Anchor’s Newest Innovation Helps Foodservice Choose to Reuse – and Create
Breakthrough Sustainability that Reduces Packaging Waste.

(St. Louis, MO) September 28, 2023. Recognizing innovation that appeals to today’s consumers and best meets their changing needs, Convenience Store News awarded Anchor Packaging’s new reusable packaging line, ANCHORWARE® REUSABLES, the top honor for Foodservice Packaging in its 2023 Best New Products contest.

Because reuse offers benefits consumers recognize and significantly reduces packaging waste, Anchorware Reusables help operators meaningfully differentiate their sustainability efforts. As more consumers seek sustainable solutions, reuse offers foodservice a compelling new option to engage their customers and add value to their food offerings.

Highly durable yet lightweight, Anchorware® Reusables clear polypropylene (PP) containers create a convenient way to bring reuse into foodservice operations at prices similar to single-use packaging. Consumers recognize these containers’ value, adding appeal to any meal. A full range of sizes from 16 oz. to 104 oz. in round, square, and rectangular shapes offer operators sustainable solutions for ambient, refrigerated, or hot foods to 230°F from grab-and-go displays or full-service meals and sides. Common footprints with interchangeable, one-step push button lids assure a secure, leak-resistant closure. These microwave and dishwasher-safe packages are BPA-free and PFAS-free. In addition, all Anchorware Reusables meet the Association of Plastics Recyclers (APR®) preferred design guidance for recycling at the end of use.

This was the 27^th annual Convenience Store News competition. Overall, the Best New Products Awards program judges awarded 33 innovative new products introduced in the convenience channel in the past year. Judges evaluated entries on various criteria, including value and convenience, seeking innovations that best meet the needs of today’s consumers. Products brought to the market between May 31, 2022, and June 1, 2023, were eligible for entry. Past Times Marketing, a New York-based consumer research and product-testing firm, supervised and tallied judging.

Based in St Louis, MO, Anchor Packaging LLC is one of North America’s largest thermoformers and is best-known for award-winning products designed to preserve the taste and quality of food longer and custom capabilities. Anchor Packaging products include Crisp Food Technologies®, Safe Pinch® Tamper-Evident containers, and many other innovative and affordable packages for restaurants and retail food service. Anchor’s unique stock product line includes over 450 rigid containers, and foodservice cling film.

(St. Louis, MO) July 12, 2021
Appointment Adds Crucial Leadership Expertise Amid Record Demand and Continued Growth

Anchor Packaging, a leader in innovative packaging solutions that protect food and reduce waste, announced the hiring of Subbu Subramanian as Chief Information Officer (CIO).

As CIO, Subbu will play a key role in advancing Anchor’s strategic plan and supporting its continued growth. Most recently, he led as CIO at American Industrial Transport and American Railcar Industries. His previous experience includes various IT leadership roles at Bunge Ltd., Solutia Inc., Solae LLC, and Daugherty Business Solutions. His skill in improving visibility to business results, developing technology roadmaps and advancing infrastructure are critical as Anchor continues to expand its capabilities and capacity.

“Subbu’s expertise is coming on board at exactly the right time for Anchor,” said Jeff Wolff, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are thrilled to welcome him to our team and look forward to the improvement his experience will create not only on our infrastructure, applications, and security functions but on our business-led technology roadmap as well.”

About Anchor Packaging, LLC

Based in St Louis, MO, Anchor Packaging LLC is one of North America’s largest thermoformers and best-known for award-winning products designed to preserve the taste and quality of fresh and freshly-prepared food. Anchor Packaging products include Crisp Food Technologies®, Safe Pinch® Tamper-Evident containers, and many other innovative and affordable packages for restaurants and retail foodservice. Anchor’s unique stock product line includes over 450 rigid containers and foodservice cling film.

Crisp Food Technologies® Wins 2020 AmeriStar Packaging Award
Anchor Packaging Containers Keep Food Hot & Crispy for 30-Minute Home Delivery

(St. Louis, Missouri) October 28, 2020. In a rapidly changing foodservice environment, Crisp Food Technologies® containers won the coveted AmeriStar Packaging Award by providing the only solution to keep fried foods hot and crisp for delivery, takeout, and curbside pickup. As more consumers opt for these off-premise methods versus dine-in, operators face significant challenges. Chief among these is how to offer the food consumers desire most while protecting temperature, texture, and taste during transit and holding times. Crisp Food Technologies’ unique, patented design elements utilize cross-flow convection science to scavenge excess humidity while maintaining high internal food temperatures.

