Committed To Your Success
About Us
PROVIDING ONE RESOURCE FOR
All Your Packaging Needs
Highland is committed to making cost effective, high quality packaging by manufacturing large volume products using PET material. Our creativity combined with customer service, efficient manufacturing, integrated in-house design, labeling and inventory management planning makes Highland the top choice to service your packaging needs.
From the phone to the field, our customer service and sales professionals are ready to serve you. To do that, we must deliver quality products and excellent service. That’s why we walk the fields with our growers, and regularly chat with our customers to stay current on market trends and demand. It’s a huge part of our commitment to your success, making us your one resource to quickly get your products to the marketplace.
HELPING YOU GROW
Worldwide
Since our founding, we have experienced rapid growth through expansion of product and service offerings to the food packaging market. Highland has become a prominent manufacturing supplier of food packaging. Highland’s products meet, or exceed, the sustainability requirements of major retailers. Highland ships its products throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America and Europe.
You have expectations. We exceed them. No matter what the packaging challenge, Highland will provide the solutions you want with the turnaround you need.
STARTING FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Highland's History
Wesley Collins is an early example of the great American farmer. Steve Maxwell, CEO of Highland Packaging Solutions, followed his grandfather Collins through the fields of Georgia as a child.
He watched as his grandfather worked tirelessly to get his product to the marketplace, properly graded and hoping for the best possible price. Over time he recognized the challenges farmers face with post harvest quality, handling, and the marketing of their product. Realizing a need and opportunity for innovative packaging solutions to help farmers overcome these challenges, he dedicated himself to build a company that is committed to the success of the farmer.
From humble beginnings, Highland Packaging Solutions has grown as a service oriented business into a leading packaging and label source for produce. We offer a full-service packaging solution. We specialize in “just-in-time” deliveries with the ability to label over 3 million clamshells per day using 16 high speed label applicators. With our state-of-the-art technology, we can track shipments of clamshells and other packing materials from manufacturing to your dock.
STEVE MAXWELL & JOHN DURHAM
Building the American Dream
Steve Maxwell and John Durham met in 1985 in the South Texas town of Sinton. Upon serving in the U.S. Navy, Steve’s family moved to John’s neighborhood and began attending the same church. Sharing many common interests including a love of the outdoors, they quickly became friends. During this time, they would dream about the future and potentially being in business together. Their desire to provide for their families, lead others as employers and give back through a charitable standpoint fueled their aspirations to join forces in trade.
In 1990, Steve and family moved back to their home state of Florida, where he began working in the farming/produce industry, particularly potatoes. In 1993, Steve was hired as the Vice President for Ben Hill Griffin, Inc., one of Florida’s largest citrus growers, and continued his career in produce marketing/packaging for the next 10 years. Meanwhile, John had started his first company in Texas and built a large refinery-maintenance company that grew to more than 4,000 employees.
Throughout this time, Steve and John kept in contact and continued brainstorming their future business endeavors. In 2003, Steve left Ben Hill Griffin, Inc. to work for Highland Distribution Services with the plan of ownership on the horizon. In 2005, the dream was realized when John and Steve purchased the company and began transforming what was a regional distributor of ag packaging products to the now global manufacturer of quality agricultural packaging.
FROM THEN TO NOW
Where We Are Today
The dream that began nearly 30 years ago is being realized today. However, from John and Steve’s perspective it is only the beginning. “As long as we can maintain our culture, and keep our customers first, the growth potential is unlimited,” says Maxwell. “We don’t look at monetary goals – rather, the human element is our focus. It all comes down to people feeling good about themselves and reaching their full potential. By helping our customers reach their full potential, we then have the chance to help our employees do the same. To me and John, this is the ultimate satisfaction.”
Today, Highland Packaging Solutions and its Family of Companies are the leaders in agricultural plastic packaging and food safety systems throughout North America.