WARREN – Family-owned manufacturer Taylor Box Co. has been acquired by a European secondary packaging group, Pusterla 1880 SPA, for an undisclosed amount.
Taylor Box has been based in Rhode Island since its founding in 1885, and the company’s president, Daniel Shedd, has been a prominent member of the state’s manufacturing community for years.
Taylor Box was named Manufacturer of the Year in 2022 by the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association.
The transaction includes Burt Rigid Box Inc. of Oneonta, N.Y., and will allow Pusterla – which is based in Venegono, Italy – to expand into the North American market, according to a news release from Taylor Box. Pusterla is a packaging company with manufacturing sites in the United Kingdom, Moldova, and Tunisia, and offices in Asia.
“Our U.S. expansion continues our strategic focus on the high-end market. We are honored to serve our clients wherever they are and want to be and doing so regionally advances our foundational commitment to sustainable production,” Pusterla CEO Roberto Marini said. “The addition to our group of two thriving American companies known for their quality, innovative solutions, and manufacturing experience will allow us to be present on a truly global scale.”
Terms of the deals were not disclosed. Neither Taylor Box nor Shedd could be immediately reached for comment. It was not immediately clear how the transaction will affect operations at the Warren factory, which employs about 70 people, according to PBN’s 2023 Book of Lists.
Taylor Box started in Warren in 1885. It offers high-end rigid box packaging for industries such as wine and spirits, financial, brand-marketing and luxury internet.
“I have enjoyed the past 45 years with my amazingly talented and hardworking team,” Shedd said in the news release announcing the acquisition. “Together, we built the award-winning, innovative, customer-focused market leader, Taylor Box Company.
“Merging with Burt to become part of Pusterla 1880 will continue to power our growth,” Shedd said. “As a fourth-generation, family-owned business, it is exciting to join with another multi-generational group that shares our culture of excellence and integrity. My team is all looking forward to a future filled with new opportunities to grow as an organization and as individuals. Most importantly, our clients are excited to explore with us the new capabilities and global luxury packaging presence of Pusterla’s international footprint.”
Shedd has served on the executive board of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association for several years, and David M. Chenevert, association executive director, said Monday that Shedd has been a strong advocate for Rhode Island’s manufacturing sector.
Like many company owners, Chenevert said, Shedd is at retirement age. “He got an offer he couldn’t refuse. It becomes a little bit of a loss [for the sector],” said Chenevert, adding that Shedd has already called him to say he’s like to remain involved in the community.
Laura Brodie, president and co-owner of Burt, will become the first nonfamily shareholder with Pusterla 1800, and will serve as president of the group’s North American operations, according to the release.
“To offer our clients and team the chance to participate in a global, yet very personal, business with a humble approach to service alongside industry-leading innovation and know-how is a privilege, Brodie said. “I’m very excited to join owners Luca Meana, the Meana family, and Roberto Marini as a member of the leadership team of a company I believe in, serving an industry I love. I look forward to integrating Burt and Taylor, two historic rigid box leaders, as the foundation of Pusterla’s North American presence.”
Burt Rigid Box Inc. has been a leading supplier of rigid boxes to international and regional clients since its founding in 1886, serving clients in the fragrance & skincare, confectionary, entertainment, and retail markets.
Pusterla employs more than 1,700 team members in 15 sites across the United Kingdom, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. The group manufactures high-end secondary packaging in various materials, conceived and produced based on the constant pursuit of innovative materials and original technical solutions.
(Update adds comments from David M. Chenevert, executive director of the Rhode Island Manufacturers Association.)