The AmeriStar Package Award, one of the packaging industry’s most prestigious design award programs, is judged by the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP). A roster of 15 judges from various packaging industry segments evaluated this year’s entries, examining innovation, product protection, economics, performance, marketing, and environmental impact. The winner of AmeriStar, Crisp Food Technologies, will represent the USA in the upcoming WorldStar competition.Anchor Packaging is a 3-time winner of the AmeriStar award and has won in both of its previous appearances in WorldStar events.

This award is the fourth overall for the Crisp Food Technologies line in the past two years. It won Convenience Store News Best New Product in 2019, Convenience Store Products (CSP) Best Product in 2019, and Convenience Store News Best Overall Innovation in 2020.

“In a challenging environment, with the tremendous acceleration in off-premise demand, we are proud to be a key part of the solution for all foodservice operators,” said Jeffrey Wolff, CEO of Anchor Packaging. He continued, “using thermal imaging, our R&D group precisely determined the optimal design elements necessary to remove excess humidity, while maintaining a higher food temperature. This research brings a new level of technology to the field of package design.”

The adoption of Crisp Food Technologies across channels is skyrocketing. Tested by national and independent restaurants, supermarkets, convenience store operators, and its performance validated by Technomic, it is now in use at over 21,000 locations and growing rapidly.

Based in St Louis, MO, Anchor Packaging LLC is one of North America’s largest thermoformers and best-known for its award-winning product designs and custom capabilities. Anchor Packaging’s products include Safe Pinch® Tamper-Evident containers, Crisp Food Technologies®, as well as many other innovative and affordable packages for restaurant takeout and to-go meals in supermarkets. Anchor’s unique stock product line includes over 450 rigid containers, and foodservice cling films.

CRISP FOOD TECHNOLOGIES^® WINS BEST NEW PRODUCT” AWARD FOR 3RD TIME
– FRY BABY® Dubbed OVERALL INNOVATION” WINNER OF 2020

(St. Louis, MO) August 31, 2020. Anchor Packaging LLC announces: After competing among a record number of entries, the Crisp Food Technologies^® Fry Baby® was awarded the top honor of Overall Innovation Winner” by Convenience Store News in the 2020 Best New Products contest. This container is one of the latest additions to the Crisp Food Technologies container family, a product line already twice-awarded for its innovation and unique ability to keep fried foods both hot and crispy.

From among nearly 100 entries, consumer judges chose products new to convenience store shelves for recognition in the 24th annual competition. The Best New Products Awards program recognizes the most innovative, high-quality products that meet consumers’ evolving needs and fit a convenience store’s value proposition. Judging was supervised and tallied by Past Times Marketing, a New York-based consumer research and product-testing firm.

The Fry Baby® container offers operators the patented Crisp Food Technologies performance in a hinged 6″ x 3″ size, perfect for a serving of french fries, chicken strips, nuggets, wings, and many other crave-able foods that drive consumer traffic. It offers the added performance of integrated anti-fog into both the clear base and lid to keep food looking fresh on display and to avoid order errors. It is safe to 230℉ under heat lamps, in warming units, and microwaves. All this, at a cost less than a coated paper box.

The family of Crisp Food Technologies Containers keeps fried foods hot & crispy up to three hours on display and over 30 minutes for takeout or delivery. The unique, patented, convection cross-flow design relieves moisture and condensation while maintaining food temperature. Through-the-closure ventilation and raised airflow channels in the bottom of the container combine with venting in the lid to ensure fried foods remain both crisp and hot. Available in a variety of sizes, shapes, and options, these packages are the perfect fit for the rapid growth of home delivery, curbside pickup, and takeout across all foodservice and retail channels. Crisp Food Technologies Containers are in use at over 21,000 locations and growing.

Based in St Louis, MO, Anchor Packaging LLC is one of the largest thermoformers in North America and best-known for its award-winning product designs and custom capabilities. Anchor Packaging’s products include Safe Pinch® Tamper-Evident containers, as well as many other innovative and affordable packages for restaurant takeout and to-go meals in supermarkets. Anchor’s unique stock product line includes over 450 rigid packages and foodservice cling film.

(St. Louis, MO) October 28, 2019. Anchor Packaging LLC., the market-leading manufacturer of innovative packaging products for the foodservice, supermarket, and convenience store markets, announced today that its Crisp Food Technologies^® Containers won the CSP 2019 Retailer’s Choice – Best New Product Award. The winner of this award was determined by convenience store retailers’ vote. “Successful new products are the lifeblood of the convenience retailing industry. With the huge number of new products released every year, you should be proud your product has been recognized as one of the best” stated Ms. Archie from Winsight LLC, publisher of CSP Magazine. The trophy was awarded at the 2019 National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Expo in Atlanta earlier this month. 

