On the Blog - Colony Packaging & Machine

Posted on March 13, 2025May 20, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Roxie Tate named West Manchester Township’s Firefighter of the Year

firefighter in full uniform walking away from the camera, smiling back.

You may recognize Roxie on your dock delivering industrial packaging across Central PA and Northern MD. Still, long before she was a delivery driver for Colony Packaging & Machine she began a career as a volunteer firefighter for Shiloh’s Fire Department in York, PA (now West Manchester Township Fire Department).

Roxie grew up playing baseball and tackle football with her brother Bink and his friends so when she was just 14 and he mentioned joining the township’s fire department as a junior firefighter it was an easy, “yes.”

It’s been forty-five years since her first day at the station, and recently she was awarded Firefighter of the Year for West Manchester Township’s Fire Department. Roxie’s path was heavily influenced not just by her brother but also her father who ran with the department for many years and convinced Roxie to do medic training early on. Since then she has logged hundreds of hours of training and has fought some of the largest fires our community has seen.

Previous to working at our industrial packaging supplier, Roxie spent 20 years with the 911 Department and prior to that 8 years with Caterpillar before they closed their doors as part of their internal fire and medical department. While working for CAT she was given the opportunity to train with the Delaware State Fire School which provided her with many new skills and fire safety knowledge.

Roxie shared the technology involved has changed over the years which has increased firefighting effectiveness and overall safety tremendously. She shared a story of one of the earliest fatal fires she was a part of and how she nearly fell through the floor after finding an individual. Situations like that can now be better handled thanks to modern technology like thermal indicator cameras and radios which help keep firefighters more aware of potential hazards while opening critical lines of communication between those inside and outside the structure.

In reflecting on this great achievement and her career with the department, Roxie said, “I like the challenges, every call is different, I like the physical aspect, and I like the whole family atmosphere within the Fire Department. It’s also always nice to give back to your community.”

To this day she still claims, “none of this was my choice,” as a nod to the influence of her dad and brother, but she has no regrets and is proud of her past accomplishments and what we know are certainly many accomplishments to come.

When you see Roxie on your docks please help us in wishing her congratulations on this great achievement and gratitude towards her immense dedication to our community.

Posted on March 13, 2025May 20, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Top Five Reasons to Switch from Hand Wrapping to a Stretch Wrapper

A pallet covered in stretch film, prepared for shipping in a high-tech warehouse, showcasing the contrast between the smooth plastic and rough wood texture

We have five reasons to replace hand stretch wrapping pallets with a semi-automatic or automatic stretch wrapping system for your pallet load containment applications. Whether you came from custom warehousing or other industrial buildings with stretch wrap equipment or you have seen them through advertisements – here are the top considerations when reviewing this investment.

Consistent and Uniform Packaging

An operator who wraps pallets with hand wrap stretch film is not able to wrap every load exactly the same way, time and time again. A load wrapped by one operator Monday morning will not be wrapped the same way as another operator on Friday afternoon. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue. This is important for consistent load containment and film usage. Because film is priced per pound, you want to make sure your operation is able to budget as closely as possible per piece leaving your dock.

Wrapping a pallet using a stretch wrap machine also produces a clean professional finished product. Pallet wrapping with hand wrap can look rather erratic and uneven. Hand wrapping usually means there is more film on the pallet as well – obstructing the view to labels or products. The look of your pallet load on your customer’s floor must project the professional image you want for your company. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue.

Employee Safety and Training

Hand wrapping pallets is an extremely difficult job when repeated throughout the day, and it is a common source of employee back injuries whether done correctly or incorrectly. It would come to now surprise operators are more susceptible to injury by quick twisting movements while maneuvering film below and above the waistline. Many accidents and work-related injuries are caused by hand-wrapping pallets. Review OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) stretch wrapping guidelines as a reference.

There is a right way and a wrong way to wrap a pallet with hand wrap from a technical perspective as well. Applied incorrectly, hand wrap may crush the product or allow the product to shift during transport. Employee turnover or multiple operators means you must continually train employees on how to correctly wrap the loads to ensure customer satisfaction while ensuring they do not injure themselves. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine gives consistent output at a much safer rate.

Film Savings

Oftentimes, our industrial packaging supplier sees operators applying more film than necessary to a pallet with the intention of creating better load containment. However, this methodology is money wasted. We also see how hand wrapping can create situations where pallets need to be re-wrapped because there wasn’t enough film or there is more film than needed. Because film is priced by the pound it’s important to be consistent with the application. Our service technicians will key in a cold seal packaging machine so it has the perfect load containment at the lowest cost possible, and your sales person matches the most efficient film to the machine to help aid in further cost savings.

