With more than 40 years of experience, Federal Package, a Minnesota-based company, partners with their clients to provide formula development, compounding, filling, decorating and retail-ready packaging. They have built an expertise in sustainability, employ a lean business model and have onshore manufacturing which allows them to support brands’ specific needs. They thrive on helping customers succeed, supporting them from the initial brief to the final launch. Here, Melissa Niebes, Chief Commercial Officer, Federal Package, tells us more about the company’s services and offerings.
Federal Package's organic additive, called Eco Smart, allows plastic to break down when placed in a landfill or ocean environment.
Jamie Matusow: What is Federal Package’s specialty?
Melissa Niebes: We currently specialize in hot pour blending, compounding and filling, which has made us one of the top deodorant, lip balm and sunscreen stick manufacturers in the U.S. today. We also have our own line of propel/repel containers that vary in size from 0.05oz up to 3.0oz capacity, and can be custom colored. Additionally, we have partners that provide jars, tubes and other containers we fill with a variety of formulations from hair pomades to stretch mark creams. Our lab team has over 90 years of combined experience that enables us to make and match any formula or customize stock formulas. We provide full turnkey solutions at the same location. That allows direct oversight to ensure quality and efficiency, which cuts down on costs and lead times.
JM: How has Federal Package evolved over the past few years regarding services/offerings?
MN: We’ve added to our engineering teams, invested in manufacturing quality processes and automation. This has allowed us to weather the employment shortage, continuing to produce at current or higher rates than previous years. We’ve expanded our in-house testing capabilities, so our labs are faster and more cost effective at qualifying incoming raw materials as well as finished goods. We are continuously adding new stock formulations for brands looking for speed to market, with a high concentration in vegan, natural and organic.
JM: Any product/collection you are most proud of?
MN: Recently a brand management company came to us with a unique sunscreen stick challenge. The brand wanted us to update their current formula to the U.S. market and color match to specific athletes’ skin tones. Due to an NDA, we were not privy to who the individuals were, the color or tone of their skin. So, we developed agreed upon targets, and created a range around it that provided enough variety to color match within two lab samples. Our team loved the opportunity and we’re looking forward to expanding the line with this exciting brand.
JM: Briefly describe a recent innovative or challenging product that Federal Package produced—and how it reflects the company’s expertise.
MN: Sustainability is everywhere right now, and we knew we needed to become experts in this space. We are fully committed to a circular economy for plastics, solving both for beginning of life and end of life. This year, to solve the beginning of life, we’ve introduced the ability to have our containers produced with PCR, PIR or a bio-based resin depending on the client’s needs.
For end of life, we maintained our recyclability, but have added an organic additive called Eco Smart that allows the plastic to break down when placed in a landfill or ocean environment. The additive causes the container to break down into CO2, methane and a rich humus or soil. It’s amazing in that it doesn’t contain any heavy metals or starch and does not produce microplastics like some other products on the market today.
JM: What’s next for Federal Package?
MN: We’re currently in the process of installing a water filtration system that will expand our formulation capabilities to a wider variety of skin, hand and body products. We also are working with our partners to source tubes, jars and other containers with our Eco Smart technology so brands can have a full line of products with this sustainability option. In addition, we’re working on our corporate sustainability assessment and putting in place company goals to reduce our carbon footprint.
Federal Package's organic additive, called Eco Smart, allows plastic to break down when placed in a landfill or ocean environment.
Jamie Matusow: What is Federal Package’s specialty?
Melissa Niebes: We currently specialize in hot pour blending, compounding and filling, which has made us one of the top deodorant, lip balm and sunscreen stick manufacturers in the U.S. today. We also have our own line of propel/repel containers that vary in size from 0.05oz up to 3.0oz capacity, and can be custom colored. Additionally, we have partners that provide jars, tubes and other containers we fill with a variety of formulations from hair pomades to stretch mark creams. Our lab team has over 90 years of combined experience that enables us to make and match any formula or customize stock formulas. We provide full turnkey solutions at the same location. That allows direct oversight to ensure quality and efficiency, which cuts down on costs and lead times.
JM: How has Federal Package evolved over the past few years regarding services/offerings?
MN: We’ve added to our engineering teams, invested in manufacturing quality processes and automation. This has allowed us to weather the employment shortage, continuing to produce at current or higher rates than previous years. We’ve expanded our in-house testing capabilities, so our labs are faster and more cost effective at qualifying incoming raw materials as well as finished goods. We are continuously adding new stock formulations for brands looking for speed to market, with a high concentration in vegan, natural and organic.
JM: Any product/collection you are most proud of?
MN: Recently a brand management company came to us with a unique sunscreen stick challenge. The brand wanted us to update their current formula to the U.S. market and color match to specific athletes’ skin tones. Due to an NDA, we were not privy to who the individuals were, the color or tone of their skin. So, we developed agreed upon targets, and created a range around it that provided enough variety to color match within two lab samples. Our team loved the opportunity and we’re looking forward to expanding the line with this exciting brand.
JM: Briefly describe a recent innovative or challenging product that Federal Package produced—and how it reflects the company’s expertise.
MN: Sustainability is everywhere right now, and we knew we needed to become experts in this space. We are fully committed to a circular economy for plastics, solving both for beginning of life and end of life. This year, to solve the beginning of life, we’ve introduced the ability to have our containers produced with PCR, PIR or a bio-based resin depending on the client’s needs.
For end of life, we maintained our recyclability, but have added an organic additive called Eco Smart that allows the plastic to break down when placed in a landfill or ocean environment. The additive causes the container to break down into CO2, methane and a rich humus or soil. It’s amazing in that it doesn’t contain any heavy metals or starch and does not produce microplastics like some other products on the market today.
JM: What’s next for Federal Package?
MN: We’re currently in the process of installing a water filtration system that will expand our formulation capabilities to a wider variety of skin, hand and body products. We also are working with our partners to source tubes, jars and other containers with our Eco Smart technology so brands can have a full line of products with this sustainability option. In addition, we’re working on our corporate sustainability assessment and putting in place company goals to reduce our carbon footprint.
