Poppi Burke is a Project Manager for North America Outlook. Poppi is responsible for showcasing corporate stories in our digital B2B magazines and Digital Platforms, and...
Lily Sawyer is an in-house writer for North America Outlook Magazine, where she is responsible for interviewing corporate executives and crafting original features for the magazine,...
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Through sustainability, innovation, and an employee-owned culture, Shorr Packaging continues to outpace market growth. We sit down with CEO, Rob Onorato, and Sustainability Manager, Meredith Moore, who explain how the company is positioning itself as a trusted partner for customers seeking more efficient, optimized packaging solutions.
Over the course of the last five years, the US packaging industry has continued to grow slowly yet steadily by around four percent year-over-year.
Shorr Packaging (Shorr), however, has taken a much more progressive approach, having grown from a $500 million company in 2020 to a $1 billion company today.
“We’ve been growing at a 20+ percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and we fully expect that to continue,” introduces Rob Onorato, CEO.
Onorato cites two major factors behind Shorr’s recent growth – sustainability and freight efficiency.
Four or five years ago, if sustainable products cost more, most customers weren’t willing to absorb a significant premium, but this has changed considerably.
Recognizing that sustainability was evolving quickly, and many distributors weren’t taking a strategic approach, Shorr hired Meredith Moore, Sustainability Manager, in February 2023.
“Today, whenever we’re discussing new product introductions with manufacturers, we’re also discussing sustainability,” Moore observes.
“Meredith has fundamentally changed how Shorr is viewed from a sustainability standpoint,” Onorato continues.
When it comes to package design and freight efficiency, Shorr has made significant improvements in this area too.
Historically, products were shipped in corrugated boxes with protective packaging, tape, and void fill, meaning freight costs were heavily influenced by the dimensions of the package.
“Customers began realizing that for smaller items, they could replace traditional boxes with mailers. Whether padded or unpadded, mailers are smaller, lighter, and more cost-effective,” Onorato outlines.
As such, Shorr has worked with key suppliers to promote a sustainable, efficient shift away from traditional packaging as a result.
SUSTAINABLE MINDSET
As a company that has prioritized sustainability as an essential pillar of its day-to-day operation, Shorr continues to receive prestigious accolades.
It views sustainability as essential for both the environment and helping customers meet their own corporate objectives.
Its recent EcoVadis Silver Badge is a true reflection of Shorr’s genuine commitment to sustainability.
The EcoVadis Silver Badge assessment evaluates organizational sustainability performance across more than 175,000 companies worldwide through 21 sustainability criteria spanning four key areas: environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement.
“That first year took months. It was an extremely comprehensive assessment, and it required a lot of preparation,” reflects Moore.
Under the 2025 EcoVadis standards, the Silver Badge distinguishes companies ranking among the top 15 percent of all evaluated organizations, recognizing Shorr’s ongoing commitment to responsible and ethical operations and strategy.
“For us, the biggest lesson wasn’t about achieving a particular rating or badge, it was learning how to think differently about our business and translate those lessons into value for customers,” she adds.
Another example of Shorr’s sustainable mindset is being the recipient of the 2023 John Deere Sustainability Award, presented to suppliers demonstrating strong performance in sustainable processes, products, and operations.
“John Deere is a long-standing, traditional manufacturing company, and what ultimately differentiated us wasn’t just product selection – it was our ability to incorporate sustainability into their packaging strategy,” Onorato emphasizes.
“Meredith and the team demonstrated a range of sustainable packaging options tied to a broader sustainability roadmap.”
This approach helped Shorr win their business and subsequently earn John Deere’s Sustainability Award, with emphasis on emissions reduction, product circularity, and social improvement.
“The awards are appreciated, but they’re really a by-product of our commitment to innovation and customer value,” he points out.
SOLUTIONS-DRIVEN
Shorr listens to its customers before designing customized solutions using products and services from its network of more than 700 suppliers.
“85 percent of the inventory is already allocated to specific customer needs – for example, the inventory we stock in Chicago looks very different from what we stock in Atlanta or Los Angeles because it’s tailored to local requirements,” Onorato explains.
