Industry Plastics Number of employees 800 Type Privately held company | Founder Robert P. Kittredge Founded 1950 | |
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Number of locations 4 production facilities Products Plastic cups & containers Headquarters Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States | ||
Foodmix video for fabri kal packaging
Fabri-Kal is the sixth largest thermoformer in North America and is a leading provider of plastic foodservice and custom thermoformed packaging solutions and is still privately owned. Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan , United States and in continuous operation since 1950, Fabri-Kal employs more than 900 people in five manufacturing, printing and warehousing facilities throughout the United States. Fabri-Kal specializes in a variety of materials including PP, PET, PCR-PET, HDPE, PLA, renewable agricultural pulp, and HIPS. On October 15, 2015, Fabri-kal held the grand opening for their new 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Burley, Idaho employing approximately 50 people with an additional 100 people planned in the next five years.
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Company history
Fabri-Kal Corporation was founded in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1950 when seven investors purchased the plastic segment of the Kalamazoo Paper Box Company. Located in downtown Kalamazoo, their initial 5,000 square foot operation began in a former A&P grocery store. Now with over 60 years of industry experience, Fabri-kal has extensive experience with producing a diversified range of consumer and foodservice products including plastic cups, containers and lids. The company soon built a 25,000 square foot manufacturing facility on East Cork Street in Kalamazoo which was quickly followed in 1961 by a second manufacturing facility in Hazleton, Pennsylvania. As the company continued to grow, the Fabri-Kal Foundation was established in 1969 to provide higher-education tuition assistance to young-adult children of all employees. In 1981 a new headquarters building was constructed in Kalamazoo and the addition of a third manufacturing facility opened its doors in Piedmont, South Carolina. Fabri-Kal's history has not been without hardships; in 1991 the Kalamazoo manufacturing facility closed its doors, leaving all manufacturing capacity outside of Michigan. The company was able to overcome these hardships and purchased a 400,000 square foot building in 2008 and after a two year renovation once again opened their doors. In 2010 the Kalamazoo manufacturing facility was awarded the LEED® Silver certification.
Product lines
Greenware
Fabri-Kal produces sustainable Greenware cold drink cups, lids and portion cups made entirely from plants, not petroleum. All Greenware products are 100% made in the U.S.A.
Misleading Compostability Claims Lawsuit
Fabri-Kal settled a lawsuit brought by Vermont Attorney General William Sorrell that the company had violated the state’s Consumer Protection Act by advertising as “compostable” its Greenware line of products, including “bioplastic” drinking cups, without disclosing the limited availability of local composting options. The settlement requires Fabri-Kal to pay $80,000 to the State of Vermont in penalties and costs, and another $20,000 to the Central Vermont Solid Waste Management District in Montpelier to develop a residential composting pilot project.