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COLBERT PACKAGING EXPANDS BY ACQUIRING THE 117-YEAR-OLD FOLDING CARTON OPERATION OF BARGER PACKAGING
LAKE FOREST, Ill., Feb. 25, 2004 - Colbert Packaging Corporation, a leading manufacturer of folding cartons, rigid paper boxes and paperboard specialty products, today announced that it has acquired the folding carton operation of Elkhart, Ind.-based Barger Packaging Corporation from the parent company, Welch Packaging Group, Inc. Barger Packaging, founded in 1887 by J.H. Barger, has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Welch Packaging since 1996.
"While we have been offering folding cartons through Barger Packaging for eight years, our primary focus has always been on expanding our product and service offerings in the areas of corrugated and plastic thermoforming," said M. Scott Welch, president of Welch Packaging. "This transaction enables us to further concentrate on our core business."
Barger Packaging stakes its claim as the oldest manufacturer in Elkhart, a town that was also home to Colbert patriarch and founder, Charles "Bud" Colbert, and coincidentally, whose father founded American Coating Mills in 1921, also located in Elkhart. In 1959, Colbert purchased the property and assets of Kroeck Paper Box, a Chicago company founded in 1892, and the company's name was changed to Colbert Packaging. As such, the acquisition today of the folding carton operation of Barger Packaging by Colbert Packaging unites 229 years of folding carton legacy, traditions and excellence.
"With the acquisition of the Barger plant, located in a highly desirable geographic area, we are able to offer additional capacity to our regional and national customers. We share Barger's commitment to manufacturing innovative packaging products and exceeding customer expectations, and we will continue to uphold the superior quality and customer care that Barger customers have received for over a century," said Ed Baker, president of Colbert Packaging. "The purchase of this folding carton operation is rooted in our strategic vision of growth both through internal means and acquisition. And we are proud to have a facility in a town that holds Colbert family roots."
About Welch Packaging Group, Inc.
Welch Packaging Group, Inc., established in 1985 as Elkhart Container, is a manufacturer of a variety of packaging solutions, including corrugated shipping containers, point-of-purchase displays, corrugated pallets and thermoformed plastic packaging. Since its founding as a producer of industrial shipping containers, Welch Packaging has grown and diversified its operations through acquisitions and internal growth. The company serves customers across the East Central region of the United States and has facilities in Elkhart and Indianapolis, Ind., Countryside, Ill. (Chicago), Taylor, Mich. (Detroit), and Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit www.welchpkg.com.
About Colbert Packaging Corporation
Since its founding in 1959, Colbert Packaging Corporation has built a solid reputation as a manufacturer of the highest quality folding cartons, rigid paper boxes and paperboard specialty products. The company's folding carton, flexographic packaging and pressure sensitive label operations are based in Lake Forest, Ill.; their rigid paper box and contract packaging facilities are located in South Bend, Ind. For more information about Colbert Packaging Corporation, visit www.colbertpkg.com.