Load Integrity and Damage Control

No one likes hand wrapping. At some point, the “good enough” syndrome takes over. Knowing what is required to keep your product unitized during shipping, and while it is on your customer’s floor, is essential in setting your stretch wrapping specifications for your operators to follow. When an employee is hand wrapping pallets the responsibility of meeting minimum tension requirements is left up to them. Fatigue, ignorance, training, or lack of motivation can affect the employee’s “good enough” point resulting in potential complaints or damage due to poorly wrapped product.

As employees deal with the difficulty of hand wrapping the goal becomes just wrapping it enough to get it out the door. Wrapping the load to eliminate damage during transit and at your customer’s warehouse becomes secondary. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine eliminates this issue as it wraps the same way every time reducing the potential of a pallet being damaged during transit.

Quality Control

By definition, hand wrapping a pallet manually prevents you from obtaining any type of repeatability. Multiple operators, time of day, fatigue and many other variables prevents any type of QC standards. Pallet wrapping with a stretch wrap machine allows you to either eliminate, or preset these variables. This ensures repeatability, allowing loads to be wrapped to a set quality standard.

In Conclusion

Stretch wrap is a subject filled with savings whether you are hand wrapping or considering a stretch wrap system. In today’s market you can start seeing an acceptable ROI when wrapping one or more pallets an hour during a shift. From entry-level to fully automatic, we have a solution for every application as one of the top packaging suppliers. We can also show demonstrations of the equipment we sell.

Posted on November 21, 2024May 6, 2025 by Katie Callahan

The ABCs of Sustainability in Industrial Packaging

A festive photo with a stack of three boxes wrapped in kraft paper with dried fruit on top with Christmas lights in the background.

The holidays are upon us and those UPS, FedEx and DHL deliveries are about to stack up quickly. It is estimated 40% of the worlds plastic waste comes from packaging alone – whether it be food, electronics, medical, home goods or other. But, sustainability in industrial packaging isn’t just about using less or finding more recyclable options – it encompasses a 360 degree view from where the raw materials originate all the way to a community’s disposal infrastructure. We put together the “ABCs of Sustainable Packaging Terms” to help provide a broader perspective to this growing topic.

Before we get into it, let’s discuss some of the pitfalls when it comes to sustainability in an industrial packaging wholesaler. Colony strives to be transparent and upfront when it comes to what is and is not sustainable packaging and our role as your distributing partner in it. We don’t fit the expectation into the industry, instead we present the real facts backed by science to support the expectations. Here we highlight products and claims which as packaging experts we don’t consider fully sustainable options.

Biodegradable Plastics: While biodegradable plastics have gained popularity for their potential to break down more quickly than traditional plastics, they often require specific conditions, such as industrial composting facilities to decompose fully. In the absence of these conditions, which is more common than not, materials will still persist in the environment, contributing to pollution.
Single-Use Compostable Packaging: Similar to biodegradable plastics, compostable packaging items like plates, cups, and cutlery need specialized composting facilities to break down properly. When disposed of in regular waste streams or landfills, they will not biodegrade as intended.
Paper Packaging with Non-Recyclable Coatings: Some paper packaging products come with non-recyclable coatings or laminates that make them difficult to recycle. These coatings can contaminate recycling streams and hinder efforts to reduce waste.
Packaging with Excessive Greenwashing: Some manufacturers and top packaging suppliers may overstate the environmental benefits of their products through greenwashing. This can mislead consumers into thinking they are making sustainable choices when, in fact, the product’s overall impact on the environment remains high. An example of this could be products with biodegradable additives – the language sounds great but the reality is not.
Heavy, Bulky Packaging: Packaging materials that are unnecessarily heavy or bulky can result in higher transportation costs and increased emissions. While they may not explicitly market themselves as sustainable, their inefficiency in resource use contradicts sustainability goals.
Products Lacking Certification or Transparency: Packaging products claiming to be eco-friendly should ideally have certifications or clear documentation to support their sustainability claims by trusted third party sources. Lack of transparency and verifiable information can raise doubts about a product’s true environmental impact.
Excessive Packaging: While not limited to a specific material, the practice of over-packaging products can lead to unnecessary waste and resource consumption. Companies may use excessive packaging to enhance product aesthetics or safety, even if it’s not environmentally justified. Colony Packaging excels in package conversion to reduce this waste.

Evaluating your packaging materials with three things in mind when it comes to sustainability goals on a very basic level could include:

Use packaging which decreases or eliminates damage rates
Reduce overall packaging to the greatest extent possible
Consider curbside recyclable options to make it easier on the consumer to recycle materials

Sustainability in packaging can be quite extensive – looking for additional ideas? Here are our industrial packaging supplies company ABCs of Sustainability:

A – Analytics: Colony Packaging & Machine will help you make better decisions with data-driven insights for optimizing packaging processes as it applies to labor savings, decreased material usage, increased material effectiveness, overall safety and sustainability concerns.

