Welch Packaging expands Tennessee footprint through merger with ABCOR Packaging

USA – Welch Packaging Group, Inc. has finalized its merger with ABCOR Packaging, a Cleveland, Tennessee-based producer of corrugated products. 

The deal, announced recently, brings ABCOR into Welch’s growing network of facilities across the state. Financial details of the transaction remain private.

ABCOR Packaging, established in 2007 by principals Ricky Sanders and Tom Cassada, specializes in high-quality corrugated solutions for customers in southeast Tennessee, northern Georgia, and western North Carolina. 

The company has earned recognition for its hands-on customer service and active involvement in local initiatives. 

Sanders and Cassada have long emphasized ABCOR’s role as a community-rooted operation.

Scott Welch, President and CEO of Welch Packaging, expressed enthusiasm about the integration. 

He stated that the move strengthens operations in a key market area. “This partnership allows us to deliver enhanced services to clients while opening new career paths for ABCOR’s staff,” Welch said. 

He highlighted the company’s approach to growth by collaborating with established independents. 

Welch noted that such unions preserve the unique ties these firms maintain with their workforces, clients, and neighborhoods.

After reviewing various options, Sanders and Cassada determined that the merger matched their core priorities, including robust partnerships with suppliers and employees alongside advanced manufacturing options. 

“We saw clear benefits in combining forces with Welch’s established sheet plant system,” Sanders remarked. 

This step introduces ABCOR customers to fresh capabilities like graphic packaging, digital printing, and bulk laminating. 

It also enables access to multi-color large-format printing, precision die-cutting, and specialized gluing processes.

For those at ABCOR, the change means broader resources without disrupting day-to-day operations. 

Sanders added that the team anticipates greater scope for innovation and professional development. 

Welch Packaging, known for its focus on efficient, durable packaging materials, now operates additional sites in West, Middle, and East Tennessee through this addition. 

The merger supports Welch’s ongoing efforts to scale production while maintaining quality standards in the region.

This development arrives amid rising demand for reliable corrugated solutions in the Southeast U.S. 

With ABCOR’s local expertise now backed by Welch’s infrastructure, the combined entity stands ready to meet increased orders for custom corrugated items.

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