Friesen Packaging Network
A network of vetted domestic and international packaging manufacturers, extending your access to specialized capabilities, competitive pricing, and supply chain resilience.
Why a Packaging Network?
The packaging landscape has fundamentally changed. Tariff escalations, supply chain disruptions, and shifting trade policies mean that relying on a single manufacturing source, or a single country, is no longer a viable strategy.
The Friesen Packaging Network (FPN) solves this by giving you direct access to a curated group of approved manufacturing partners across multiple countries and capabilities. From product prototyping to niche product manufacturing, FPN extends what Friesen Plastics can deliver, without compromising on quality, compliance, or accountability.
One point of contact. Multiple manufacturing options. Greater value for your business.
Global Manufacturing Partners
Approved partners across five countries, each selected for quality standards, production capability, and regulatory compliance.
Canada
Our home base. BRC-certified polyethylene manufacturing in Lethbridge, Alberta, with strategic manufacturing partners in Toronto and Vancouver. Domestic production means no tariffs, no border delays, and rapid turnaround for Canadian customers. Ideal for food-grade PE bags, rollstock, and wicketed products.
United States
Partner facilities for products serving the US market directly. Nearshore manufacturing eliminates cross-border tariff exposure on US-destined orders, with faster logistics to American distribution centres. Specialized capabilities in multi-layer films and laminated structures.
China
Established manufacturing partners with extensive capabilities in stand-up pouches, laminated films, spout pouches, and complex multi-layer structures. Competitive pricing on high-volume orders with rigorous quality oversight. All partners are audited and approved by Friesen Plastics.
Vietnam
A growing manufacturing hub for flexible packaging, offering competitive costs and strong capabilities in woven bags, laminated pouches, and printed films. Vietnam provides a strategic diversification option as companies seek alternatives to single-country sourcing.
India
Partners specializing in PP woven bags, BOPP laminated products, and high-volume printed pouches. India's growing packaging sector offers competitive pricing with improving quality standards and a favourable trade position for many product categories.
Navigating the New Trade Landscape
Tariffs and trade policy have made multi-source supply chains essential. Here is how FPN protects your business.
Tariff Mitigation
With average US tariff rates at historic highs and country-specific rates varying from 10% to over 100%, sourcing from a single country exposes your business to unpredictable cost swings. FPN maintains approved suppliers across multiple tariff zones, allowing us to route production to the most cost-effective origin for your specific product and destination.
Total Landed Cost Optimization
Unit price is only part of the equation. FPN evaluates total landed cost, including freight, duties, quality control, lead times, and inventory carrying costs, to recommend the sourcing strategy that delivers the best value. Sometimes domestic production wins. Sometimes offshore is significantly more competitive. We model both.
Supply Chain Resilience
Single-source dependence is a vulnerability. Whether it is a tariff escalation, a shipping disruption, or a geopolitical event, FPN ensures you always have an alternative. Every critical product category has at least two qualified sources in different countries or regions.
Market Access
Serving customers in both Canada and the United States? FPN can produce your Canadian orders domestically and your US-destined orders from a US or CUSMA-compliant facility, eliminating cross-border tariff exposure on both sides.
Specialized Capabilities
Some packaging formats require equipment or materials that no single plant carries. FPN gives you access to capabilities like retort pouches, high-barrier laminates, shaped pouches, child-resistant packaging, and other specialized formats: all through one relationship.
Quality Assurance
Every FPN partner is vetted through Friesen Plastics' supplier qualification process. Factory audits, sample testing, pilot production runs, and ongoing quality monitoring ensure that products from any FPN facility meet the same standards our customers expect from our own plant.
How It Works
1. Consultation
Tell us what you need. We assess your product requirements, target market, volume, timeline, and budget. If it is something we produce in-house, we handle it directly. If a network partner is a better fit, whether for capability, capacity, or cost reasons: we recommend the right source.
2. Sourcing & Quoting
We gather quotes from qualified FPN partners and present options with a full total-landed-cost analysis. You see the unit price, freight estimate, duty rates, and projected delivery timeline for each option. No surprises.
3. Production & Quality Control
Friesen Plastics manages the order through production. We coordinate artwork, approve pre-production samples, monitor quality through third-party inspections where needed, and ensure the finished product meets your specifications before it ships.
4. Logistics & Delivery
We manage freight, customs documentation, and delivery logistics. Whether the product is coming from our plant in Lethbridge or a partner facility overseas, it arrives at your door with one invoice and one point of accountability, Friesen Plastics.
Extended Capabilities
Products and formats available through the FPN network, beyond our in-house polyethylene capabilities.
Laminated Pouches
Multi-layer laminated stand-up pouches, flat-bottom pouches, and pillow pouches with barrier properties for coffee, snacks, pet food, and more.
Spout Pouches
Liquid packaging with fitments, screw caps, flip caps, drink spouts. For beverages, sauces, baby food, cleaning products, and industrial liquids.
PP Woven & BOPP Bags
Heavy-duty woven polypropylene and BOPP-laminated bags for agriculture, construction, pet food, and retail. Up to 50 kg capacity with photo-quality print.
Rotogravure Printing
Photo-realistic print quality for premium retail packaging. Rotogravure printing delivers sharper detail and richer colour than flexographic printing, ideal for high-end consumer brands.
Child-Resistant Packaging
Certified child-resistant pouches and bags meeting ASTM and CPSC standards. Required for pharmaceuticals, supplements, and regulated consumer products.
Retort & High-Barrier
Retort-grade pouches for shelf-stable foods, high-barrier films for moisture and oxygen-sensitive products, and vacuum-rated structures for extended shelf life.
Expand Your Packaging Options
Whether you need specialized capabilities, competitive international pricing, or tariff-smart sourcing, the Friesen Packaging Network delivers.