Cheer Pack North America celebrated its newly operational West Bridgewater packaging plant in September, giving tours of the retrofitted facility that will allow the company to more than double its production.
WEST BRIDGEWATER — Cheer Pack North America celebrated its newly operational West Bridgewater packaging plant in September, giving tours of the retrofitted facility that will allow the company to more than double its production.
Formerly located in Plymouth, Cheer Pack renovated an approximately 180,000-square-foot space, installing new equipment and infrastructure to create a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation, according to Steve Gosling, Cheer Pack president, who spoke at the ribbon-cutting event.
The $24 million renovation at One United Drive is nearly finished with some remaining work to be completed in office spaces, Gosling said on Sept. 25. Operation at the facility has already begun.
Incorporated in 2010, with only a handful of employees, Cheer Pack has seen tremendous growth as its products have taken off in North America. The company got started with just two employees, one of them Gosling, in 2009 and now has a staff of 109. It is one of 19 finalists statewide for MassEcon's 2012 economic impact award.
Cheer Pack started production by importing from partner companies in Asia and Europe but has been working toward full U.S. manufacturing capability, something the new building will make happen, according to Gosling. Cheer Pack intends "to produce a 100 percent North American made product and that starts with this building," he told ribbon-cutting attendees.
The company plans to be producing 500 million units annually with 130 employees by the end of the year, he said, adding that the facility has the potential to do even more than that, up to 1 billion units.
"So we'll just add equipment as needed and infrastructure as needed," said Gosling.
Started by CDF Corporation, a Plymouth-based packaging company, Cheer Pack is a partnership between CDF, Hosokawa Yoko in Japan, and Gualapack in Italy. Its flexible pouch technology was invented by Hosokawa Yoko director Toru Ichikawa and first produced about 20 years ago in Asia.
The move to bring the product to North America came through CDF Corporation president Joseph Sullivan Jr., who is one of Cheer Pack's three owners. At the ribbon-cutting event, Sullivan praised both of his partners in making the venture happen, particularly noting Ichikawa's contributions as an innovator.
"He has invented many, many products and this is just one of them," he said.
In Asia and Europe, Cheer Pack technology is used for a variety of products including self-serve ice cream; however, the North American market has seen most of its growth to date in baby food markets, according to Cheer Pack director of sales and marketing, Blair Vance.
"Over the last two years, the baby food category has gone through an evolutionary process where the old glass jars have faded out and packaging such as ours have really aligned themselves with the needs of consumers," said Vance.
Its success is due to a number of factors, including the pouch's lightweight and flexible material, he said. Cheer Pack packages can also be resealed, have secure safety caps, and a tamper evident seal that is safe for children.
Vance said Cheer Pack sees continued growth in its existing markets as well as in new ones like energy products, sports neutraceuticals, gourmet sauces and soups, and dairy products.