Growth at Package Supply & Design continues with acquisition

Package Design & Supply continued its winning streak lately with an expansion that will bring it into new markets.

PDS announced it has acquired True North Packaging, a Rochester-based company founded in 2012 by Sean Hanna and a leading manufacturer of custom packaging products serving customers through upstate New York.

“The True North Packaging transaction highlights our acquisition strategy to find strategic, complementary businesses that enhance our manufacturing capabilities and capacity to better serve our customers, while expanding our product offering and sales channels,” Earl Wright, CEO of Package Design & Supply, said in a deal announcement (link).

Headquartered on Buffalo’s East Side, Package Design & Supply is a growing manufacturer and distributor of packaging and shipping solutions. PDS is a portfolio company of Fairchild Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Buffalo.

Earlier this year, the Western New York The Western New York Impact Investment Fund announced a $750,000 debt investment into PDS, The loan helped retain about 30 jobs in a low-income neighborhood and support the company as it embarks upon a new growth strategy.

The WNY Impact Investment Fund makes investments in companies that have strong commercial promise but also make the community a better place to live, work and raise a family. With the PDS deal, the Fund has made 25 investments in 15 companies, totaling $14.15 million since it was formed in 2017.

Package Design & Supply, Inc. manufactures and sells a wide range of packaging materials throughout the U.S., with an emphasis on the northeast and a strong sales presence in Western New York. The company was founded in the late 1995 by Keith and Christine Freeland and grew from humble beginnings – a handful of employees, some equipment and a box truck – into a mid-sized business headquartered on Buffalo’s East Side.

The company was acquired in August 2021 by Fairchild Capital Partners, the Buffalo-based private equity firm led by Ryan Martin that helps local companies with succession planning while doubling down on their local roots. In February 2023, Fairchild appointed Earl Wright, former area general manager for Georgia-Pacific Corporation, as CEO.