In July of this year, Convenience Store News had also named Anchor’s Crisp Food Technologies^® Containers as the 2019 Best New Product for the Convenience Store market. That award was earned, based on an evaluation of all new products, by Past Times Marketing, a New York-based consumer research and product-testing firm.

Crisp Food Technologies^® Containers: Keeps Fried Foods Hot & Crispy on Display and for Delivery. Unique, patented, convection cross-flow design relieves moisture and condensation while maintaining food temperature. Through-the-closure ventilation and raised airflow channels in the bottom of the container combine with venting in the lid to ensure fried foods remain crisp. The Crisp Food Technologies^® containers, offered in a variety of sizes, shapes, and options, are a perfect fit for the rapid growth of Home Delivery across all foodservice channels and are in use at over 15,000 stores today.

Anchor Packaging’s products include affordable, upscale, to-go packaging to merchandise prepared ready-to-heat meals in supermarkets and takeout meals offered by restaurants and other foodservice operations. Anchor’s unique product line includes stock and custom rigid packaging, as well as a broad line of cling film wraps.

(St. Louis, MO) June 17, 2019.  Anchor Packaging LLC, one of North America’s largest manufacturers of specialty food packaging used by restaurants and supermarkets for delivery and take-out meals, has been recognized by the State of Arkansas and the Arkansas Department of Labor Safety Division, for excellence in on-the-job safety.  Nine hundred thirty (930) employees accumulated five (5) million work hours without incurring a lost-time, work-related injury or illness. These 5 million hours were accumulated between February 24, 2017, and April 24, 2019.

Anchor joins a prestigious group of only 34 other Arkansas companies to reach the 5 million hours milestone and the first packaging company to do so.  The award ceremony was held at the Paragould Community Center at noon, on Wednesday, June 12, 2019.  Robert Hermann Jr., Chairman of the Board of Anchor, Jeffrey Wolff, President of Anchor, and five selected employees with 158 years of Anchor service, proudly accepted this award on behalf of all employees.

Among the dignitaries present at the ceremony were Ralph T. Hudson, Deputy Director, Arkansas Department of Labor, Scott Wilhite from the Workers Compensation Commission, Sue McGowan, Director of Economic Development and CEO of Paragould Regional Chamber of Commerce, Chris Imbs, Chairman of the Board, Crane Agency. 

Anchor manufacturing facilities within the State of Arkansas are located in Paragould, Jonesboro, and Marmaduke, with a Distribution Center also located in Paragould. The number one priority for each location is to manufacture products in an efficient and safe operating environment that assures the safety and security of all employees.

Anchor Packaging’s products include Crisp Food Technologies^® containers that keep fried foods hot & crispy for 30-minute home delivery, Safe Pinch^® Tamper-Evident containers, as well as affordable,  packaging for restaurant take-out and to merchandise prepared ready-to-heat meals in supermarkets.   Anchor’s unique product line includes stock and custom rigid packaging, and a broad line of cling film wraps.

(St. Louis, MO) July 24, 2017.  Anchor Packaging, Inc., one of North America’s largest manufacturers of specialty food packaging, used by restaurants and supermarkets for take-out meals, has once again earned “High Hygiene” certification from NSF International for the BRC Global Standard for Packaging.  The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is the leading safety and quality certification program to ensure that manufacturers fulfill their legal obligations and protect the end user.

BRC is the preeminent food safety standard, created to promote consistency across the supply chain, by ensuring delivery of safe food to consumers. The complexities of today’s food supply chain mandate that the most stringent food safety protocols be in place at every point of supply. Manufacturing standards must comply with the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmark and Anchor Packaging customers have the assurance that the facilities are operating to the highest quality standards, while continually striving to maintain and improve the standards that set them apart.

The NSF Certificate of Conformity for BRC Packaging-High Hygiene (for food contact) is awarded following extensive annual audits of Anchor Packaging rigid container manufacturing facilities in Paragould and Jonesboro, Arkansas.

Anchor Packaging’s products include Tamper-Evident containers preferred by consumers 2-1, as well as affordable, upscale, to-go packaging to merchandise prepared ready-to-heat meals in supermarkets and takeout meals offered by restaurants and other foodservice operations.   Anchor’s unique product line includes stock and custom rigid packaging, as well as a broad line of cling film wraps.