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Foam Fabricators Announces Strategic Investment in Rational Packaging

Foam Fabricators Inc. a designer and manufacturer of custom protective packaging solutions, announced a strategic investment in Rational Packaging, LLC, a designer and manufacturer of recyclable, paperboard-based structural packaging components.

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This content was written and submitted by the supplier. It has only been modified to comply with this publication’s space and style.

This investment follows the previously announced strategic partnership established between Foam Fabricators and Rational Packaging in July 2020.

With a more than 60-year history, Foam Fabricators operates 16 state-of-the-art molding and fabricating facilities across North America, providing products to a variety of end-markets, including appliances and electronics, pharmaceuticals, health and wellness, automotive, building products and others. In January 2018, Foam Fabricators was acquired by Compass an owner of middle market businesses. With CODI’s support, Foam Fabricators continues to execute on its strategic priorities to diversify and drive sustainability, transforming the business from its original focus on molded foam products into a one-stop, diversified packaging platform.

Led by packaging industry veterans, Rational Packaging blends creative design with an engineered-systems approach to manufacture best-in-class structural packaging components. Contrasting the conventional packaging staple – cylindrical paperboard corner posts – Rational Packaging leverages a patented Wave Corner Post design, which uses multiple layers of laminated material that are formed into a wave pattern to create cushioning and impact resistance as well as improved stacking strength. Rational Packaging’s wave configuration offers advantages over conventional corner posts and its solutions are engineered using recycled and environmentally responsible inputs, making them fully post-consumer recyclable.

“Rational Packaging’s innovative and patent-protected wave pattern designs, sustainable material offerings, and unique manufacturing capabilities enhance our ability to provide a growing base of customers with effective and efficient solutions for all of their protective and structural packaging needs,” said James K. Hughes, CEO of Foam Fabricators. “As we continue to take purposeful steps forward in our transformation to a full-service packaging solutions provider, we are thrilled to further expand our partnership with Rational Packaging through this strategic investment. We are confident that our customers will greatly benefit from their forward-thinking approach, as well as the addition of Rational Packaging’s differentiated structural products to our best-in-class portfolio.”

“An industry leader with a strong reputation for high-quality offerings across diverse product categories, Foam Fabricators is the ideal partner for Rational Packaging as we accelerate our commercialization efforts, enhance our production capabilities and expand upon our unique, customer-centric offerings,” said Tom Roberts, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rational Packaging. “James and the team at Foam Fabricators share our vision for the future and we look forward to growing our customer base together and expanding our footprint into new geographies, while maintaining our unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction.”

“Now more than ever, the ability to provide customers with innovative, flexible and sustainable solutions is imperative,” said Elias Sabo, Chief Executive Officer of CODI. “This strategic investment creates long-term alignment between two complementary industry players, further positioning Foam Fabricators as a leading one-stop solutions provider and adding structural packaging elements, including fiber-based corner posts, to its impressive offerings. We look forward to building on this momentum in the months and years ahead.”



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