Ansonia-based Better Packages, Inc. celebrated its 100th anniversary Thursday (May 25) at its corporate headquarters.
The company develops, manufactures and markets the Better Pack brand of water-activated tape dispensers.
The festivities included tours of the factory and speeches by local officials Mayor Mark Lauretti of Shelton, David Cassetti of Ansonia, and Mayor Anita Dugatto of Derby.
Better Packages was founded in 1917 by two brothers, Alfred and Theodore Kruger. Their company developed and marketed equipment to make efficient use of a five-year-old invention by Thomas Edison — water-activated tape. Prior to Edison’s invention, cartons were closed primarily with twine.
The company was originally founded in Brooklyn, NY and moved to Shelton in 1924. The idea was to be closer to markets in the bustling Bridgeport-to-Waterbury manufacturing corridor.
It moved to its present Ansonia location in 2014, where it has a 35,000-square-foot facility, employing 46 people full- and part-time.
For 100 years, Better Packages has been setting industry standards with its durable equipment, which measures, cuts and wets the tape.
The advent of e‑commerce sales, which have increased the number of cartons being shipped throughout the world, has been a tremendous catalyst for the company’s recent success.
Better Package’s client list has grown significantly to include the world’s most prominent companies who are purchasing dispensers to ensure that their shipping cartons are sealed securely, efficiently and professionally.
“Better Packages’ strong market position has always been based on the soundness of its designs, equipment functionality, and the company’s passion to quality. The average age of our electric water-activated tape models in use today is over 16 years old; manuals average over 20 years in service,” said Phil White, Better Packages’ Chief Executive Officer.
The reach of this Ansonia-based company is worldwide. There are over 500,000 Better Packages’ dispensers in service in over 70 countries. Better Packages water-activated tape dispenser worldwide market share exceeds 75 percent.
Since 2015, the company has operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Intertape Polymer Group (IPG). IPG is a packaging products and systems company and is the largest manufacturer of water-activated tape. IPG’s Central® brand of water-activated tape will also be celebrating their 100-year anniversary in 2017.
