A Look Back At Tek Pak in 2022

With 2022 in the rearview mirror, we wanted to take a moment to look back at the accomplishments made by Tek Pak both internally and in business as a whole. It may be hard to remember, but many of us started 2022 still working remotely. While many companies have remained on modified schedules, here at Tek Pak, we are still all hands on deck. Everyone is back in the offices and facilities, and it couldn’t have happened soon enough will all of the exciting growth experienced in 2022. We are truly blessed and very grateful for the new business in the past year.

In manufacturing, growth can only happen if the raw materials and factory capacity are available. By the middle of the year, we were clearly on a trajectory of growth. Through much hard work, we increased our thermoforming capacity by 40% after acquiring additional production machinery. In 2022 we added two full-size Kiefel thermoforming machines to our St. Charles Thermoforming location. At the same time, we also advanced our capacity in Tape and Reel to meet the increased demand of our customers. All this new equipment resulted in increased hiring of operators, packers, maintenance, and shipping staff to handle the increased workload.

A good phrase that sums up 2022 would be “bursting-at-the-seams.” Higher than expected demand and sales left us in the enviable position of growing to keep up with demand. Tek Pak saw a 25% growth year over year, a fantastic accomplishment considering 2020 and 2021 was consumed by the worldwide COVID pandemic and the resulting supply chain challenges. This growth was only possible due to the amazing dedication of our entire employee workforce and their commitment to show up every day and do the absolute best job possible for our customers.

In addition to our innovative Class 8 Clean Room for medical and electronics packaging processes, Tek Pak also added a GMP-certified food packaging section. Each of these areas is staffed by seasoned thermoform operators who have more than mastered the technical ins and outs of thin plastic thermoforming packaging. But even more impressive is the fact that our staff goes beyond the technical aspects of their jobs, elevating their work performance to artists of their trade. They can create excellent results to produce a perfect package with the slightest adjustment.

While package thermoforming is easily fifty percent of our business, the other fifty percent is Carrier Tape and Reel. Our Carrier Tape product offering is the golden ticket in electronics manufacturing and has now branched out into medical and other applications. Since Tek Pak holds some of the original patents in Carrier Tape, it goes without saying that we have continued to expand and advance the technology.

Our design and tooling area is staffed with veteran designers with decades of packaging design experience. In the tool shop, which often runs as much as seven days a week, the 19 CNC machines often run almost continuously. Most recently, we also added our first five access CNC machines, which allow us to build even more complicated tools stacks, including tools used for molded fiber packaging.

As demand continues to grow, we have already acquired our fifth building, which will be dedicated to shipping and receiving. This newest location helps to relieve the bursting-at-the-seams feeling, providing Tek Pak with additional space in each production location. We are fully staffed often on two shifts and have, at times in the last year, run a third shift as well.

In the community, we provided outreach and support for several local programs such as Cal’s Angels, the Noble Man, and Koda Fundraiser, as well as food bank collections and more. Tek Pak also allows all employees paid time off to volunteer to serve in a local organization of their choosing. All in all, 2022 was the best year for Tek Pak, and we are eager to meet the challenges 2023 has in store for us. Tek Pak is committed to providing the fastest and highest standard of thermoforming packaging and Carrier Tape, serving our customers with the highest quality and customer service excellence unmatched in the industry.