We won four Excellence awards for innovative packaging!

In this year’s North American Paperboard Packaging Competition, Great Northern brought home Excellence Awards for the innovative design and performance of four paperboard packaging solutions. Hosted by the Paperboard Packaging Council, the best designs from across North America were judged by a jury of packaging professionals, industry experts, and professors.

Using Great Northern’s digital printing capabilities and durable substrates, the winning designs offered unique flexibility and speed-to-market, in addition to high-quality printing.

Denver Beer Brewing Co. 24-Count Variety-Packs

Denver Beer Brewing Co. planned to launch a new 24 variety-pack of canned beer into club stores. They wanted high-end graphics and a packaging structure that would withstand the rigors of the supply chain. Great Northern’s team engineered a solution with a triple-ply, reinforced handle design. The vibrant graphics achieved with digital printing featured multiple colors and a high-gloss UV coating. The flexibility of digital printing allowed the client to run multiple varieties in smaller quantities, making the project more affordable.

Roth Industries Meal Kits

When Roth Industries decided to launch a new line of pre-packaged meals under the Kilyn’s Kitchen brand in the grocery channel, it wanted a packaging solution with high-end graphics, as well as a window to see the contents within the package. Great Northern’s design team created a paperboard solution that included spot coating and a large die-cut window. All four versions of the packaging were printed on the same run, eliminating plate costs, and significantly reducing pre-press costs, allowing the customer to add new meal kit varieties without substantial costs.

BIGS Sunflower Seeds

ConAgra wanted a packaging solution for its BIGS Seeds brand that is sold in the club store channel. The solution needed to support the weight of the product and have a retail-ready opening feature, as well as color consistency through multiple SKU’s – all at a required price point. Great Northern answered the challenge with a strong yet flexible paperboard package, with a retail-ready opening feature that opened cleanly to transition the box to a display tray. Eye-catching color SKU’s enhanced BIGS Seeds’ retail presence and distinguished its many varieties.

 

Oskar Blues IPA 12-Count Packs

Oskar Blues needed a durable package to hold 12 cans of beer, along with high-quality graphics. The package needed to work well with existing auto-fill equipment and withstand multiple transitions in and out of refrigeration. Oskar Blues also wanted the package to have a handle and a fridge pack-dispensing feature. To address these challenges, Great Northern developed a solution using the digital printer that provided a high-quality print surface and maximum structural integrity. A tear-resistant handle design was incorporated, as was a fridge-dispensing feature. It was also made out of a 100 percent recycled base sheet, unique in the industry because of water absorption concerns.