Free-Flow Packaging manufactures innovative protective packaging products and packaging systems. Products include packaging-made-on-site, bubble, air cushions, Kraft paper cushioning and ready-to-use products, polyethylene foam, loosefill made of 100% recycled polystyrene or
Ms X, Nancy Burrows, Tom Anzur, Ms Y
cornstarch and Kraft/bubble mailers. The company also designs and installs custom dispensing/storage systems for air cushions and loosefill.
In the United States, the company has manufacturing facilities in California, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Thornton, Illinois. The company also has wholly owned subsidiaries in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom as well as a sales office in Australia.
In addition to manufacturing protective packaging, Free-Flow Packaging recycles polystyrene foam packaging and uses the polystyrene it recycles to make new loosefill packaging. With five recycling operations in the United States and one in the United Kingdom, the company recycled over ten million pounds of polystyrene foam last year.
Free-Flow Packaging is a privately held company with over 500 employees worldwide and over $100 million in annual sales.
This past year, Free-Flow Packaging has been on a mission of self-improvement. As part of this mission, training played an important role. It began with implementing Lean Manufacturing processes at the Thornton facility with the training of all 66 employees in three, four-hour Introduction to Lean Workshops. This was followed by three 5S/ Visual Workplace programs and three days of Value Stream Mapping. In addition, Free-Flow Packaging sent a number of front-line leaders to South Suburban College’s Breakfast with BCI Workshops that dealt with such varied topics as Keys to Effective Performance Discussions, Necessary and Essential Leadership Skills and Planning and Facilitating Effective Meetings.
Free-Flow Packaging was awarded an $8,000 Secretary of State Workplace Skills Enhancement Literacy grant and with these funds they will be implementing Work-Related Math classes for their employees.
Free-Flow Packaging believes in investing in its most important resource: its employees, helping them develop skills that will make the company grow and also provide personal growth for each and every employee. Accepting the award for FP International is Tom Anzur, plant manager.