Atlantic Packaging Products Ltd., Toronto, Ont., Canada, a manufacturer of containerboard and corrugated packaging products, this week officially announced the acquisition of Skybox Packaging in Mansfield, Ohio. Skybox manufactures corrugated packaging products and distributes packaging supplies and equipment out of its 100,000+ sq. ft. facility in Mansfield.

SkyBox offers its customers a service focused model featuring very short lead times, the combination of customized corrugated and non-corrugated packaging solutions and sophisticated logistics, and inventory management programs. These customers include well-known large and mid-size brands across industrial, food, and consumer end markets. Customers rely on Skybox to design and engineer packaging for their unique applications, which is then produced on the company's suite of flexographic printing, die cut, and specialty folder gluer equipment.

    

"Skybox is a great company with a leadership team that shares many of the core values we do. The acquisition is a natural fit that acts as a seed investment to grow our manufacturing platform in Ohio. Mansfield is a terrific location from which to grow, thanks to its proximity to multiple key target markets. Under the continued leadership of Marc Miller, Marty Rice, and the rest of the Skybox team, we're confident we will see continued success that will add growth and create jobs," said Dave Boles, president of Atlantic Packaging.

"Our long term investment perspective has served Skybox well over the past 15 years," said Marc Miller, president of Skybox. "We have a great organization staffed by some of the best people in the industry. Last year Marty Rice and I initiated a search for a partner that shares our ambition, operates with an entrepreneurial culture, and brings new capabilities and reach to the table. Our leadership team agreed early on that this would only be possible if our partner was a company that shared our values and has a growth plan that views the Skybox organization and location as a foundation for growth in the future. In Atlantic, we found exactly what we were looking for and more. We're very excited about the future and the opportunity to be working with Atlantic in the development of their strategic plan. We have partnered with builders. This is a good day for Skybox and the greater Mansfield area."

With this acquisition, Atlantic continues to gain a foot hold into the U.S. market while adding depth to its already robust converting capabilities. Earlier this year, Atlantic announced the formation of BlackHawk Corrugated, a sheet feeder partnership with the StandFast Group that is based in Carol Stream, Ill. 

Atlantic Packaging Products is the largest privately owned integrated corrugated packaging company in Canada. Atlantic provides customers with a total packaging solution through its key business divisions, which include Corrugated and Color Packaging, Recycled Paper Mills, Retail Packaging & Displays, Paper Bag Products, Supply & Inventory Management, and Recycling.