History

Decades of Custom Manufacturing, Rooted in Pennsylvania.

Tamarack Packaging was established in 1964 with a focus on custom screen printing and R.F. heat sealing of flexible and rigid vinyl products. The company began by producing durable, made-to-order vinyl solutions for a range of practical applications.

1964

Ruth and Lucky McBride establish Crawford Packaging in 1964, running the business from their garage in Meadville, PA. One of the initial products was the “CPak,” a vinyl pouch with zip closure that was supplied to companies such as Channellock. It replaced traditional skin packaging and helped make the tools peg-able, visible, and inspectable.

1970s

In the 1970s, Crawford Packaging is purchased by Glenn Janowsky and Joe Palmieri, with Joe DeLoss and Ken Griffen also involved. The company’s name changes to Tamarack Packaging because one of the owners lived near Tamarack Lake. The business moves to a 12,000 square foot facility at 10826 Mercer Pike in Meadville.

1990’s

In the early 1990s, Tamarack expanded its manufacturing capabilities to include thermoforming, adding equipment to produce blister clamshell packaging, clamshell protective packaging, and thermoformed trays for the hand tool industry.

1994

Tamarack is purchased by William DeArment in 1994 to help streamline the packaging supply chain for Channellock.

1995

In 1995, Tamarack expands its manufacturing capabilities to include thermoforming, adding equipment to produce blister clamshell packaging, clamshell protective packaging, and thermoformed trays for the hand tool industry.

2007

The company relocates from its original 12,000-square-foot building to a modern 36,000-square-foot facility at 11124 Mercer Pike in Meadville, PA in 2007. The larger space supported increased capacity and additional production processes.

2022

In 2022, Jamestown Plastics from Brocton, NY, acquires Tamarack Packaging to increase production capacity and expand product capabilities to include custom vinyl and sewn products.

2024

In 2024, Tamarack implements its Quality Management System to help achieve ISO 9001:2015 certification in early 2025.

Today, Tamarack continues to manufacture custom vinyl products and thermoformed packaging solutions in Crawford County, PA. The company offers additional services such as sewing, heat sealing and custom decorating through foil stamping and screen printing, all backed by typical short lead times, with 100% product inspection prior to shipment.