B – Biodegradable: Colony can help distinguish packaging materials that decompose naturally versus smoke and mirrored marketing so you get exactly what you think you are getting.

C – Circular Economy: A system aimed at eliminating waste through the continual use of resources.

D – Durability: Colony focuses on the ability of packaging to withstand the rigors of transport and storage to decrease or eliminate damage or returns. This process is naturally focused in sustainability, but with an added bonus of recognizing materials that are also physically sustainable can increase this effort two-fold.

E – Eco-friendly: Colony can work with you to recognize the best packaging that does the least harm to the environment from raw material sourcing, labor considerations to the manufacturing process to the ability for the end user to recycle the material successfully curbside.

F – Footprint Reduction: Whether it be increased packaging equipment efficiencies or custom warehousing for power savings or strategies to minimize environmental impact through decreased material usage, Colony has multiple avenues to explore an overall footprint reduction.

G – Green Certification: Colony can provide documentation regarding standards that verify sustainable practices in packaging from manufacturers when available.

H – Hazardous Materials Compliance: SDS/Tech data is always available from Colony’s vendor partners to ensure packaging meets safety regulations for hazardous substances.

I – Innovation: Colony is very focused on new technologies and materials for sustainable packaging solutions and bringing those solutions to our customers for consideration.

J – JIT (Just-in-Time) Delivery: We reduce deliveries from our manufacturing partners and to our customers by offering a large stocking program and dedicated, scheduled runs to best decrease unnecessary fuel usage.

K – Kraft Paper: A key sustainable choice which has quite a lot of possibility through Ranpak’s extensive line of kraft paper converting equipment. Kraft paper is a great resource for blocking, bracing, cushioning, and void fill.

L – Lifecycle Assessment: Work with Colony to evaluate the environmental impact of packaging from creation to disposal. This includes raw material sourcing, the manufacturing process, deliverability, curb-side recyclability and more.

M – Minimalism: Colony promotes using the least amount of materials necessary to achieve functionality while decreasing damage rates. Continued innovation within packaging materials makes this possible.

N – Natural Materials: Colony can help distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to sourcing packaging from organic, renewable resources.

O – Optimized Design: Colony offers a large knowledge base across industries to streamline packaging to reduce materials and waste.

P – Post-consumer Recycled Content: Utilizing materials that have been recycled after consumer use is a great way to get one-time use materials out of the landfill and back into the supply chain – Paragon offers a patented PCR stretch film which meets these qualifications.

Q – Quality Assurance: Ensuring sustainable packaging meets high standards without compromising safety can be done through third party evaluations, but the best route is through direct conversations with us at Colony and our specific vendor partners supplying your material – the information will be more accurate, complete and goal-oriented.

R – Reusable Packaging: Colony can connect you with designs that allow for multiple uses before disposal and also reusable closed-chain packaging containment solutions like pallet wraps, containers, and more.

S – Sourcing: Work with us to outline your ideal responsible procurement methods from sustainable sources, and we at Colony can help present options which get you there.

T – Transparency: Our team at Colony wants to work alongside you to reach clear communication about materials and processes used/required in your packaging.

U – Upcycling: We love a good repurposing of packaging materials for new uses and so do your customers.

V – Value Chain Optimization: Improving the efficiency of packaging processes throughout the supply chain.

W – Waste Reduction: Colony works with our customers on strategies aimed at minimizing packaging waste – in turn this should lead to decreased damage and faster outputs.

X – X-factor Sustainability: This can include unique sustainable features that differentiate products in the market – to help share that information with your customer base consider adding an interactive QR code to help elevate your message.

Y – Yield Improvement: A key factor Colony is focused on is enhancing the efficiency of material use in your packaging.

Z – Zero Waste: A commitment to eliminating waste in packaging production and disposal.

Posted on March 13, 2024May 6, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Equipment Planning 101 – Entry Level to Full Automation

Warehouse worker using an automated air pillow machine to pack boxes that will be shipped out for delivery.

Time ticks on and the power of technology continues to grow. Whether you look at programs to increase computer work productivity or in our case, packaging line automation it is incredible to see the innovation out there continue to snowball. As an industrial packaging company, we get an inside look across industries and company sizes which gives us a unique perspective whether you are a company of 10 or a company of 5,000+. Solution-driven options will always begin with the three big questions:

What are your goals, what is your budget, and what is your timeline?

For large companies they can’t survive without it, but for smaller companies or companies that see growth year over year there might be a bit of apprehension: Are we big enough to take this leap? Is this cost ACTUALLY going to positively impact our bottom line? Will orders continue to sustain this decision? These questions are beyond fair and we are here to answer every question possible to get you into the right decision for you. For large companies, you might ask if Colony Packaging & Machine handles large-scale equipment and projects. The answer is yes and we have case studies and references plus 60 years in the industry to prove it.

