Emerald Packaging has expanded its flexible packaging operations in California after acquiring the flexible packaging assets of Blower-Dempsay and opening a second operating site in Santa Ana. The move marks the first acquisition in Emerald Packaging’s 63-year history and strengthens the company’s ability to serve produce customers across California, Arizona and northern Mexico.

The new Santa Ana operation gives Emerald a strategic southern California base closer to key agricultural and fresh produce markets. For a flexible packaging supplier focused on perishable goods, location matters. Shorter distances can improve responsiveness, reduce transport complexity and support faster technical service when customers need packaging adjustments, print support or backup supply.

For produce packaging, regional proximity can be as important as production capacity, because freshness, speed and reliability define customer value.

According to the company, the Santa Ana facility reduces travel time to the Mexicali crossing to approximately three hours, compared with more than a day from its existing base. This is particularly relevant for customers operating between the United States and Mexico, where packaging supply must align with harvest schedules, packing operations and cross-border logistics.

The acquisition also gives Emerald additional production resilience. In an industry exposed to labour constraints, logistics disruption, material volatility and customer seasonality, backup manufacturing capability can be a major competitive advantage. A second site allows the company to reduce operational risk and provide customers with greater confidence in continuity of supply.

The Santa Ana plant includes an eight-colour, 52-inch-wide Windmöller & Hölscher printing press, two Nordmeccanica laminators, two slitters and a thermal oxidiser. These assets expand Emerald’s printing, laminating and converting capacity while complementing its existing capabilities. The company also plans to install additional slitters with laser and hot needle capability, as well as a second printing press.

For the flexible packaging market, these investments are significant because customers increasingly require more sophisticated structures, stronger graphics and packaging formats adapted to automation, shelf presentation and sustainability goals. Produce packaging must protect delicate products, manage moisture, support ventilation where needed and communicate freshness at retail. At the same time, brands and retailers are asking for lighter structures, better recyclability and more efficient material use.

• Geographic expansion improves access to produce customers in Arizona and northern Mexico.
• Additional converting assets strengthen printing, laminating and slitting capacity.
• Backup production supports resilience if operations are disrupted.
• Laser and hot needle capability can support more specialised flexible packaging formats.
• Family-owned alignment may help preserve customer relationships and employee continuity.

The cultural fit between Emerald Packaging and Blower-Dempsay was also highlighted as part of the transaction. Both companies are family-owned, and Blower-Dempsay’s leadership pointed to shared values around employees, customers and operational approach. In packaging acquisitions, this type of alignment can be important because long-standing customer relationships often depend on trust, service consistency and technical knowledge.

The expansion is expected to increase Emerald’s workforce from around 250 people to more than 300 by the end of the year. This growth reflects the continuing importance of skilled labour in flexible packaging, despite the increasing role of automation. Printing, laminating and converting still require experienced operators, quality teams and technical specialists capable of maintaining consistency across high-volume production.

For produce brands and packers, the acquisition may bring more local options for flexible packaging supply. Regional capacity can help reduce lead times, improve collaboration on artwork and specifications, and support more responsive problem-solving during peak packing seasons. This is especially valuable in fresh produce, where delays in packaging availability can directly affect product movement.

The move also fits a broader trend in North American packaging: companies are strengthening regional networks to serve customers more closely while building resilience against disruption. Rather than relying only on centralised production, suppliers are investing in strategically located sites that improve speed, redundancy and customer intimacy.

Emerald Packaging’s expansion in Santa Ana therefore represents more than a capacity increase. It reinforces the strategic value of regional manufacturing in flexible packaging and highlights the need for suppliers to combine technical capability, logistics proximity and operational resilience. As fresh produce supply chains become faster and more demanding, packaging partners that can deliver close-to-market service and reliable production will be better positioned for long-term growth.