Talk to me about how Arkay was founded and how the business has grown since its beginning.
Arkay was originally founded as a printing company in 1922 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan by Max Kaneff and William Rayburn. Later that decade, Max Kaneff became the sole proprietor of ArKay and in the 1940’s began converting the company into packaging. That transition was led by Max’s son, Howard Kaneff, the second-generation leader of the company. Arkay is now owned and operated by third generation CEO, Mitchell Kaneff, Howard Kaneff’s son, who directed the transition of Arkay’s manufacturing in New York to Roanoke, VA.
Could you share some insights into the materials and design considerations behind Arkay’s packaging solutions? How do these choices align with the company’s sustainability goals?
Our commitment to sustainability is illustrated by the 2023 ESG Report found on our website (Arkay.com). Included are our numerous environmental certifications including FSC, SFI, PEFC, and more. We are thrilled to announce that we have achieved a 2024 Platinum Rating from EcoVadis placing Arkay in the top 1% of companies. We produce cartons on certified recyclable substrates and offer paperboard options that include post-consumer recycled fiber content.
What challenges, if any, has Arkay encountered in implementing sustainable packaging solutions, and how has the company addressed or overcome these challenges?
As a manufacturer of premium packaging, our customers are regularly looking for enhanced decoration techniques to create maximum shelf presence. Historically, that has included full metalized film lamination and foil stamping that creates sustainability challenges. Arkay offers both Cold Foil decoration and Transfer Metallization options to create equally dynamic graphics while improving the Sustainability of the packaging.
What sets Arkay above their competitors?
Our financial strength allows us to provide state of the art manufacturing capabilities with multiple premium decoration capabilities. More importantly, our New York design studio and our Roanoke, VA manufacturing facility are exclusively focused on providing the best quality and service to our customers. We recognize that our customers hiring Arkay to help them position their products as the best in their markets – and at Arkay we work daily to meet those expectations.
Looking ahead, what are Arkay’s aspirations and goals regarding packaging sustainability? Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives in this area that you’re particularly excited about?
We coordinate regularly with many of our customers to help them achieve their Sustainability goals. Arkay has committed to reduce scopes 1 & 2 GHG emissions 42% by 2030. Arkay has set our long-term goal to be at net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