Let’s dive into what those above mentioned questions might look like depending on smaller installations to fully automatic packaging lines. We pride ourselves in meeting companies where they are and proving out the best ROI scenarios possible based off these three main components.

1. What are your goals:

This can be as simple as worker efficiency to fully changing or the creation of a packaging line. Additional goals we often see take into account safety considerations, increased ergonomics, and personnel turnover. Ranking your priorities can be similar to car shopping – which aspects are the most important and attainable within the next question – what is your budget.

2. What is your budget:

This question is oftentimes less about a hard cost and more about the ROI that is needed to justify the cost. For instance, for case sealers 50-100 uniform cases a day can see a good ROI within 1-3 months. An entry-level stretch wrapper only takes about 10 pallets a shift to realize a sufficient ROI. Why? Because at the very basis of automation time and material cost always decreases when automation is used correctly. When considering both we find customers come out happier and see greater value in the overall solution. So, what does this look like for entry level to fully automatic case sealers:

Case Sealer	Entry Level	Fully Automatic
Cost	Starting around $5,000 depending on model, options, and brand	Starting around $30,000 depending on model, options, and brand
Efficiency	Generally a tool to assist a current packer by replacing hand taping for uniform cartons for either the top, bottom, or both seals.	Will allow a packer to shift further down the pack line completely. Machine can work with multiple box configurations, is database driven, and seals the top and bottom of the box.
ROI	Usually instant or within 1-2 months. ROI driven by cases per day metric and tape usage. These units are meant to speed up production and reduce employee fatigue while increasing physical ergonomics of case sealing at a very reasonable cost per package. The largest area of ROI is on tape savings due to more uniform tape usage per carton being sealed.	Dependent on the robustness of the machine but generally within 3-12 months ROI will be fully met. Fully automatic options will decrease payroll expenditures, risk of injury, tape costs, and increase productivity immensely. These metrics will be important for larger outfits where there is a lack of downtime for employees and pack line efficiency is the main barrier of getting product out the door.

3. What is your timeline:

Considering your timeline will often be a combination of business acquisition goals and actual time. Knowing this information can give us a perspective on solutions that will or won’t work based on lead time alone. Plus, the longer the timeline the greater the opportunity for brainstorming into the solution that will work for you. How does this look for entry level to fully automatic? For entry level machines and custom warehousing, we’ll see companies who have already gone through this thought process and know the time is right. For fully automatic it may take a year or more to plan a transition or it could be a very quick production line addition. In either case it is good to get the conversation started earlier in case of customization, production lead time, and any financing concerns.

Speaking of financing – we have great options that can work for your company. As an industrial packaging supplies company, we know cash flow continues to tighten and that is why we work with customers on a customized level when growing your business depends on investing in equipment. Our management team is happy to present options to your company’s accounting department to make sure operations and accounting are in agreement with the best step moving forward.

Putting it all together: Goals – Budget – Timeline

We are here to help you navigate these big questions by giving you the best industry knowledge and ROI calculations possible. We match that with valuable financial options to make sure you are able to get to that next level of automation and business growth.

Ready to jump into automation? Call our industrial packaging supplies company and ask for Equipment Sales – we have plenty of demo equipment on the floor and industry experience to push your project across the finish line.

Posted on January 4, 2024May 20, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Top Packaging Trends for 2024

Being an industrial packaging wholesaler doesn’t always give us the chance to celebrate the more colorful, fun side to consumer packaging. But, with the start of the year it is that time we highlight some of the best packaging trends we are seeing across the consumer industry and showing you how it can translate to the industrial world.

Smart Packaging

Sound familiar? It should – smart packaging has been around for quite a while with amazing innovations continuously coming to market. We’re not just talking about interactive QR codes or RFID tags for tracking in logistics. Smart packaging has grown substantially across industrial and consumer applications, including custom warehousing, moisture control, time-temperature indicators, and immersive technologies like AI and virtual reality.

How to incorporate in the industrial space: database-driven multi-line marking and coding offers superior quality and does not come with the service contract headaches you might be used to. Alternatively, labels and custom printed boxes can be a great addition to add smart packaging or cold seal packaging machine to your industrial line.

Anti-Theft Packaging

Anti-theft packaging isn’t new, but with its combination with smart packaging manufacturers are fighting back against in-store theft, porch pirates, and even theft at the plant. Reinforced water-activated tape is the most popular for in-transit shipments before they hit someone’s door, but things like black shrink film and plain packaging options for e-commerce deliveries are becoming popular again to fight porch pirates. Locking tab boxes, clamshells, and skin packers can all help anti-theft measures at the plant and in-store on the shelves.

