Superfos manufactures plastic injection-molded, rigid open-top containers in Denmark and at its Cumberland, Md., headquarters.

If there is one word that best describes where Superfos U.S. President James Mason has found success it would be “plastics.” Although a bit reminiscent of  certain 1967 film (think: “The Graduate”), there’s a reason why he is optimistic about the industry. Since Mason joined Superfos U.S. shortly following its founding in the United States, the plastic container manufacturer has experienced double-digit growth and now exceeds $50 million in sales in the United States.    

Today, plastic has become the predominant material used in consumer products, medical equipment, packaging and even automobiles. According to the Society of Plastics Industry, plastics represent the third-largest manufacturing industry in the United States. In 2005, the industry employed more than 1.1 million people with shipments totaling $341 billion. Consumption figures for the same year indicated demand increased 9.7 percent over the prior year, and experts predict demand will remain strong well into the future.

Cumberland, Md.-based Superfos U.S. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Denmark-based Superfos, the largest European manufacturer of plastic injection-molded, rigid open-top containers. The company made its entry into the United States in 1986 when it built a brick and mortar facility in Maryland and began manufacturing plastic paint containers. Mason joined the company after leaving his position at Owens-Brockway Plastics in 1989. Its acquisition of North American Container Corp. in 1990 gave the company the ability to offer high-density polyethylene products in consort with its extensive European-based polypropylene expertise and proprietary product lines.

This addition allowed Superfos to grow the business by providing customers the choice between polypropylene and polyethylene products – each of which has different benefits, depending on their use. As business grew, the company underwent three facility expansions and now supports a 240,000-square-foot manufacturing plant and a 110,000-square-foot warehouse in Cumberland. “We’ve grown through our niche marketing philosophy,” Mason says. “We function from a sales and marketing perspective with our partners in packaging as very reliable, very open and very straightforward in our business dealings.”

An ISO 9001:2000 certified company, Superfos manufactures injection-molded, rigid open-top containers for food, non-food and pharmaceutical applications, and supplies product to the top name-brand manufacturers in each of these markets. The containers range from 2 ounces to 4.57 gallons. Each container can be customized to client specifications, and modified to include Food & Drug Administration (FDA)-approved colorants, special handle options and other tooling modifications. About 12 percent of its revenues are generated from custom products.

Superfos uses plastics that do not leech unwanted substances into the packaged contents and ensure a high level of hygiene. Its plastics can be reused, recycled or incinerated with energy recovery, or disposed of in an environmentally responsible way. Each type of material has properties that impact the container’s strength, stiffness, temperature and chemical resistance, flexibility and clarity. In addition, raw materials used in the manufacturing process, including additives, are approved for direct food contact and meet European Union and FDA regulations.

“High levels of service and quality” are what Superfos customers have come to expect from the end-product, Mason says. “The major measurement of our business is on-time, in-full deliveries and our success is that we have a very high reputation for very high levels of quality, high service levels and high levels of responsiveness.”

Breaking the Mold
Since plastic containers are found on nearly every shelf of every retail establishment, consumer demand points to packaging that is both aesthetically appealing and highly functional. To meet this demand, Superfos has invested heavily in features such as tamper evidency, water-tight integrity and stackablity, as well as hygienic and customizable qualities. “We provide value-added, highly sophisticated and highly automated operations to our customers,” Mason affirms.

Superfos employs leading-edge technology, testing and R&D facilities and processes to develop new products for its customers. The company uses 52 state-of-the-art injection-molding machines and a sophisticated robotics program to support the decorative component of packaging and assembly. “An important part of Superfos is capitalizing on the technologies that we have developed on an international scope,” Mason explains.

In-house decoration capabilities have also played a big part in the company’s growth. As a value-added service, Superfos offers the latest techniques in in-mould labeling, dry offset, printing, colored text, labels and other package printing options. As Mason explains, the decoration service provides a one-stop shop for clients interested in branding their containers.  

“We’re perceived in the marketplace as being an innovative supplier,” Mason maintains. “We’re constantly introducing new products and concepts.”

Serving the Client
In 2004, Superfos worked with Reser’s Fine Foods to reengineer a plastic container the client was using for its prepackaged salads. Based on market research, Beaverton, Ore.-based Reser’s determined that consumers wanted packaging that was both secure and easy to use.

“The project was not actually a redesign, but was a longer-term evaluation of current package styles with the goal to provide a more-innovative, user-friendly container,” Reser’s Director of Purchasing Greg Chrones says. “Reser’s determined, through research, that consumers were interested in a shape other than the traditional, existing packages.”

As Chrones explains, “The criteria was simple: Shape was determined by our consumer studies to be oval as a preference. It was preferred to have tamper evidence built into the lid/container combination. The package needed to be easily resealable for reuse by the consumer.”

Superfos engineered the polypropylene tub with an oval shape and tamper-evident tab on one end of the package and wrapped part of the package with a paper sleeve. The new package was a far cry from the traditional containers that were less durable. “It was an effort to provide an upscale offering of products in a container that the consumer would associate as upscale,” Chrones says.

Although Reser’s provided the design concept to Superfos, Chrones says the technical expertise that the company brought to the table, backed by the support of its international parent company made Superfos the obvious choice. “Superfos has a strong European connection, and Europe has traditionally been a leader in new packaging design,” he says. “This allows them to tap into their European partners’ expertise.”

Reducing the Impact
Environmental sustainability takes priority at Superfos, and the company has increased efforts to reduce resource and energy consumption and grow an already thorough recycling program. By recycling the majority of process waste, the company utilizes all materials to the best of its ability. For example, Mason notes that the company uses roughly 35 percent recycled materials in its industrial and household chemical products packaging. “Having a manufacturing facility that is environmentally friendly and active is important to us,” Mason asserts. “Our employees are constantly educated on the environmental practices, and we have a very clean and modern facility.”

Several green initiatives have focused on weight reduction, new materials, and optimized use of packaging. As part of this focus, Superfos established a project group to investigate the supply of biodegradable raw materials.

“We are investigating the consequences on product and packaging performances such as tightness, barriers, heat resistance, etc,” R&D Technology Director Benny Nielsen said in a statement.

In addition to working with biodegradable materials, the company is developing lighter and thinner packaging, which benefits the environment by cutting back on production resources, using less fuel to transport the product and taking less energy in the recycling process.             

According to Nielsen, weight reduction has saved the company close to 54 tons of raw material per year, but without impacting the quality of the end-product.

“We’re always looking for things like source reduction to control costs and keep them competitive with the world packaging requirements,” says Mason. “You have to be proactive from a number of different angles.”

Above All Others
Although Mason takes pride in the advances being made in product design, environmental sustainability and capital improvements, he says he is most proud of his staff’s work ethic. “We have a work ethic that is way above others,” he insists. “We promote a family working environment, and I think all employees wear the company on their sleeves. They are what make things happen, and they take pride in the products they produce. The customer is absolutely paramount in their thinking.”   

Mason says the company retains and shares talent with its European parent company regularly. Superfos also utilizes domestic universities to recruit new talent as needed. It also partners with schools that offer plastics engineering curriculum.