NEWS RELEASE
TERRAPIN CARE STATION
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This Independence Day, Terrapin is celebrating America by announcing a shift to all made-in-the-USA packaging throughout its operations.
The Boulder, Colo.-based national cannabis company worked with American-based packaging suppliers Drug Plastics and SunGrown to ensure that all of its packaging materials are sourced from America. During what is a difficult time for the manufacturing sector due to COVID-19, Terrapin wanted to focus on localized sourcing. Increasingly, Americans are taking interest in where products are sourced, manufactured, and packaged, and Terrapin wanted to provide that answer.
“It’s part of our mission,” explained Chris Woods, the owner and chief executive of Terrapin. “We’re a family-owned American business that wants to support other family-owned American businesses. Ensuring that our packaging is sourced solely from the USA allows us to fulfill our commitment to lift this country, especially as we grapple with a difficult time in our nation’s history.”
Boyertown, Penn.-based Drug Plastics has been family-owned since 1963. What started out of a basement in the 2,000-square-foot home of Fred and Suzanne Biesecker, evolved into a major plastic bottle manufacturer for the pharmaceutical, health, and beauty industries. The company is now operated by the Biesecker’s children, Rick Biesecker and Lissa Biesecker Longacre. The company has branched out into cannabis packaging, still with the same mission set forth by Fred and Suzanne Biesecker.
“We believe business values are better when they are family values,” said Rick Biesecker, chief executive of Drug Plastics. “We share Terrapin’s commitment to American manufacturing and we’re proud to provide local jobs, support families, and help build stronger communities.”
Drug Plastics supplies Terrapin with its packaging for containers, such as flower jars. California-based SunGrown provides Terrapin with boxes for products such as pre-rolls. All packaging companies used by Terrapin design and manufacture in the USA. The packaging conforms with all state and local health and safety regulations, including child resistance.
“The joy of actually making something, especially sourced locally, is the driving force behind SunGrown Packaging,” said Chris Giles, who has a leadership role at SunGrown as an account executive. “Our company has been in the manufacturing sector for the last 60 years, all the time making American-made boxes in Oakland, Calif. During that time, we have seen a lot of work migrate offshore. But the smart companies, like Terrapin, are the ones who have made a commitment to manufacturing at home. They have reaped the benefits during the recent COVID crisis with no interruption to their supply chain. Terrapin is just a well-managed company and one of our best clients.”
The move for Terrapin to American-made packaging fits in with the company’s mission of “planting local roots.” Terrapin has provided about $600,000 over 10 years of business to local nonprofits. Information can be found by clicking here.
The announcement impacts packaging at Terrapin’s production facilities in Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. The company is ramping up cultivation operations in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where products started hitting shelves at a limited number of provisioning centers in western Michigan this week. Terrapin already serves about 90 percent of dispensaries in Pennsylvania.
Shipping cartons for most packaging utilized by Terrapin come with “Made in the USA” printed on them. Terrapin will also be implementing a sticker system to indicate “Made in the USA” on its packaging for products sold at Terrapin’s six retail stores in Colorado, as well as at medical dispensaries Terrapin distributes to throughout Pennsylvania and Michigan. In Pennsylvania, Terrapin is running through the remainder of its tincture and applicator packaging supplies before that facility solely utilizes American-made packaging. Terrapin expects to exhaust that supply over the next few weeks.
“Since Terrapin’s inception, we have been committed to creating local jobs and supporting local businesses,” Woods added. “’Planting local roots’ is more than just our mantra; it’s a mission. This is reflected in our commitment to local communities. When you purchase Terrapin products, you are supporting American labor. We’re proud of our pledge to this nation.”
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