Biodegradable Packaging

The continuous growing trend of biodegradable packaging is everywhere. As we have deeper conversations with customers and manufacturers it is important to note the industry has a long way to go until there are truly biodegradable packaging options in the marketplace. As consumers demand change, customers and manufacturers are teaming up to deliver solutions getting us closer to truly biodegradable options. If you are in the market for this type of product there are some key questions you should be asking the manufacturer before assuming the non-regulated term “biodegradable” is matching your expectations:

What environment does the packaging need to be in to biodegrade (and is that environment available to your end user)?
Is there a trusted third party certification the manufacturer can present? What does that certification say – will it fully degrade or partially degrade? In what timeframe?
What materials are being used to make the packaging and what does that sustainability stream look like? Are the raw materials being sourced sustainably?

Sometimes the best answer is finding curbside recyclable and reusable packaging that your end users can easily handle across different states / local municipalities. Another answer could be to use more efficient packaging which is inherently more sustainable by nature!

The Packaging We Want to See Graveside as Consumers:

We all know we get packages in the mail that we just say – but why? Some of those answers while working in fulfillment are easier than others. But, we can all appreciate a little chuckle over silly frustrations whether our company is committing them or not – here are ours!

Mailer bags without a tear strip for easy opening: For the everyday consumer it is like the best invention since sliced bread. The convenience is an easy slam dunk!

Small items in over-sized cartons: Give us a small padded mailer and call it a day – it helps with shipping costs and lowers our trash on collection days. Right-sizing is better for everyone!

Food packaging with ziplocks that rip the bag or without the little quick open notch: We love a good reusable food bag, but when that pesky ziplock feels more like a glue lock it can sadly rip that bag and make it harder to close. No more glue lock ziplocks!

Tough packaging for kids toys – whether it is sharp edged clamshells without easy open tabs with a smooth edge or a significant amount of twist-ties that can cause choking hazards – it’s hard being a parent with an excited child jumping on top of you trying to open and keep track of little packaging pieces.

and finally….

What We Are Looking Forward to in 2024 – Vendor Highlight

Paragon Films has been working hard on creating a stretch film with greater percentages of PCR – post consumer recycled content. With patents in hand they are the only stretch film on the market truly living up to the more modern take on sustainability goals delivering 25% PCR in the new Power Edge PCR Hand Stretch Film. This film focuses on the PCR content while continuing the trend of modern stretch film technology with a thinner gauge film. This film is a true game-changer when it comes to sustainability goals.

Paragon is removing used stretch film from the waste stream and putting it back into new usable film. Paragon estimates 1.5 billion tons of stretch film was produced in North America in 2020 with only a 16% recycled rate – only 1% being recycled into stretch film. Their goal is to increase both of those percentages while delivering a superior stretch film. Interested in learning if this film would be a good fit for your packaging line? Contact Colony Packaging & Machine!

Posted on May 31, 2023April 22, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Matthews Marking Industry Highlight for Marking & Coding Applications: Consumer Packaged Goods

From food and beverage, personal and household goods, to pharmaceutical and medical, we understand the challenges of the consumer packaged goods industry. As an industrial packaging company, we have the high-speed laser and inkjet printing equipment, high-adhesion inks —including those meeting FDA regulations—needed to craft a reliable and accurate marking and coding solution as part of your overall track-and-trace system.

Beverage

Bottles and Cans

The only thing more important than easy to read and accurate “best by” expiry date, batch, and lot codes is making sure your line doesn’t stop. Colony Packaging & Machine can help you with both. Matthews’ laser coding machines maximize uptime by producing vector-quality codes at high speeds and help you meet the high production demands of the beverage industry without sacrificing quality.

Substrates and applications include:

Glass bottles
Plastic bottles
Aluminum cans
Barcoding
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Food

Bag Marking

Bag marking technology for consumer packaged goods or industrial applications that require text, graphics, or codes with large or small characters. Our industrial printers have the capability to print on paper, plastics (polypropylene, mylar, PET) and other substrates…we can solve your toughest bag marking challenges.

Get high-contrast, high-resolution marks in a wide array of colored porous and non-porous inks, including MEK and inks with FDA-approved ingredients.

Substrates and applications include:

Paper bags
Plastic film bags
Rigid plastic bags
Serialization
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Glass Bottling and Jars

Matthews offers highly reliable inkjet options to give you superior quality while keeping up with the demands of high-speed printing. Our industry expertise will help you find the right solution to keep your line up and running, with an in-house engineering team to design an integration solution that fits your line’s unique needs.

Substrates and applications include:

Glass containers
Glass jars
Windows for home and auto
Product identification
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Plastic

Matthews Marking Systems offers highly reliable marking technologies for plastic packaging and product manufacturers, including drop-on-demand (DOD) printers, thermal inkjet printers, and automatic labeling machines. Matthews’ years of experience in the plastic industry allow them to understand the challenges you are facing, and present you with proven solutions, minimizing your risk.

