Second-Hand Printing Equipment Becomes a Packaging Empire

TPC’s rich history all began with an interesting purchase and a lot of familial gumption. The business first opened its doors as Textile Printing Company on April 19, 1924, when Joseph A. Schmissrauter, Sr. purchased some used printing equipment for $250. “Smitty,” as Joe Sr. was known, established the company philosophy that “the customer is at the top of the organizational chart,” a sentiment that still drives the business a century later. He passed this philosophy down to his son, Joe Jr., whose leadership turned TPC into one of the strongest independent folding carton companies in all of North America.

Family Owned and Operated from Day One

What began as a family business has continued to be one all these years later. One hundred years later, to be exact. When Joe Jr. passed away in October of 2000, he passed ownership to his four children, Joe III, Mark, Kurt, and Hilda. In 2019, the third generation of the Schmissrauter family and their staff celebrated their 95th anniversary, and at the gathering, President Joe III happily declared, “TPC has survived world wars, recessions, and even the great depression.” Now we can add global pandemic to that already remarkable list. 

Always Adapting

Much of TPC’s staying power can be attributed to the continual flexibility of leadership. Their agile team has embraced the changing times, developing technology, and industry shifts, always adapting their operations and manufacturing processes to maintain relevance and profitability. “The nimbleness and flexibility we have enjoyed as an independent folding carton company over the past century has sustained us,” Hilda Murray, Executive VP and third generation owner, said. 

From letterpress label making to cut-and-glue envelope manufacturing to multi-color litho-offset press, TPC persisted decade after decade, chasing new business through the 50s, 60s, and 70s, always adapting to meet the changing needs of customers. 

Folding Cartons and Beyond

When the North American Free Trade Agreement was established in the mid 80s, the textile industry dissolved, forcing TPC to once again reinvent. And reinvent they did. Through a third party partnership with Walmart and Kmart, they started manufacturing DVD sleeves by the millions. They also began producing cartons for Fujifilm, cereal cartons for McKee Bakery, over-the-counter pharma packaging for Chattem Drug, photo envelopes for Olan Mills, and more. However, in the 90s and early 2000s, digital changed the game once again, and as technology advanced, much of TPC’s business went away leaving them to shift yet again. As always, they found their new niche– specialty and luxury packaging, and their latest foray into rigid box manufacturing has launched the business into exciting, new territory and a 60,000-square foot building expansion to make it all possible.

Always Moving Forward

Through changing times, dramatic industry shifts, astonishing technology advancements, a major economic recession, and even a global pandemic, TPC has not only endured, but thrived. And to what do they credit their on-going success? Innovation, adaptation, and family to lean on through it all. 

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