Amcor, Berry, and Your Next Packaging Order: An Admin's FAQ

Office administrator for a 400-person manufacturing company. I manage all our packaging and print ordering—roughly $85,000 annually across 8 vendors. I report to both operations and finance. When the news broke about Amcor and Berry Global, my inbox lit up with questions from our marketing and ops teams. Honestly, I had to do some digging myself. So, here are the answers to the questions we actually asked, based on what I've learned managing these relationships for the last 5 years.

1. What's the deal with Amcor and Berry Global? Should I be worried about my current supplier?

Honestly, I'm not sure why these big mergers always seem to happen right after you've finally gotten a vendor process smoothed out. My best guess is it's about scale and competing for those huge global contracts. The short answer: don't panic, but do pay attention.

If your supplier is part of this consolidation (and let's be real, in packaging, Amcor and Berry are everywhere), changes might be coming to your account rep, ordering portal, or even product lines. I learned this in 2020 when another one of our vendors got acquired. The best thing you can do? Get clarity. Ask your rep directly: "Will my day-to-day contact, pricing, or lead times change in the next 6-12 months?" Get the answer in an email. There's something satisfying about having that paper trail if things go sideways later.

2. We need custom plastic totes for a trade show. How do I even start getting a quote?

It's tempting to think you can just email "need 500 custom totes" and get an apples-to-apples quote. But the specs (and the hidden costs) are where things get messy. Basically, you need to provide way more detail than you think.

When I had to source computer tote bags for a women in tech conference last year, I made this checklist:
- Quantity: The exact number, plus if you might need a reorder later.
- Dimensions: Height, width, depth. In inches and centimeters.
- Material: Say "non-woven polypropylene" not just "plastic bag."
- Printing: How many colors? Full-color process (CMYK) or specific Pantone (PMS) matches? Provide the exact Pantone numbers if you have them. Industry standard color tolerance is Delta E < 2 for brand-critical colors.
- Timeline: Include a real deadline with a buffer. If you need them by October 1st, ask for a quote with delivery by September 20th.

So glad I made that list. Almost sent a vague request to three vendors, which would have gotten me three totally different quotes that were impossible to compare.

3. I see "Amcor Allentown PA" on a quote. Does the plant location matter to me?

It can, actually. This was a lesson from our 2024 vendor consolidation project. A supplier with a plant closer to your shipping destination (like Amcor's facility in Allentown, PA, if you're on the East Coast) can sometimes mean lower freight costs and faster transit times. It's not a guarantee, but it's a question worth asking: "Which of your facilities would fulfill this order?"

Freight can be a hidden cost monster. A vendor with a slightly higher unit price but a much closer warehouse might end up being cheaper overall. I always ask for a quote that breaks out freight vs. product costs. The vendor who lists all fees upfront—even if the total looks higher at first glance—usually costs less in the end because there are no surprises.

4. We're ordering a large foam board display. Is that stuff flammable for shipping?

This is a great question that most people don't think to ask until it's too late. Standard foam board insulation (like what's used for signs) is often made from polystyrene, which is flammable. This matters for shipping and storage.

According to USPS and major freight carriers, materials have specific classification requirements. You can't just slap a label on a highly flammable board and drop it at the post office. A reputable print vendor should handle this classification and use appropriate, flame-retardant materials for large displays meant for commercial events. If they don't bring it up, you should. Dodged a bullet when I asked this for a conference booth; was one click away from ordering a standard board that would have been a nightmare (and extra cost) to ship properly.

5. How do I handle a "rush" order without getting ripped off?

First, define "rush." Is it 3 days vs. 3 weeks? Or 3 weeks vs. 3 months? Be specific. I've never fully understood the pricing logic for rush orders—the premiums vary so wildly between vendors that I suspect it's more art than science.

My rule now: I ask for the standard lead time price and the rush price, in writing. Then, I go back to my original project timeline and see where the delay really happened. Half the time, the "rush" is because someone sat on the approval for two weeks. If the rush is truly unavoidable, I ask what specifically drives the cost up (overtime labor, expedited material shipping, air freight) and if there's any flexibility. Sometimes, changing one small spec (like reducing the number of ink colors) can shave time and cost off a rush job.

6. What's something about packaging procurement I might not know I should ask?

Ask about their sustainability claims. This is huge now. If a vendor says a plastic package is "recyclable" or "made with recycled content," ask them for the details. Per FTC Green Guides, these claims need to be substantiated. A product claimed as 'recyclable' should be recyclable in areas where at least 60% of consumers have access to recycling for it.

I learned this the hard way. In 2022, I ordered "100% recyclable" plastic mailers because marketing wanted to look green. Turns out, they were only recyclable in a handful of specialized facilities, not in our city's curbside program. We got called out on it by a customer. It made me look bad to my VP. Now, I ask: "Can you provide documentation on the recyclability of this material in municipal systems?" If they can't give you a straight answer, that's a red flag.

7. Any final, boring-but-critical advice?

Yeah, the most boring thing of all: get the invoice format right. Seriously. In 2021, I found a great price on some specialty cartons—$800 cheaper than our regular supplier. Ordered 5,000 units. They delivered fine, but could only provide a handwritten PDF receipt. Not a proper invoice with PO line items, tax ID, and remittance address. Finance rejected the expense report. I ended up having to cover $800 out of the department's discretionary budget to fix it. Now, I verify invoicing capability before I place the first order. It's the least glamorous part of the job, but it saves a ton of headache.