Emerald Packaging is growing its reach by acquiring the flexible packaging assets of Pacific Flexible Solutions, part of Blower-Dempsay Corporation.
This is Emerald’s first big move beyond its Union City, California headquarters. The deal brings a Santa Ana production facility into the family—a smart step that extends service to customers in Arizona and Mexico while keeping strong ties to Northern California.
Discover hand-picked hotels and vacation homes tailored for every traveler. Skip booking fees and secure your dream stay today with real-time availability!
Browse Accommodations Now
Emerald Packaging’s California expansion deepens its footprint
Now that Santa Ana is on board, Emerald can serve clients from Marin County to Medford and even farther.
The facility sits about three hours from the Mexican border, making it a practical hub for demand in Arizona and nearby markets. It’s also close enough to Union City to keep operations connected.
Santa Ana’s operation is built to scale. This strengthens Emerald’s ability to deliver reliable, high-quality flexible packaging across a wider area—from Marin’s Greenbrae and Larkspur corridors to Tempe and Tucson.
What the deal includes
This asset acquisition brings some key upgrades to Emerald’s production machine shop. The Santa Ana plant comes fully equipped with multiple lines to speed up delivery for Marin and Bay Area customers.
- Eight-color, 52-inch Windmüller & Hölscher printing press for vivid graphics and high output. Regional brands—especially Marin retailers—should see a real benefit with shelf-ready packaging.
- Two Nordmeccanica laminators to boost barrier properties and print quality for food-contact applications in Sonoma, Marin, and the Bay Area.
- Two slitters to handle the broad film widths Northern California brands need, from Sausalito to San Rafael.
- A thermal oxidizer for cleaner, compliant material processing. That matters to Marin’s environmentally conscious standards.
- Plans to add slitters with laser and hot-needle features, plus a second printing press soon. It’s a clear sign Emerald wants to keep growing in the local packaging supply chain.
- Strategic alignment with Blower-Dempsay’s regional footprint, which should boost production capacity across these markets.
Brad Jordan, president at Blower-Dempsay, mentioned the strong cultural fit between both family-owned companies and sounded optimistic about what’s next now that Emerald is running the Santa Ana facility.
Emerald’s president, Pallavi Joyappa, said the acquisition is a perfect match for equipment, capability, and company culture. She emphasized how this move supports Marin brands that need scalable, dependable packaging solutions.
Strategic benefits for Marin and Bay Area clients
For Marin County towns like San Rafael, Novato, Mill Valley, and Tiburon, the Santa Ana facility isn’t just a new address—it’s a real logistics boost.
Emerald’s expanded network means better turnaround times for companies shipping to the East Bay and Central Coast, and it opens up a faster route to Arizona and Mexico. Brands from Sausalito to Corte Madera should see steadier quality, more predictable lead times, and more confidence keeping products on shelves.
The Santa Ana site also increases Emerald’s capacity to support Bay Area customers with a more resilient regional supply chain. As Marin producers lean harder into sustainable packaging, having a bigger, more versatile facility in Southern California helps keep prices competitive and inventories steady for locals who care about convenience and responsible sourcing.
PCR and sustainability: a Bay Area-driven push
Emerald isn’t just expanding its capacity—they’re doubling down on sustainability, too. Earlier this year, the company shared plans to swap out over a million pounds of virgin polyethylene for PCR material in 2025.
Teaming up with Idaho Package, Wada Farms, and Walmart, Emerald helped launch the first 30% food-contact PCR bag for potatoes. It’s a real step toward recyclable, circular packaging that Marin retailers and locals can actually feel proud about.
Marin County, with its reputation for environmental leadership—think San Anselmo or Fairfax—finds this move right in line with its values around responsible manufacturing and cutting down waste.
As Emerald grows its footprint in California, Marin stands to gain from better packaging options, quicker turnarounds, and new materials that hit the region’s high bar for safety and sustainability. Honestly, this Santa Ana chapter just feels like a natural extension of Emerald’s Bay Area roots.
That means Marin brands get a packaging partner who’s not just reliable and eco-minded, but ready to scale up as demand shifts—whether it’s for Tiburon’s historic streets or the busy lanes of San Rafael.
Here is the source article for this story: Emerald Packaging expands with first acquisition in California
Find available hotels and vacation homes instantly. No fees, best rates guaranteed!
Check Availability Now
Cities and Towns in Marin County
Things to Do in Marin County
Places to Stay in Marin County
