Novvia Group expands Northwest US footprint with Aaron Packaging acquisition

USA – Novvia Group, a global rigid packaging distributor backed by private equity firm Kelso & Company, has acquired the distribution assets of Aaron Packaging. 

The Sumner, Washington-based company, established in 1991, specializes in plastic and glass containers along with closures for industrial and consumer markets. Financial terms of the transaction remain undisclosed.

Aaron Packaging has supplied Novvia’s subsidiary Rhino Container for several years. 

Co-owner Jake Thulin, who will retain oversight of the firm’s manufacturing operations alongside brothers Bryan and Steve Thulin, described the long-standing partnership as a key factor in the decision. 

“We have valued our relationship with Novvia over the years and thought they were a natural home for our distribution business,” he said in a statement.

Novvia executive chairman Ken Roessler explained that the deal builds on the company’s entry into Oregon and Washington through a previous carve-out of JF Shelton’s packaging distribution business. 

The acquisition targets regional growth by adding operations with steady expansion potential.

Novvia operates several packaging entities, including Inmark, CL Smith, Silver Spur, Container Supply, and Fox Valley. 

Kelso, headquartered in New York, has invested over US$20 billion in equity across more than 140 transactions since 1980, with extensive experience in distribution and packaging.

This move follows Novvia’s recent purchases, such as Garrett Hewitt International in May 2025 for cosmetics packaging and MegaChem in March 2025, which focuses on pails, drums, and other rigid products in North Carolina.

In related industry developments, Amcor announced the launch of its Lift-Off Winter 2025/26 Challenge earlier this week, inviting startups to develop compostable adhesives, high-performance oxygen barriers for paper packaging, and nature-based additives for films.

The initiative seeks partnerships to advance flexible and paper-based solutions amid growing demand for recyclable and compostable options.

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