lines: Long-standing product lines including milk crates in various sizes (12 QT, 16 QT, 20 QT, 24 QT), bakery trays, warehouse bins, distribution bins, and specialty products like Fiodrain, Fiovalve, and IV stabilizers.
3. Contract Manufacturing Services: Part design, mold building, prototyping, and full-scale production services for customers requiring custom plastic solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Drader is a Canadian plastics manufacturer operating two facilities in Edmonton, Alberta and Brampton, Ontario, producing industrial plastic products (milk crates, bakery equipment, warehouse bins, IV stabilizers, thermoformed items) and branded plastic welding equipment (Injectiweld). The company offers full-service custom manufacturing capabilities including injection molding, thermoforming, part design and mold building, 3D printing, plastic welding services, and plastic recycling.

Product overview

Drader Manufacturing is a Canadian plastics manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of plastic products and manufacturing services. The product portfolio centers on reusable plastic containers and industrial products including Milk Crate Products (in 12-24 QT sizes), Bakery Equipment (carriers, baskets, dollies), Warehouse & Distribution Bins, Specialty Products (Matrix Hog Floors, Bagpal Pallets, Fiodrain, Fiovalve), and Thermoformed Products. Key proprietary offerings include the Drader Injectiweld plastic welding tool and IV Stabilizers for medical applications. The service offerings complement the product line with Injection Molding Services, Thermoforming & Vacuum Forming, Part Design & Mold Building, 3D Printing prototyping, and an Enhanced Recycling Program for sustainability. The company operates two manufacturing facilities (Edmonton, AB and Brampton, ON) and serves diverse industries including bakery, grocery, oilfield, agriculture, construction, catering, and material handling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milk Crates
• Bakery Equipment
• Injectiweld Plastic Welders
• Warehouse Bins
• IV Stabilizers
• Specialty Thermoformed Products
• Custom Injection Molding
• Thermoforming Services
• Part Design and Mold Building
• 3D Printing Service
• Plastic Recycling
• Plastic Welding Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% capacity increase with new 1,500 ton machines
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Canadian Council for Indigenous Businesses (CCIB)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Drader became certified as a member of CCIB, which promotes the growth of Indigenous companies and fosters partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses. This membership underscores commitment to Indigenous economic development.
• Métis Nation of AlbertacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDrader holds certification from the Métis Nation of Alberta as an Indigenous-owned business.
• University of AlbertaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership. Dr. Yongsheng Ma, Professor at University of Alberta, collaborated with Drader, noting deep knowledge and research assistance offered by the company.
• Alberta Plastics Recycling Association (APRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association partnership. APRA Executive Director Tammy Schwass commented on Drader's inspiring and promising work in plastics recycling.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rehrig Pacific Company: Rehrig Pacific is a major US-based manufacturer of returnable/reusable plastic containers, pallets, recycling bins, and dairy crates. Closest direct competitor to Drader's milk crate, bakery tray, and warehouse bin product lines, with similar vertical focus on grocery, bakery, and material handling.
• IPL Group (formerly IPL Plastics): IPL Group is a Canadian-based manufacturer of returnable/reusable plastic packaging (RPCs, crates, bulk containers) serving food, beverage, and industrial customers. Direct competitor to Drader in reusable plastic containers and rigid plastic packaging for grocery and bakery segments in North America.
• Schoeller Allibert: Schoeller Allibert is a global leader in returnable plastic packaging (RPCs, stackable containers, pallets) for supply chain and material handling. Comparable to Drader in reusable plastic container manufacturing for grocery, distribution, and industrial customers, though with a broader geographic footprint.
• Vitra Plastics: Vitra Plastics is a Canadian custom plastics manufacturer offering injection molding, thermoforming, and plastic fabrication services. Comparable mid-sized Canadian peer with similar manufacturing capabilities (injection molding, thermoforming, custom part design) and B2B customer focus.

Regional players

• Hood Packaging Corporation: Hood Packaging is a North American manufacturer of paper and plastic flexible packaging products, including bulk bags, poly bags, and plastic containers. Overlaps with Drader in plastic packaging for industrial and agricultural applications, with comparable geographic focus on Canada and the United States.
• Winpak Ltd. Winpak is a Canadian-based manufacturer of packaging materials and specialty plastic products for food, beverage, and healthcare applications. Regional peer to Drader with similar Canadian manufacturing base and comparable customer verticals in food production and grocery distribution.

Broad incumbents

• Pactiv Evergreen: Pactiv Evergreen is a large manufacturer of food and beverage packaging, including plastic containers, trays, and food service products. Comparable to Drader's thermoformed and plastic container offerings, but at significantly greater scale and serving national foodservice and grocery chains.
• Silgan Holdings: Silgan is a major North American manufacturer of rigid containers, closures, and dispensing systems for food, beverage, and consumer products. Overlaps with Drader in plastic container manufacturing for grocery and food service, though with a much larger and more diversified product portfolio.
• Sonoco Products Company: Sonoco is a global diversified packaging manufacturer serving industrial, consumer, healthcare, and food end markets with paper, plastic, and metal packaging. Overlaps with Drader in rigid plastic containers, material handling, and custom plastic manufacturing as part of a much broader packaging portfolio.
• Berry Global Group: Berry Global is a large global plastics packaging manufacturer with a broad portfolio of rigid and flexible packaging products across food, beverage, healthcare, and industrial end markets. Overlaps with Drader in plastic containers and custom plastic manufacturing, but operates at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNqKUuNZty977hDjDPxLmaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Drader-Manufacturing-125739300772419
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/drader-manufacturing

Compliance5 records

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 Drader