Finding the right packaging company can be difficult because of the many different materials and machines within the packaging industry. It is not effective or efficient for one company to supply everything within the packaging industry. In this post we are going to offer some links and ideas of how to find the right packaging company to match the materials and types of machines you may be looking for.
For each one of the packaging types we will offer suggestions and ideas for finding packaging companies specific to the material and machines needed.
Corrugated Boxes
For stock size corrugated boxes the best way to go is to buy local. Boxes are fairly inexpensive and shipping costs for a dozen to a few hundred boxes are often more than the cost of the boxes themselves. Doing a simple online search for local shipping supply companies will often help find what you are looking for.
For a small amount of boxes a UPS store or Fed Ex Office may be the way to go. The cost of the boxes may be higher, but not paying shipping costs will save on the overall cost. Below is a store locator for UPS Stores and Fed Ex Office Locations.
For larger quantities of boxes, local is still the way to go. For orders of a few hundred boxes up to a few thousand boxes a local or regional box supplier, slitter, or corrugator is the way to go. See the links below to locate box slitters and suppliers near your location.
Tape, Bubble Wrap, and General Shipping Supplies
There are a large variety of companies local and online that supply basic shipping supplies. Most metropolitan areas have at least one or a few different supply companies that offer a large selection of packaging supplies. This is a great starting point to check pricing and service. If you can not find anything local, shopping online can offer great pricing and selection.
See the link below for ways to find local packaging suppliers and online packaging suppliers.
Local and Online General Packaging Supplies
Flexible Packaging Bags, film, and Tubing
Where to find the right flexible packaging supply company depends on the type of flexible packaging needed. Many local packaging suppliers offer basic stock flexible packaging supplies, but costs can be high. For machinery and custom flexible packaging options see the links below.
U.S. Packaging & Wrapping LLC.
Flexible Packaging Association
Rigid Containers and Bottles
These items are often more custom and can be hard to source locally. If already working with a local packaging supplier they may be able to assist in the search, but online is often the way to go. Below are some great options for sourcing rigid containers and bottles.
Food Packaging Supplies
Many food packaging supplies can be found at the links listed above. Most containers and flexible packaging supplies are FDA approved for direct food contact. For more specific and custom materials and machines check out the link below.
Top 50 Food Packaging Companies
Hopefully this guide will help give an idea of where to start when looking for a packaging supplier. Leave a comment and let us know if you have any questions about a specific need and we will try to point you in the right direction.
Packaging Blog 
My brother wants to start a subscription box service but he isn’t sure what to do about packaging. I like that you mention how food packaging supplies are FDA approved for direct food contact. We were worried it’d be hard to find packaging for food but it’s good to know most are already FDA approved. Thanks for the help!
Derek,
Any material you are interested in using should have an FDA certificate for direct food contact.