The company’s private label, ShorrExpress®, and its intellistock℠ inventory solution have helped simplify the purchasing process and streamline customers’ business needs.
Through ShorrExpress, products are strategically stocked across the company’s distribution centers, meaning if a customer needs stretch film, tape, mailers, or similar, the products are available and ready to ship from Shorr’s nearest warehouse.
On the other hand, intellistock has been one of the biggest technological developments in the company’s recent history.
This inventory management platform is offered to Shorr customers and gives them complete visibility into everything they purchase.
“Depending on the customer’s needs, our representatives can visit facilities, monitor inventory levels, and replenish stock according to agreed minimum and maximum levels,” Onorato tells us.
Today, Shorr manages over 40 percent of its revenue annually through intellistock, which benefits customers because they don’t need as much warehouse space, devote fewer resources to inventory management, and have less supplier relationships to oversee.
“Finance teams appreciate the simplification, and customers gain access to detailed purchasing data, inventory visibility, and demand forecasting tools. It’s become a very powerful platform,” he shares.
Shorr is a 100 percent employee-owned company that takes great pride in its culture, operating through an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
“Every employee, from executives to warehouse associates, has ownership in the company,” Onorato prides.
As such, Shorr was recently named the 2026 ESOP Company of the Year by the Illinois Chapter of the ESOP Association.
This sense of ownership mindset creates accountability, engagement, and a strong customer-first culture within the company.
“As we grow and become more profitable, employees directly benefit from that success. It’s one of the biggest drivers of our culture,” he acknowledges.
“Having worked in other organizations, I can honestly say the ESOP model creates a very different environment. People feel genuine ownership and responsibility and care about improving not only their own performance, but also the long-term success of the company,” Moore insights.
This mindset is visible every day across the company and its activities, where a positive culture is tangible and people feel encouraged to think about what’s best for the customer and the business in the long term.
“We’re a $1 billion company with no debt, focused on investing where it creates value,” Onorato sets out.
Unlike some of its competitors, Shorr is proud to have grown organically rather than through acquisitions.
“If we want to enter a new market, we’ll build a facility, hire and train people, and grow the business ourselves – that’s a major competitive advantage for us,” he adds.
“Having worked in other organizations, I can honestly say the ESOP model creates a very different environment. People feel genuine ownership and responsibility and care about improving not only their own performance, but also the long-term success of the company”
As it looks to the future, Shorr will continue investing heavily in sustainability, cold-chain packaging, and contract packaging services.
“Our real estate strategy is simple – we follow the customer,” Onorato states.
Operating across multiple distribution centers today and supported by a broad network of third-party logistics providers (3PLs), Shorr is confident in its ability to quickly establish operations in new locations.
More broadly, the company’s strategy remains centered around customer success.
“Recently, we won a major customer after their CEO personally asked me how we would support their business,” Onorato exemplifies.
Before launching the proposed new program, Shorr assembled a 35-person project team to map every milestone and risk.
As a result, the implementation and execution were exceptional, and the customer was thrilled with the results.
“That’s why we come to work every day – we want to be the logical choice whenever a customer has a packaging challenge or opportunity,” Onorato asserts.
“We’ve doubled the value of the business in five years, and I don’t see that momentum slowing.”
Ultimately, this is because Shorr genuinely cares about its customers. The company has 5,000 active accounts, and every day it works to earn their trust.
“In short, that’s what drives our growth,” he confidently concludes.
This company profile was produced by the editorial team at North America Outlook, a publication within the Outlook Publishing global network of B2B industry magazines.
Outlook Publishing showcases organisations and leadership teams shaping sectors including manufacturing, mining, construction, healthcare, supply chains, food production, and sustainability.
North America Outlook highlights organisations driving innovation and industry leadership across North America.
Poppi Burke is a Project Manager for North America Outlook. Poppi is responsible for showcasing corporate stories in our digital B2B magazines and Digital Platforms, and sourcing collaborations with Business Leaders, Brands, and C-suite Executives to feature in future editions.
Lily Sawyer is an in-house writer for North America Outlook Magazine, where she is responsible for interviewing corporate executives and crafting original features for the magazine, corporate brochures, and the digital platform.
