Packaging manufacturer to invest $6 million into Grand Rapids facility

GRAND RAPIDS — A manufacturer of packaging materials plans to expand its film-making operations in West Michigan.

The Deerfield, Ill.-based Pregis LLC said it expects to invest $6 million at its Grand Rapids-based Pregis Films facility to handle increased demand from customers, according to a statement.

Pregis’ latest investment will add a second multilayer Windmoeller and Hoelscher blown film line that will “address growing demands for output.”

The company serves a variety of industrial and consumer markets, including food, pharmaceutical, medical devices, agricultural, e-commerce, retail, automotive, transportation, and furniture, among others.

“We are seeing increased demand for higher quality flexible packaging, e-commerce protective material and surface protection films,” Tom Wetsch, chief innovation officer at Pregis, said in a statement. “Our continued investment in this facility will help us meet market segment expectations for package performance and provide vertical integration for some of Pregis’ other products.”

The investment comes two years after the company’s investment of $17 million into an expansion project for its Grand Rapids-based Eagle Film Extruders Inc. facility, as MiBiz reported at the time.

The company did not say whether it planned to add to headcount with the investment. Pregis did not respond to a request for comment as this story went to press.

Currently, Pregis’ Grand Rapids workforce stands at 130 employees. The company’s 90,000-square-foot Grand Rapids manufacturing facility includes four multilayer blown film extrusion lines and a film lab, according to a statement.

Pregis is a portfolio company of Olympus Partners, a Stamford, Conn.-based private equity firm.