“Pacific AgPak has been providing packaging options for its loyal customers for over 20 years,” said Dave Baum, president of Pacific AgPak in Watsonville, CA. “We have developed and mainstreamed a lot of different pack styles for strawberries. With the development of the first PET [Polyethylene terephthalate] one-pound clamshell, and the first club store four-pound clamshell, we have now turned our attention to our growers and retailers request in developing several new programs.”

Mr. Baum said that the first new development is the company’s patented pending “Freight Buster” clamshell that helps both the grower and retailer.

“It’s a win-win,” he said. “ThisPacific AgPak's ‘Freight Buster’ clamshell. (Photo courtesy of Pacific AgPak) clamshell enables growers to ship 33 percent more strawberries per pallet, and it enables retailers to reduce freight rates by 33 percent. The benefits of this program start with the single layer packing out in the field. It allows for quicker times in packing, cooling and quality control checks.”

Pacific AgPak will also be introducing a “Freight Buster” program for blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Mr. Baum noted that the company has already shipped the new clamshell to customers in far off destinations in the country and overseas with great results.

The company developed the patented pending interlocking design on the one-pound and two-pound “Freight Buster” clamshells. The interlock allows them to stack securely at the store level without scuffing and scraping of the growers’ label. All of these clamshells are made with recycled PET material.

“This current configuration packs out at eight clamshells to the box and 152 boxes per pallet, compared to the current configuration of 108 boxes per pallet,” Mr. Baum explained. “This equates to 44 extra boxes per pallet. That is huge, and it reduces the carbon footprint on transportation.”

“You can say that this new ‘Freight Buster’ clamshell is good for the grower, the retailer and it is Earth-friendly,” he continued.

Another new item for strawberries at Pacific AgPak is its reengineered standard one-pound clamshell. 

“We have made this ‘berry’ friendly by making the interior of the clamshell a smooth wall design,” said Mr. Baum. “This helps to reduce any bruising in transit. It is also a high cube clamshell that fits 10 clamshells per an RPC or 5 Down Tray. This will increase the cube on the pallet by 13 percent. Again, we want to work smart on our packaging developments and thinking outside or inside the box accomplishes this for all of our customers.”

Pacific AgPak is a leading provider of plastic consumer packaging and accessories for shippers and grocery retail use. It offers an extensive range of size configurations, including special accessories for additional product protection. Special ventilation, snap-lock closure system and stacking flexibility of its clamshell containers are key factors in product protection. The recyclability of these PET plastic clamshells is an additional bonus.

Besides berries, the company designs and produces packaging for a wide-range of fresh produce, including tomatoes, vegetables, herbs and dried vegetables, cherries, grapes and other fresh fruits and salads.

“When it comes to protecting your product for transporting or building displays, knowledge and experience counts in developing appropriate programs,” said Mr. Baum. “We at Pacific AgPak are dedicated to providing service and custom package programs for our customers’ specific needs. Our commitment is to serve effectively and efficiently, so customers can benefit from bottom-line results and movement of clean, protected product off the retail shelves.”

Pacific AgPak is a full line supplier of fresh berry packaging year round, and it facilitates all of its growers’ demands in its 70,000-square-foot warehouse in Watsonville and Moss Landing.

“For more information or to have questions answered, we invite anyone to contact Kyle Baum, sales representative, Lisa Lacy, sales and marketing representative, or myself, at (831)722-9495, or to visit our website at www.pacificagpak.com,” said Mr. Baum.