Meet Jeremy, The Box Maker

Written by Jarin Eisenberg | Jun 9, 2020 8:01:00 PM

Meet Jeremy, the CEO & Founder of Givr Packaging. A graduate from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Jeremy holds a BS in Paper Science—yes, it is a real degree—and over his career has developed hundreds of packaging projects for brands like The Hershey Company, Kellogg's, Godiva, Disney, and more.

After traveling the country for over 2 years, Jeremy, his wife, Amy, and their two children made their way to Florida's Space Coast. "It wasn’t until after we landed here that we discovered the Space Coast is a hot spot for tech innovation. We feel it is the next 'Silicone Valley' of technology and tech-enabled manufacturing. There are a ton of exciting things happening."

A Passion for Packaging

Jeremy started in the paper industry at 17, working on recycled commercial products. From there, he started working in the packaging industry as an engineer and helped develop several patents for innovative technologies around paper and packaging coatings. After working for several years in sales and management positions, Jeremy was ready to go out on his own, and he was ready to do something different. "I knew the industry needed to do more than create tree farms for its own harvesting. Our hope was that we could compete with the big guys and drive a net positive environmental footprint at the same time. Our dream was to do all of this while still providing kick-ass packaging solutions at or below market price."

I Knew We Were Onto Something

In 2018, Givr had a sales goal of $10,000. They exceeded that within two months, and within six months were close to $100,000 in sales—and Jeremy knew they were onto something. To date, 100% of their business has come from inbound leads and customer referrals; Givr does not employ any sales staff yet.

Having worked out of Groundswell Startups since April of 2019, Givr is now expanding to the building next door, where they will be able to scale their design and production process. "The GS community has been like a second family. When we moved to the area, I knew we needed to network and get tied into a forward-thinking community. When I found Groundswell, I was so excited that I emailed an inquiry when we were still 4 months out from arriving. I just saw so much potential in a community like Groundswell. I have not been disappointed." Recently, Givr designed the packaging for a fellow Groundswell Company, Swift Paws, shown here.

Custom Packaging Doing Social Good

The pulp, paper, and packaging industries are some of the harshest on the environment. Givr was created to give environmentally conscious buyers a package option that fights to protect the planet. All of Givr's products are 100% recyclable and whenever possible are made from recycled materials. Core to their mission is partnering with tree-planting organizations both in the United States and abroad to help fight deforestation by replacing all of the fiber used in their boxes. To put it simply, every box replaces itself twentyfold.

Givr prides itself on its high-touch customer service and support, all the way from ideation to execution. They see their customers as partners, and their loyalty has been an indication that Givr is on the right track. "We aim to provide incredible products on time and at fair prices. We have done that very well, and if we continue to do those things very well, we will win. It’s that simple."

Givr Packaging Projects

These are just a few examples of the types of products and projects Givr works on. For more information on Jeremy, Givr, and the ways they give back to the environment, please visit: https://www.givrpack.com/.

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