Thanks to the wide variety of fast-drying non-porous inks in a rainbow of colors, you can get a quality mark, whether you’re printing simple date, time, and lot codes or higher resolution logos and graphics.

Substrates and applications include:

Pipe
Thin and rigid film
Shrink wrap
Plastic clamshells
Plastic pouches
Building products
2D codes
Product identification
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Personal and Household Goods

Matthews offers a wide range of options for everything in the personal and home goods realm including previously mentioned categories plastic and glass. Matthews also specializes in Corrugate Case Coding.

Drive Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE)

Take advantage of significant costs savings and superior flexibility by printing on corrugated cases and cartons. Marking directly onto your corrugated boxes costs a fraction of labels and pre-printed boxes. You can print in native heights of 3/32″, 3/16″, 1/4″, 1/2”, 1”, 2”, 4”, 5″ and even larger when stitching printheads, which provides significant cost savings and superior flexibility on a myriad of box sizes and shapes.

Get Exactly What You Need for Your Production Line

High resolution barcodes, 2D codes, lot codes, expiry dates, and more are efficiently handled with our thermal inkjet printing solution. Branding, large graphics and fonts, and multiple lines of crisp text are ideal applications for our piezo inkjet printing solution. Simple alphanumeric lot and batch codes, expiry dates, and low-resolution graphics or fonts are perfectly printed with our drop-on-demand printing solution. Any of our marking solutions will positively impact your bottom line and seamlessly integrate into your production operation.

Applications:

Traceability initiatives/programs
Barcodes (GS1-128, GS1 DataBar, EAN-8/13, UPC-A, ITF/ITF-14, Code 39/128)
2D codes (GS1-Data matrix, Data matrix, QR and Micro QR code)
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding
Retail shelf graphics
Distribution logistics
Low-resolution alphanumeric codes

Additional Consumer Goods Marking and Coding Options

Matthews also offers options for the pharmaceutical and medical industries and corrugated packaging options for secondary packaging applications. We offer a full analysis of the substrates your company uses, the production speed and code requirements to offer a Matthews solution that exceeds your expectations.

Why choose us? Why choose Matthews?

As a leading distributor for Matthews Marking our team has the training, access and ability to work with your departments on a personalized level to guarantee success from the brainstorming stage to implementation and beyond. We use our broad industry knowledge to fill in blind spots and elevate your goals for ultimate success. We work with Matthews and their vast engineering team to keep projects on track and moving in the right direction. Their decades of specialized experience matched with our personalized, industry specific knowledge gives you a one-two punch.

Posted on May 31, 2023February 25, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Matthews Marking Industry Highlight for Marking & Coding Applications: Automotive Parts

Matthews has been making their mark in the automotive industry since its inception. From striping and product identification marking on tires to innovative parts marking, their solutions continue to evolve along with the industry to meet the regulations and requirements you’re faced with. As an industrial packaging supplies company, we partner with Matthews Marking because they are the best in the industry when it comes to automotive marking and coding.

Unmatched Marking for Rubber and Tires

Our V-Series marking systems are engineered for the harsh, challenging environments typically found in rubber processing and tire manufacturing. They deliver proven reliability for small and large character marking on rubber and tires. Our VOC-free white ink, “disappearing” ink, and other specialized inks for rubber are engineered in house and deliver the best adhesion and mark quality in the industry today.

Applications include:

Striping
2D codes
Product Identification
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Direct Part Marking Solutions

With Matthews’ inkjet coding solutions, we have the superior technology to fit your marking application requirements.

Matthews’ inkjet portfolio includes valve and thermal inkjet systems. The valve jet product thrives in harsh, industrial environments while the thermal inkjet printers offer high resolution marks at fast speeds.

MPERIA®, Matthews’ marking and coding automation platform, simplifies integration between equipment, production lines and plants, while still keeping you in control.

Substrates and Applications Include:

1D, 2D, and QR barcodes
Unique and vin codes
UID marking
Part identification
Rubber
Plastic
Steel
Aluminum

Why choose us? Why choose Matthews?

As a leading distributor for Matthews Marking our team has the training, access and ability to work with your departments on a personalized level to guarantee success from the brainstorming stage to implementation and beyond. We use our broad industry knowledge to fill in blind spots and elevate your goals for ultimate success. Colony Packaging & Machine works with Matthews and their vast engineering team to keep projects on track and moving in the right direction. Their decades of specialized experience matched with our personalized, industry specific knowledge gives you a one-two punch.

