Packaging Corporation of America

Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is one of the largest producers of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States

Packaging Corporation of America (PCA) is one of the largest producers of containerboard and corrugated packaging products in the United States, providing custom packaging, protective packaging, packaging engineering, testing, printing, displays, project management, and supply-chain solutions to manufacturers and businesses across a wide range of industries.

PCA is a vertically integrated packaging manufacturer, producing containerboard at its own mills and converting that material into corrugated packaging through a nationwide network of more than 90 box plants. This integrated structure provides customers with dependable material supply, local manufacturing support, nationwide capabilities, and the ability to support both regional and multi-location packaging programs.

For manufacturers, PCA designs and produces custom corrugated packaging for industrial components, finished products, equipment, automotive parts, chemicals, plastics, rubber products, machinery, consumer products, food and beverage products, and other goods requiring protection throughout manufacturing, warehousing, shipping, and distribution.

Custom corrugated capabilities include regular slotted containers, custom shipping cartons, die-cut packaging, heavy-duty corrugated containers, bulk bins, doublewall and triplewall packaging, protective interior packaging, partitions, inserts, retail-ready packaging, e-commerce packaging, printed packaging, point-of-purchase displays, and other custom-designed corrugated solutions.

Heavy-duty packaging solutions are available for large, heavy, fragile, high-value, or difficult-to-ship products. PCA engineers doublewall and triplewall corrugated containers and bulk bins around specific strength, stacking, handling, storage, transportation, and supply-chain requirements. These solutions can help manufacturers reduce product damage while improving cube utilization, material handling, and transportation efficiency.

PCA's packaging engineering capabilities go beyond simply designing a box. Structural and graphic designers evaluate product weight, dimensions, shape, fragility, packaging methods, production processes, warehousing, palletization, distribution channels, regulatory requirements, labeling, customer specifications, and marketing objectives when developing packaging solutions.

Testing and optimization services help manufacturers validate packaging performance before full implementation. PCA can perform materials analysis, package evaluation, performance testing, distribution testing, unit-load testing, and packaging optimization. Engineering teams can identify opportunities to right-size packaging, reduce material usage, improve pallet utilization, consolidate packaging SKUs, reduce packaging inventory, and improve packaging-line efficiency.

For e-commerce applications, PCA provides Ships in Own Container (SIOC) packaging and testing capabilities that include ISTA 6-Amazon testing. Packaging can be engineered to withstand shock, vibration, compression, stacking, handling, moisture, and other distribution conditions encountered between a manufacturing facility and the end customer.

Printing and graphics capabilities range from functional identification and basic branding to high-impact retail graphics and displays. PCA offers multiple printing methods based on production volume, print quality, ink coverage, substrate, application, and budget. Graphic-design services can support branded packaging, retail packaging, merchandising displays, point-of-purchase displays, and promotional applications.

PCA also offers packaging project management for manufacturers implementing new packaging programs, product launches, packaging redesigns, facility changes, or multi-location initiatives. Project-management capabilities help coordinate design, production, procurement, logistics, fulfillment, distribution, timelines, and other stakeholders.

Packaging and supply centers can provide additional consumable packaging materials including tape, stretch film, polybags, void fill, corner boards, bubble wrap, labels, bags, and other packaging supplies, allowing manufacturers to consolidate packaging purchases through fewer suppliers.

PCA serves virtually every manufacturing sector, with specific experience supporting automotive, chemicals, plastics and rubber, food and beverage, agriculture, consumer products, e-commerce, retail, industrial manufacturing, and other supply chains.

Key Capabilities: Corrugated packaging, custom boxes, custom corrugated boxes, industrial packaging, manufacturing packaging, protective packaging, heavy-duty packaging, shipping containers, shipping boxes, corrugated containers, doublewall corrugated, triplewall corrugated, bulk bins, bulk containers, pallet boxes, die-cut packaging, protective inserts, corrugated inserts, partitions, interior packaging, product protection, custom packaging design, structural packaging design, packaging engineering, packaging optimization, packaging testing, performance testing, distribution testing, unit-load testing, ISTA testing, ISTA 6-Amazon, SIOC packaging, e-commerce packaging, retail packaging, retail-ready packaging, point-of-purchase displays, POP displays, custom printing, printed corrugated, graphic design, package prototyping, packaging project management, packaging SKU consolidation, right-sized packaging, pallet optimization, cube optimization, packaging-line efficiency, transportation optimization, supply-chain optimization, containerboard, corrugated board, packaging supplies, stretch film, tape, void fill, polybags, corner boards, bubble wrap, sustainable packaging, recyclable packaging, food-safe packaging, and hazmat packaging.

Standards & Certifications: PCA supports packaging applications requiring industry-specific standards and certifications. All established PCA full-line packaging plants meet Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) standards, with certain recently acquired locations subject to integration timelines. Selected facilities are authorized and trained to manufacture hazardous-material-compliant packaging. PCA can also test e-commerce packaging to standards including ISTA 6 and SIOC requirements.

Best Fit: Manufacturers, OEMs, automotive suppliers, machine builders, metal fabricators, plastics and rubber manufacturers, chemical companies, food and beverage manufacturers, consumer-product companies, agricultural producers, e-commerce companies, distributors, warehouses, fulfillment operations, and other businesses seeking custom corrugated packaging, heavy-duty shipping containers, protective packaging, packaging engineering, package testing, custom printing, displays, packaging optimization, or nationwide packaging support.