Healthcare packaging specialist Nelipak Corp. has acquired Merrill’s Packaging, adding two ISO-certified facilities in California and Costa Rica and broadening its capabilities in custom thermoforming for medical, pharmaceutical, and life science applications.
Merrill’s Packaging, headquartered in Burlingame, California, manufactures thermoformed trays and related components for regulated sectors and provides die-cut pouches, mounting cards, and design and development services. Its operations in Burlingame and Alajuela are ISO 13485 certified and include ISO Class 8 cleanrooms.
Pat Chambliss, CEO of Nelipak, said the acquisition strengthens the company’s position in high-value healthcare markets. “We are pleased to welcome the Merrill’s Packaging team to the Nelipak family. We have tremendous respect for their history of growth, innovation, and customer focus,” he said. “Nelipak will benefit from Merrill’s dedicated and talented team, custom thermoforming capabilities, strong customer relationships, and well-located production sites in California and Costa Rica.”
Merrill’s Packaging, founded in 1961, has expanded steadily, including entry into Costa Rica in 2010 and the opening of a larger site there in 2024. CEO Rick Schulz described the transaction as a meaningful step for both staff and customers. “This is an incredible growth opportunity for Merrill’s employees and customers,” he said. “With access to Nelipak’s global capabilities and broad suite of rigid and flexible product solutions, we look forward to exploring new ways to deliver value to our customers.”
Expansion in Costa Rica
The deal builds on Nelipak’s long-standing presence in Costa Rica, where it first established operations in 2012. Earlier this year, the company announced a new facility under development in Grecia, Alajuela province, to serve healthcare customers across Central America and the Caribbean.
Scheduled to open in mid-2026, the 60,000-square-foot Class-A building will feature an ISO Class 7 cleanroom and ISO 13485-certified production. The site is being developed with Portafolio Inmobiliario and will support thin- and heavy-gauge thermoforming, die-cut mounting cards and inserts, as well as expanded warehousing for Nelipak’s flexible packaging portfolio.
At the project announcement, Chambliss said, “We are thrilled to celebrate the start of construction on our newest facility in Costa Rica. This investment underscores our long-term commitment to our customers in Latin America and the Caribbean, and reflects our strategy to provide global excellence with strong local support.”
Strengthening US Capacity
Nelipak has also expanded its North American manufacturing base. Late last year, it opened a healthcare flexible packaging facility in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, now serving as its flagship US site for roll stock, die-cut lids, pouches, and bags. Material options span films, Tyvek, papers, and foil laminates, combined with proprietary heat-seal coating technologies such as Nelipak CR27 and SBP2000.
The 110,000-square-foot plant includes an ISO Class 7 cleanroom and was purpose-built to meet medical packaging production requirements. Quality systems are certified to ISO 13485.
Nelipak, founded in the Netherlands in the early 1950s and headquartered in Cranston, Rhode Island since 2013, now operates 14 sites worldwide across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.
