ProAmpac to build new collaboration and innovation centre in New York

In a move to accelerate its product development, application testing and analytical capabilities, flexible packaging manufacturer ProAmpac will build a collaboration and innovation centre (CIC) at its manufacturing facility near Rochester, N.Y.

Photo Credit: ProAmpac

“We’ve worked closely with the State of New York’s Empire State Development (ESD) group on a capital grant of up to $1.35 million and we greatly appreciate the additional development assistance from Monroe County, Rochester Gas & Electric, and Greater Rochester Enterprise,” ProAmpac CEO Greg Tucker said in a Feb. 18 statement. “It’s been a collaboration from the start and we’re looking forward to not only opening our new facility in mid-2021, but also the opportunity it will bring to both ProAmpac and the greater Rochester community.”

The new 25,000 square-foot facility will support ProAmpac’s Collaborative Innovation process in which ProAmpac engineers and product development teams work together with customers to accelerate the time between initial concept and the launch of new packaging.

The centre will also be home base for ProAmpac’s Design & Sample Lab program for the design and rapid prototyping of new packaging. The CIC will house a new analytical testing lab, new equipment for development and testing, and training space for more than 80, as well as multiple meeting and collaboration spaces.

The facility will be constructed as an addition to the company’s facility that’s not only a manufacturing centre for flexible pouches, but a unique resource for short runs in an industry where normal production is in millions of units. “We can produce literally from one pouch to millions,” said ProAmpac chief commercial officer Adam Grose. “Short runs are extremely valuable for limited production-line testing of new packaging concepts that have just been prototyped.”

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, ProAmpac’s Canadian operation is located in Terrebonne, Que.