Canadian food-contact packaging manufacturer Enjay Converters has acquired New Method Packaging LLC, an Ohio-based designer and converter of corrugated and paper-based bakery and pizza packaging. The all-in deal, backed by Montréal-based Champlain Financial Corporation, gives Enjay a second North American manufacturing base and deepens its reach into U.S. foodservice and retail bakery channels. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The Combined Portfolio
Founded in 1982, New Method operates out of Springfield, Ohio, producing cake circles, trays and boards, ovenable baking trays, and carryout boxes primarily destined for bakery, pizza, and broader foodservice channels. Enjay, co-founded in 1983 and headquartered in Cobourg, Ontario, manufactures a complementary set of products — cake boards, cake and party boxes, cupcake stands and liners, disposable piping bags, and muffin cups — from a 90,000-square-foot production facility and a separate 70,000-square-foot distribution center. Together, the two companies cover virtually the full spectrum of paper-based bakery packaging sold across North America.
For foodservice operators and in-store bakery buyers, the consolidation matters: a combined supplier with facilities on both sides of the border can offer faster fulfillment, potentially broader SKU depth, and more resilient supply than either company could independently. The addition of New Method's 97,000-square-foot Springfield production facility and adjacent 43,000-square-foot warehouse is particularly relevant as bakery and foodservice packaging demand has tightened in recent years amid ongoing paper-supply constraints.
Leadership Transition
The deal also formalizes a generational handoff at New Method. Kevin Miller, who joined the company at its founding in 1982 and became president in 2006, will gradually step back, with his son Jerad Miller assuming leadership. The entire New Method management team and workforce are expected to remain in place and collaborate closely with Enjay's team in Cobourg — a structure designed to protect continuity for existing customers during the integration.
The acquisition reflects a broader consolidation trend in specialty food packaging, where scale increasingly determines who can invest in sustainable materials, automation, and dual-country logistics. For operators sourcing food-safe packaging for restaurant and retail bakery programs, supplier consolidation of this kind can mean longer-term pricing stability and a single point of contact for a wider range of SKUs. Enjay's products are already sold across North America through major grocery retail chains, independent bakeries, food processors, and distributors serving the foodservice sector.
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.
