Ontario-based Enjay Converters has acquired New Method Packaging LLC, an Ohio manufacturer of corrugated and paper-based food packaging, in a move that gives the Canadian converter a second North American production footprint and strengthens its position across bakery, pizza, and broader foodservice supply channels. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The Strategic Fit
Founded in 1982 by Neil Miller, New Method operates out of Springfield, Ohio, running a 97,000-square-foot production facility and a 43,000-square-foot warehouse. Its core product lines — cake circles, trays and boards, ovenable baking trays, and carryout boxes — overlap closely with Enjay's existing Canadian portfolio, which also includes cake boxes, muffin cups, piping bags, and paperboard circles for in-store bakeries and food processors. That product-line alignment gives the combined entity immediate cross-selling optionality without significant portfolio redundancy.
For Enjay, which operates a 90,000-square-foot manufacturing and office facility plus a 70,000-square-foot distribution centre in Cobourg, Ontario, the deal solves a geographic constraint. U.S.-based bakery and foodservice customers now have domestic production access, reducing lead times and potentially insulating the supply chain from cross-border logistics friction — a pressure point that has grown more acute across North American food packaging since 2022.
Ownership Transition and Operations
The transaction also facilitates a planned leadership succession at New Method. Kevin Miller, who joined the company in 1982 and assumed the presidency in 2006, will gradually step back, handing day-to-day operations to his son Jerad Miller. The full management team and employee base are expected to remain in place and work in close collaboration with Enjay's Canadian leadership — a structure typical in family-business acquisitions where operational continuity is a condition of the deal.
Montréal-based Champlain Financial Corporation acted as Enjay's financial partner in completing the transaction, though its role beyond financing was not specified.
What It Means for the Supply Chain
The paper-based food packaging segment serving foodservice operators has faced sustained input cost volatility, with containerboard and paperboard prices cycling through sharp moves over the past three years. Scale and dual-facility production give converters more leverage with substrate suppliers and more flexibility to absorb short-term demand swings from large grocery and foodservice accounts. For operators — particularly in-store bakery programs at major grocery chains, independent pizzerias, and institutional foodservice — a larger, better-capitalized supplier base generally translates to more reliable supply and competitive pricing on commodity-adjacent SKUs like cake boards and carryout boxes.
Enjay's products are sold across North America, with manufacturing primarily in Canada and supplemental sourcing from Asia, the United States, and Europe. Adding a U.S. production node diversifies that mix and positions the combined company to pursue larger area supply agreements with national accounts that require domestic-origin documentation.
For operators tracking packaging supply trends, the deal is consistent with broader consolidation activity in food packaging and distribution that has accelerated as buyers seek scale to offset cost pressure. It also reflects continued investment in bakery-channel foodservice supply, where carryout and ovenable formats remain growth categories tied to the sustained consumer demand for fresh-baked goods through both retail and foodservice outlets.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
