With the addition of a compartmentalized plastic container, Producepackaging.com has expanded its line of packaging designed specifically for the fresh produce industry.

Kurt Zuhlke Jr., president of the Bangor, PA-based firm, said the new container, which comes in both two- and three-compartment figurations and holds about 20 ounces of product, is perfect for retail offerings, such as a berry medley.

“You could put three kinds of berries in the same pack such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries,” he said.

The product has also seen utilization in the tomato industry with a mixed pack of grape, yellow and cherry tomatoes.

Producepackaging.com has expanded its line to include a new container that is available with both two- and three-compartment configurations.Zuhlke said it gives the retailers the opportunity to offer a new item to their customers so those consumers can buy a variety of items without having to buy an entire container of each item.

For the most part, Zuhlke said these new containers are being purchased by repackers who are creating these retail display packs for their customers.

“We offer it in both a two-compartment and a three-compartment container,” said Zuhlke.

“So far, we are the only ones offering this pack and I think we will have the market to ourselves for a couple of years,” he added, noting that it takes a while to develop any packaging from drawing board to production.

He said the advantage of this pack is that it tends to appeal to customers looking for a medley of items but not needing huge amounts.

“There is a trend toward smaller size packaging,” he said, indicating that there are many smaller sized households. He said the smaller size also creates the need for more trips to the supermarket — a goal of retailers and a trend among shoppers enamored with freshness and willing to make a trip to the supermarket two or three times a week.

He added that the decreased volume in each pack creates less shrink at retail, another goal of the supermarket trade.

Producepackaging.com is an alternate name of the company known as Kurt Zuhlke & Associates for the past half-century. Founded in 1955 by Kurt Zuhlke’s father of the same name, the company has evolved over the years but its core competency of providing plastic packaging to the fresh produce industry has remained its focus.

Kurt Zuhlke Sr. and his wife, Frieda, created the foundation of the firm, while Kurt Jr. and his wife, Cindy, and many dedicated employees have led the company through many changes and evolutions in recent years.

Earth-friendly designs and a bow to the Internet in their new name addition are just two of those changes.

“We started using recycled materials in 1994,” said Zuhlke. “Initially our goal was to have our clamshells made from 50 percent recycled PET. A few years later, we converted to 100 percent recycled PET.”

Today, he said all of the firm’s packaging is both recyclable and made from recycled materials. At one point it was cheaper to buy material recycled, but today it has become a commodity no different than any other packaging material with its own supply-and-demand forces that influence price.

Zuhlke said his business is very diversified and he does not have a specific package that is on the top of the sales chart day in and day out. The company is looking to expand as it is doing more and more business in Europe. While the new compartmentalized container does give Producepackaging.com an advantage in the marketplace on that item, by and large, Zuhlke said competition revolves around service.

“Service is number one, that is what we are selling,” said Zuhlke.

He said that is the same philosophy that drives the company to seek new customers in Europe and elsewhere. He doesn’t believe he can offer them significantly different products, but Zuhlke does believe that Producepackaging.com can offer superior service.