Our History

The RPA was founded in 1989 by a small and forward thinking group of retail packaging manufacturers. These companies incorporated as an association, formerly known as the Retail Packaging Manufacturers’ Association (RPMA). The sole purpose of RPMA was to stage an exhibit of manufacturers’ retail packaging products -- boxes, bags, bows, ribbons, tissue, etc. -- for the distributor network.

Prior to the first RPMA trade show on March 2,1990, manufacturers and distributors of retail packaging products were limited in their ability to network and develop new business on a national level. The only opportunities that existed then were trade shows non-specific to the industry, i.e., industrial paper suppliers and commercial plastics.

According to the association’s first promotional piece, “Just over a year ago in 1989, a group of prominent retail packaging manufacturers — tired of exhibiting at shows where their products got lost in the crowd — decided it was time to have a national show of their own!” That first show billed, Where Sun, Fun and Success are all Packaged Together was held in Hollywood, Florida at The Diplomat (since demolished). Cost to attend was $10 per person or $25 per company! This fee included one industry seminar, “Degradable Plastics” and exhibitor booths numbered less than 40.

Over the last 19 years the industry has expanded and consolidated. The association continues to adapt to the ever-changing world of retail packaging. The range of products and technology is far beyond what we would have ever imagined. A typical RPA convention has 100 to 125 exhibitors and offers a complete educational and networking agenda of seminars and forums before, during and after the show.

RPA Founders

Bob Bartz * Rudy Oswald * Michael Robertson * Ken Trottere * Richard Vogel

First Exhibitors in 1989

Berwick Industries Boas Box Co. Bonita Pioneer Packaging BOXit Corp. Climax Packaging Coastline Packaging Inc. The Crystal Tissue Co. Duro Designer El Pac Ltd. Encore Products Inc. Equality/Stribbons Fashion —Pak & Printing, Inc. First Choice Packaging Maryland Box Co. Old Dominion Box Co., Inc. PCL Packaging	Pioneer Giftwrap Plastic Packaging Corp. Printwrap Sales Regal Poly-Pak Seaman Paper Co. Shamrock Giftwrap Shore Manufacturing Co. Sydney Bag St. Joseph Packaging Inc. 3M S. Walter Packaging Corp. Webster Packaging We Package It.