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Zuhlke keeping things in the family

By
Keith Loria

As the president and CEO of Kurt Zuhlke & Associates, an Easton, PA-based company renowned for creating over 40 different packaging molds, Kurt Zuhlke is a trusted figure in the produce packaging industry.

With his extensive knowledge and experience, Zuhlke helps retailers identify the ideal packaging solutions that keep consumers returning for their produce purchases. A strong advocate for Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) packaging, he emphasizes its importance in promoting recycling efforts and reducing landfill waste.

Now, Zuhlke’s son Christopher is getting in on the business.

“He’s in training right now and that’s a nice thing,” Zuhlke said. “He was in the industrial glass blowing business, making the scientific equipment. He spent six months over in Switzerland and came back here and decided to come back to the packaging industry with me. It’s fantastic.”

Christopher will be taking on the role of sales and marketing and someday, Zuhlke sees him taking over for him when he’s ready.

“The people who work for me all like him; he used to come in and help out every now and then,” Zuhlke said about his son. “He’s a smart kid and very likeable.”

In early 2025, Zuhlke was in Savannah, GA, at the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference and heard a lot of people complaining about the late winter freezes in Florida and the Carolinas, and how it impacted prices at the end of 2024.

“Tomatoes are $54 a box and peppers are expensive and there’s just not enough product out there now, so things are slowing down,” he said.

He also had a lot of conversations about some of the unreliable packaging companies were using.

“There are a lot of people using weird stuff but then they realize that’s not going to work,” he said. “For instance, a lot of people who came into our booth were using paper containers with vent holes, but they needed to put them together by hand, and people couldn’t see the product and see what they were buying. They came to me because they knew it was time to get back into the clear clamshells again because that’s what people want. If you grow good stuff, why would you want to hide it?”

Zuhlke has observed a growing interest among customers in PET materials and environmentally friendly practices, and he hopes this trend continues to gain momentum.

His deep understanding of consumer preferences has enabled various packaging sizes for different products — such as strawberries, blueberries, tomatoes, and avocados — to flourish in the market.

Pints, quarts, 16- and 18-ounce packaging remain the top choices for those growing berries.

“Our company’s motto is ‘recycle and reuse.’ After products have been used, it can be cleaned, grinded and transformed into new items,” Zuhlke said. “Many growers and suppliers utilize our products tailored to their customers’ specifications, while increasingly, retailers are repackaging at the store level to customize their offerings. This means that every segment of the industry is vital to our success.”

Sustaining success in this competitive industry for so many years is no easy feat. Zuhlke attributes his longevity to providing exceptional service and high-quality products.

“It’s all about the service we provide,” he said. “If you don’t meet your customers’ needs, they’ll look elsewhere. I’ve retained some customers for over 40 years, which suggests we’re doing something right.”

Photo: Kurt and Cynthia Zuhlke

Keith Loria

Keith Loria

About Keith Loria  |  email

A graduate of the University of Miami, Keith Loria is a D.C.-based award-winning journalist who has been writing for major publications for close to 20 years on topics as diverse as real estate, food and sports. He started his career with the Associated Press and has held high editorial positions at magazines aimed at healthcare, sports and technology. When not busy writing, he can be found enjoying time with his wife, Patricia, and two daughters, Jordan and Cassidy.

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