NOVIPAX achieves top food safety certification and ramps up production capacity
NOVIPAX, the leading producer of absorbent pads and among the top manufacturers of polystyrene foam trays in the United States, has achieved two notable milestones within its first 90 days of operation as a stand-alone company. All five NOVIPAX manufacturing facilities have received Level 2 recognition - one of the highest levels of certification - from the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Institute. The company also announced it is investing in a new production line at its Indianapolis plant.
NOVIPAX was formed through a carve-out acquisition of the North American Foam Trays and Absorbent Pads (TAP) businesses of Sealed Air Corporation . With over 700 associates, NOVIPAX is led by industry veterans and operates five manufacturing facilities serving food processors, supermarkets, and food packaging distributors. Its facilities are located in Indianapolis, Indiana; Paxinos and Reading, Pennsylvania; Rockingham, North Carolina; and Grenada, Mississippi.
"We launched NOVIPAX with a singular focus on the production of absorbent pads and expanded polystyrene trays in the United States," said Bob Larson, Chief Executive Officer of NOVIPAX. "And I'm pleased to say that we hit the ground running. Within the first 90 days of operations as a stand-alone company, we achieved SQF's Level 2 recognition to ensure our products meet our customers' most stringent food safety and quality standards. Our goal at NOVIPAX is to become a best-in-class, one-stop provider for food processors and retailers. This certification and our newest capital investment of a state-of-the art padding line in Indianapolis are the first steps toward meeting our goal."
Known as the only food safety program recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GSFI), the SQF program, administered by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), is designed to meet the diverse needs of all parties in the food industry, "from farm to fork." It creates one standard for food producers, manufacturers, distributors, and brokers.
In addition to its SQF recognition, NOVIPAX continues to make proactive capital investments in its operations. Most notably, the company is adding a new tray production line at its Indianapolis facility that provides processors with case-ready padded trays. This line will complement existing production lines and will be operational in early 2016. The new tray line pre-attaches absorbent pads onto trays for poultry and other processors, increasing their capacity, production efficiency, and decreasing packaging-to-store shelf cycle time.
"Our pads will absorb a lot with little material," said Mike Vanatsky, NOVIPAX's Indianapolis Plant Manager. "They help control excess moisture, and the large, pre-padded trays will provide processors with the freshest, most appealing packaging on the market. This new production line will also help us serve them with greater consistency and reliability."