Posted on May 31, 2023March 25, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Matthews Marking Industry Highlight for Marking & Coding Applications: Food and Beverage

We work with Matthews Marking to provide a broad selection of inkjet coding systems which are perfect for high-speed marking; producing vector-quality codes while maximizing uptime. With Matthews, you can be sure that your marking equipment is providing you with the best possible mark while meeting the high production demands of the food and beverage industry.

Food Labeling: Plastic

Substrates and applications include:

Pipe
Thin and rigid film
Shrink wrap
Plastic clamshells
Plastic pouches
Building products
2D codes
Product identification
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Bag Marking

Bag marking technology for consumer packaged goods or industrial applications that require text, graphics, or codes with large or small characters. As an industrial packaging company, our printers have the capability to print on paper, plastics (polypropylene, mylar, PET) and other substrates…as an industrial packaging supplies company, we can solve your toughest bag marking challenges.

Get high-contrast, high-resolution marks in a wide array of colored porous and non-porous inks, including MEK and inks with FDA-approved ingredients.

Substrates and applications include:

Paper bags
Plastic film bags
Rigid plastic bags
Serialization
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Glass Bottling and Jars

Substrates and applications include:

Glass containers
Glass jars
Windows for home and auto
Product identification
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Bottles and Cans

The only thing more important than easy to read and accurate “best by” expiry date, batch, and lot codes is making sure your line doesn’t stop. We can help you with both. Matthews’ laser coding machines maximize uptime by producing vector-quality codes at high speeds and help you meet the high production demands of the beverage industry without sacrificing quality.

Substrates and applications include:

Glass bottles
Plastic bottles
Aluminum cans
Barcoding
Lot, batch and ID coding
Branding

Canned Foods – Metal

With the industry’s most reliable inkjet printing technology and the broadest range of inks for the metal industry, Matthews is your go-to provider for metal marking. They provide turnkey and custom-engineered solutions for placing any kind of mark on nearly any type of metal at speed and with rock-solid reliability.

Metal manufacturing facilities place incredible demands on marking systems. High temperatures, oily or dusty surfaces and variable material compositions make for a particularly challenging environment. That’s where Colony Packaging & Machine comes in. Our printers are designed specifically for operation in harsh environments with minimal maintenance so you can maximize uptime and ROI.

Why choose us? Why choose Matthews?

As one of the top packaging suppliers and leading distributor for Matthews Marking, our team has the training, access and ability to work with your departments on a personalized level to guarantee success from the brainstorming stage to implementation and beyond. We use our broad industry knowledge to fill in blind spots and elevate your goals for ultimate success. We work with Matthews and their vast engineering team to keep projects on track and moving in the right direction. Their decades of specialized experience matched with our personalized, industry specific knowledge gives you a one-two punch.

Posted on May 31, 2023May 6, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Matthews Marking Industry Highlight for Marking & Coding Applications: Building Materials

Building Materials

With the most reliable printing technology in even the harshest environments, Matthews provides turn-key and engineered solutions for any kind of mark on any type of surface in the building products industry – from metal and wood, to concrete, brick and ceramic, 2D codes, barcodes, large or small character marks, and everything in between.

Wood

Clearly marking your wood products gives you a competitive edge in the marketplace, and we offer solutions representing the best way to help you do that. From identifying your product with large, bold images of your brand to accurately printing specifications, association trademarks, mill numbers and more, our comprehensive solutions help you every step of the way. The Matthews Marking workhorse DOD printer lineup is the industry leader and provides your production with reliable operation and the maximum possible uptime.

Substrates and applications include:

Panel
Plywood
Engineered Wood
Product Identification
Stack Wood Marking
Pallet Marking
Association Trademarks
Nail Pattern Marking
Barcoding
Branding
Structural Rating

Metal

Achieve high quality marks with unprecedented control and gain a competitive advantage with the most reliable, versatile marking and coding solutions available for the steel and metal industry. Easily integrate with existing or new production lines at scale.

With the industry’s most reliable inkjet printing technology and the broadest range of inks for the metal industry, Matthews is your go-to provider for metal marking. We provide turnkey and custom-engineered solutions for placing any kind of mark on nearly any type of metal at speed and with rock-solid reliability.

Metal manufacturing facilities place incredible demands on marking systems. High temperatures, oily or dusty surfaces and variable material compositions make for a particularly challenging environment. That’s where our partnership with Matthews comes in. Matthews’ printers are designed specifically for operation in harsh environments with minimal maintenance so you can maximize uptime and ROI.

Pipes & Plastics

Our coding and marking systems ensure your plastic and metal pipe is easily identifiable over its life cycle, with high-quality prints that last. Your customers need crisp, clear marks that include material type, manufacturer’s name, size, pressure rating/relevant manufacturing standard, and any other information that has significant meaning to them and we can make it happen.

You can rely on our extensive industry knowledge and proven results to help you make your mark. Matthews works closely with those in the pipe industry to create engineered solutions, decade-after-decade, continually developing new inks and technologies to meet your changing production demands.

