Hatboro, Pennsylvania based Acme Corrugated Box Company has provided an update on the progress of its 80,000-square-foot expansion, which will equip the company to accommodate industry-wide demand even more effectively than it has to date. The extra space and cutting-edge equipment will ensure the on time, on-the-mark service its customers expect while making Acme one of the most innovative box plants on the East Coast.
“The 30 percent increase in our facility’s footprint will allow for a 50 percent increase in manufacturing capacity,” said Bob Cohen, Acme Corrugated Box’s owner. “The new construction will house a new high-speed Fosber 110-inch doublewall corrugator line, which will replace a Fosber 98-inch corrugator. We will also be adding a WIP system distinct to the U.S. and designed to allow the total automation of sheet transfer to converting machine centers. Overall, this expansion allows us to increase manufacturing capacity, further embrace innovation of new products and flute profiles, and give us a greater ability to serve our customers.”
Cohen noted that the last year has seen an approximate six percent increase in box demand, pushing companies like Acme to capacity. COVID-induced supply chain issues only exacerbated hurdles by creating raw materials delays.
Plans to expand the facility, however, actually began before COVID, in 2017. Always committed to staying one step ahead of industry practices via reinvestment into equipment and processes, Acme retained general contracting services and visited world-leading corrugated box facilities in Europe and Asia that shared insights into their own builds and processes. Then the COVID-19 pandemic touched down. Consumer spending nationwide reached a fever pitch, contributing to unmatched and ongoing demand for corrugated boxes. Now more than ever, Acme Corrugated Box’s expansion makes sense.
Ground was broken on the expansion in early 2021 and is expected to be completed in early November, bringing Acme’s total footprint to 320,000-square-feet.
