A Firsthand Look at TAVO Packaging’s Manufacturing Facility
By Lauren Zuber, PPC Director of Marketing 
Inside TAVO Packaging’s Fairless Hills facility, folding carton manufacturing operates at an impressive scale. Towering rolls of paperboard, expansive warehouse systems, and highly advanced printing equipment immediately convey the complexity behind the cartons consumers interact with every day.
PPC President Emily Leonczyk and I recently toured the facility with CEO David Taylor, and we came away with a deeper appreciation for the operational coordination, technology, and expertise required to keep an operation like this moving.
TAVO specializes in high-volume folding cartons for quick-service restaurants, food service, refrigerated and frozen foods, and bakery products. Walking through the facility, it quickly becomes clear that the business is built to handle volume — and built to do it efficiently.
Built for Scale
One of the first things that stands out is the sheer size of the operation. Massive rolls of paperboard line the plant, warehouse racks stretch overhead, and cartons move continuously through different stages of production.
During the tour, Dave showed us the rail access area where freight cars deliver paperboard rolls directly into the building, underscoring the scale and logistical coordination behind their operation.
What also stood out was how integrated everything is. TAVO handles design, die-making, plate-making, printing, warehousing, and distribution in-house, giving the company a high level of control over quality, timelines, and consistency. That setup is a major advantage for customers who rely on uninterrupted supply and dependable production.
The facility itself reflects that mindset. Nothing felt excessive or performative. It felt organized, intentional, and built around efficiency.
Investing in Technology and Output
That same approach carries through to TAVO’s investment in technology. During the tour, we saw their Koenig & Bauer Rapida large-format press, part of TAVO’s continued investment in expanding capacity and increasing throughput.
Dave spoke frequently about responsiveness, specifically around the importance of moving quickly while maintaining high-quality standards. That focus was evident throughout our visit.
TAVO’s printing capabilities combine sheet-fed offset, large-format flexographic printing, CAD systems, and advanced converting technologies to support high-volume production while maintaining consistency across runs.
Beyond the equipment itself, one of the more interesting aspects of the tour was seeing the amount of precision involved behind the scenes. From the extensive die storage systems to the coordination required across the production floor, the visit served as a reminder that folding cartons are far more technically complex than most people realize.
Sustainability in Practice
Sustainability was visible throughout the facility in practical, operational ways.
We visited the area where paperboard scrap is collected, compacted, and prepared for recycling and reuse. This process reinforced how paperboard packaging manufacturers continually work to maximize material efficiency and reduce waste.
TAVO also incorporates energy-conscious initiatives throughout the facility, including solar energy systems, LED lighting, and responsibly sourced recyclable materials.
What stood out most was that sustainability did not feel separated from the operation itself. It appeared fully integrated into the company’s approach to efficiency, production, and long-term planning.
A Family Business with a Long-Term Mindset
One thing I appreciated most about the visit was that, despite the scale of the facility, TAVO still feels like a family-run business.
Founded in 1978 by Hal Taylor, the company is now led by second-generation brothers David and Jeff Taylor, and there’s a strong sense of accountability and pride throughout the operation.
The company’s core values, Team Player, Positive Attitude, Take Responsibility, Resourceful, Honest, are posted prominently inside the facility. Still, they also seemed reflected in the way the team operates day to day.
That combination of operational scale and family culture is not something you see everywhere.
Why Visits Like This Matter 
Tours like this are an important reminder of the expertise, coordination, and investment required to manufacture folding cartons at scale.
Consumers interact with packaging every day, but seeing an operation like TAVO firsthand offers a much deeper appreciation for everything happening behind the scenes to make those products possible.
For PPC, visits like this are also an opportunity to highlight the innovation happening across the folding carton industry and the continued investment our member companies are making in its future.
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Through member companies like TAVO Packaging, PPC continues to highlight the innovation and expertise shaping the future of folding cartons and paperboard packaging. To learn more about PPC and our member network, visit https://paperbox.org/about/