Company Helps Businesses GROW One Box At A Time

Need a box in the shape of a t-shirt to wow your clients? How about a colorful cardboard floor display that lures customers to your new product? Or, maybe a box with a full-color photo to reinforce your brand?

Jayhawk Boxes, a GROW Nebraska member from Fremont, can help design and create a box for any product in almost any shape or size and in any color. Thanks to a current building expansion project and new high-tech equipment, Jayhawk is making it even easier and more affordable to create custom boxes and displays that can be used for packaging, shipping or showcasing products.

Sales Representative Scott Reeson, who has worked for Jayhawk Boxes for 30 years, said the company has some exciting new technology available to make boxes and display products in less time and with less expense.

“We can make anything out of corrugated paper,” Reeson said.

That includes product boxes, floor displays, counter displays, yards signs and more. Sizes range from the tiniest of boxes to large boxes that could hold a small car. Jayhawk’s new digital printer can print photo quality images on a box, and another new machine can create 250 boxes per minute.

Reeson said the new technology allows businesses to create special customized boxes. For example, Jayhawk created boxes for the University of Nebraska at Omaha to send to basketball and hockey season ticket holders. Tickets and season schedules were placed inside the boxes, and each box was personalized with the ticket-holder’s name.

They also work with a subscription company that sends different products to customers each month, and each month requires a different unique box.

Expanding to Meet Growing Demand

Jayhawk Boxes originally set up shop in Fremont in 1957 to make boxes for Hormel Foods. Its parent company is Lawrence Paper, which opened in 1882. Jayhawk still makes boxes for Hormel in addition to serving other businesses across the Midwest and beyond.

To keep up with the growing demand for boxes, Jayhawk started a $15-$17 million expansion project in April that includes adding 65,000 square foot of space and upgrading machinery. They hope to complete the project by next summer. Jayhawk will also be adding a handful of new employees to its staff that already includes 65 people.

Reeson said he has worked with several GROW Nebraska members over the years. They have made custom boxes for Ogallala Bay Rum and cardboard displays for Copperstone Foods/Rowdy’s Snacks, just to name a few.

“For a new customer starting out, if they want a pretty cool box, we can give it to them,” Reeson said.

Reeson works with each individual business owner to design boxes that fit each product. He ensures that boxes won’t break during shipping because they are made based on the weight and size of the product. Adding type or designs to the outside of the box isn’t required but is suggested.

“I always tell my customers, let us print something on the side of your box because it’s free advertising,” Reeson said. Placing one-color block letters with a businesses’ name, website and phone number on the outside of a Jayhawk Box doesn’t cost anything extra.

In addition to making boxes, Jayhawk can also store boxes in their warehouse for clients, and the storage is free for the first three months.

Jayhawk Boxes creates gift boxes for GROW Nebraska and worked with GROW this fall to create new designs and to offer personalization options. For example, a corporate customer may order a GROW Nebraska gift box and have their company name also printed on the box.

For more information, visit Jayhawk Boxes on GROW Nebraska’s website. Or, contact Scott directly at (402) 719-8318