This spring, Clear Lam Packaging Inc. will open a new 25,000-square-foot Co-Packing Facility and Innovation Center at its Elk Grove Village, IL, manufacturing operation. Clear Lam has invested $2 million in equipment and technology to launch the new operation, which will support consumer products using its patented PrimaPak System. The operation will employ 23 individuals and focus on producing PrimaPak packaging for test markets, regional rollouts, seasonal items and ongoing national distribution.

The Co-Packing Facility will specialize in dry, free-flowing products using Clear Lam’s PrimaPak Vertical Form-Fill-Seal (V/F/F/S) System with combination scale weigher. It will start with two state-of-the-art production lines with a combined production capacity of 20 million units per year. Additional lines will be added in the future, according to the company. Clear Lam also will assist, on an as-needed basis, with the sourcing and purchasing of raw materials; shipping, freight and logistic services; and inventory and warehouse storage of materials and findings.

“The introduction of our new Co-Packing Facility and Innovation Center is an exciting development for Clear Lam and for the advancement of our PrimaPak System,” says James Sanfilippo, president and CEO, Clear Lam Packaging. “We understand that many of our customers are looking for opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiencies in their packing operations without taking on new staff or having to purchase new equipment.”

Clear Lam has made this strategic investment to provide customers with an end-to-end solution for the PrimaPak System, covering everything from the packaging materials to the design, printing, filling, sealing, labeling and packing services to get products to market faster. The facility can handle small-batch test product runs and long-term packaging needs. Applications include salty snacks, nuts, candy, dried fruit, cereals, pet foods, detergent pods and fertilizer.

Clear Lam’s Innovation Center includes a quality-control laboratory, where analytical testing can be performed on packaging products and materials to ensure they meet performance standards and customer specifications. The company takes a collaborative approach to this process, working closely with customers to ensure the raw materials and finished product will perform as expected in the marketing environment for which the package is designed. This includes tests for strength and other physical properties, oxygen transmission rates and optical properties of various packaging materials.

Commercial applications for the PrimaPak technology were launched in North America last fall.