Substrates and applications include:

Metal pipe
Plastic pipe
Corrugated pipe
Lot, batch and ID coding
2D codes
Branding
Product identification
Regulatory marking

Stone and Brick

Matthews Marking Systems offers a wide range of reliable marking and coding technologies for porous and non-porous surfaces in the stone processing industry. With many years of industry experience and the expertise of their in-house engineering team, we have solutions for direct printing of your product as well as solutions for marking pallet goods, big bags, and corrugated boxes.

Substrates and Applications Include:

Bricks
Autoclaved aerated concrete
Clinker
Tiles
Concrete
Bigbags
Pallet goods
Bags
2D-Codes
Product identification
Lot, batch and ID coding

Why choose us? Why choose Matthews?

As one of the top packaging suppliers and leading distributor for Matthews Marking, our team has the training, custom warehousing access, and ability to work with your departments on a personalized level to guarantee success from the brainstorming stage to implementation and beyond. We use our broad industry knowledge to fill in blind spots and elevate your goals for ultimate success. We work with Matthews and their vast engineering team to keep projects on track and moving in the right direction. Their decades of specialized experience matched with our personalized, industry specific knowledge gives you a one-two punch.

Posted on May 10, 2023March 25, 2025 by Katie Callahan

Branded Packaging That Makes Cents

Whether you’re a B2B or B2C company your company’s reputation keeps them coming back. When it comes to that reputation the easiest leave behind is within the branding itself. How do you know if branded packaging is right for you? It’s a common phrase of manufacturers, retailers, and industrial packaging wholesalers: “If you have a competitor in the marketplace, it’s right for you.” But, you want packaging that makes sense (and cents). Here are our easiest packaging upgrades to take advantage of this year when working with your marketing and operations departments:

Printed Boxes

*We love these bold examples of printed RSCs and tuck tab boxes. The creative use of negative space can give your brand a bolder look with less ink coverage!*

One color logos and branding look memorable pre-printed on cartons and are an easy upgrade with reasonable quantities. Can’t do all of your boxes? Consider stocking your highest moving box with your logo for the best ROI. Or, do you have different ordering methods like indirect (through a retailer) or direct (through Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, etc)? Deciding to tackle the direct sales first can give you the highest level of ROI. Plus, we now offer full color printing for orders of 250 or more without printing die plate charges. Our partnership with a leading box manufacturer allows us access to an 80 ft printing press – the only one currently operational in the United States with short lead times.

Printed Tape

*1-2 color tape print with bold fonts or large imprint logos direct the eyes of customers straight to your package!*

Bold coloring, font, and logos make any kraft or white carton pop in shipping and on the doorstep. To gauge the popularity of printed tape ask yourself, “When was the last time you saw a box on your front step without it?” One way to do that is through one of the most popular options – Water Activated Tape (WAT). But, did you know “back in the day” water-activated tape had all but died off in the packaging industry during the 1970s? It was actually invented by Thomas Edison in 1912 and was a replacement for twin when holding boxes closed. It was revolutionary for a long time until acrylic and hot melt tape technology took over. But, because of Amazon, WAT tape made a huge comeback 10 years ago and is now one of the most popular ways to brand a box easily and effectively. We offer low 5-case minimums for both WAT and hot melt custom printed options!

Master Carton Messaging

Our partner Matthews Marking shows three of their top marking technologies clearly with this example of piezo, thermal and DOD inkjet. Line sharpness and custom warehousing scalability make Matthews a top fit for small to x-large companies.

This is a great option whether you work directly with your end-user or through a third party shipper. Craft your customer service experience to your audience with QR code surveys, additional product info, or current promotions/product releases with multiple inch print. Or, if you are a co-packer, increase your value by quickly changing customer messaging based off who you are packing for. Marking and coding on demand has been revolutionized in the last few years from the inks and equipment to the technology capabilities for usability. Pre-program messages based off the line you are running or work with our partnered engineers to scale your messaging based off database information. Master carton messaging has been a game changer for food manufacturers, building suppliers, agricultural, and more in particular.

Printed Stretch Film

We’ve seen an increase in popularity for printed stretch film for top packaging suppliers to wholesale clubs, manufacturers that ship on flat beds, and for building and landscaping products that sit outside fully wrapped until use like mulch and bricks. That material is your free billboard space on the road and in the racks. Thinking of printed stretch film, we also work with companies that want to quickly identify products on their floor for returns, hazmat, or other specialty considerations through tinted films like red or green. Whether it be hand film or machine film we have the options to get the messaging you want across internally and externally.

Industrial branding looks different for everyone, and these are just a few examples we offer solutions on. We can help elevate your branding from the label to the pallet. Give your salesperson a call to start the discovery process – your competitor already has!