Portola wins 100% of Kroger milk closure business

By Portola Packaging Inc.

Naperville, Ill. (July 13, 2011) -The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) has awarded Portola Packaging Inc. 100% of its milk closure business.  The company is in the process of converting all of its fresh milk bottle brands to Portola’s 38 mm tamper-evident, drop band, plug closure, known as the DBJ. Also included in the conversion are Kroger’s juice and tea beverages.Independent consumer research conducted individually by both Kroger and Portola revealed a clear preference for this closure.

“Consumers prefer a drop band that stays on the bottle vs. a tamper-evident feature which requires that you tear off a band and then have to dispose of it. Additionally, consumers prefer the DBJ’s easy opening and resealing attributes, said Roy Robinson, vice president of business development, Portola. 

Portola manufactures the lightweight (2.6 grams) high-density polyethylene closure in all four of its North American plants.  This enables strong logistical support for Kroger’s geographically-dispersed filling locations. The DBJ closure also features three leads (thread starts) which make capper application easier. The multiple leads also facilitate consumer removal and replacement.

“Our company has been a long-time supplier to Kroger.  We are pleased that the company has shown a vote of confidence in our technology and supply capabilities by awarding Portola 100% of its milk closure business,” Robinson said.

About Kroger

Kroger, the nation’s largest traditional grocery retailer, employs more than 338,000 associates who serve customers in 2,458 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 31 states under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Jay C, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, King Soopers, QFC, Ralphs and Smith’s. The company also operates 786 convenience stores, 361 fine jewelry stores, 1,014 supermarket fuel centers and 40 food processing plants in the U.S. Kroger, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, focuses its charitable efforts on supporting hunger relief, health and wellness initiatives, and local organizations in the communities it serves. For more information about Kroger, please visitkroger.com.

About Portola Packaging
Portola Packaging, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of stock and custom tamper-evident plastic closures and containers for dairy, juice and other food segments.  The company is known for its superior product integrity, technical capability, global manufacturing footprint and speed-to-market.   For more info:portpack.com.

SOURCE: Portola Packaging Inc.