Corrugated boxes for produce growers and packers

Produce cartons are bought in seasons: a packing shed needs a full stock of one or two sizes before the harvest, and the boxes have to hold their shape in a cooler. We quote new produce boxes by the pallet, plain or with simple print.

What gets packed, and how it travels

Vented cartons for fruit, half-slotted trays with a telescope lid for berries and stone fruit, larger RSCs for root crops and melons. Fruit and vegetable preserving employed 173,844 people in 2025 by BLS count, with California, Wisconsin and Washington the largest states; the fresh side of the business, growers and shippers, sits in many of the same regions.

The carton goes from a field or packing line straight into a cooler, then onto a refrigerated trailer. It spends most of its life cold and damp.

Where the wrong box goes wrong

Board absorbs moisture in a cooler and loses stacking strength. A carton that tested fine dry can crush on the bottom layer of a pallet after a week in cold storage. Vent holes cut in the wrong place weaken the corners, which carry most of the load. These are reasons to tell us how the boxes will be stored, not only how big they are.

Season planning

Growers and sheds generally know their pack-out from last year. Use that to size the order, split into deliveries timed to the harvest so the shed is not storing a whole season of flats from the first week. Leave room for a heavy crop. Vent holes, hand holds and stacking tabs are cut on the die, so any change to the design should be settled well before the season.

Produce marketing boards and buyers often set standard carton footprints, and some require a particular grade or a wax coating for wet-packed crops such as broccoli or leafy greens. If your buyer has a specification, include it with your request; we quote to match.

Questions buyers ask

Do you supply wax coated boxes?: Tell us the crop and the storage conditions and we will quote what is available for it, including moisture-resistant board. We do not promise a coating before we know the use.
Where should vent holes go?: Away from the corners and the score lines, which carry the stacking load. Send your current box or a drawing and we will quote to it.
Can we order ahead of the season?: Yes, ask early. Send the sizes and counts for the season and the delivery ZIP.
How early should we order for the season?: Plan once last season's pack-out is known and the crop outlook is clear. Telling us the expected weekly pack lets the order be split into deliveries that follow the harvest.
Do you quote vented and waxed cartons?: Yes, as specifications to quote: vents, handholds and coatings are set on the die and at the plant. Tell us the crop and how it is cooled.

Boxes for produce growers and packers: ask for a price

Give each size you use with its grade and count, and the ZIP it goes to. Several sizes can go on one request.

Inside size: length x width x depth, in inches
Style: RSC, full overlap, telescope, die-cut or bulk
Wall and grade: read it off the stamp on your current box
Count: boxes per order, and how often you reorder
Packed weight: box plus contents
ZIP: where the boxes are delivered

After you send it

We reply by email, usually with questions first if anything is unclear
You confirm the specification, and a sample or drawing if it is a new design
We send the price, the delivery window and the count tolerance
On approval the order is scheduled and shipped to your dock