The History of FP International
or
The Start of Loosefill Packaging

Free-Flow Packaging Corporation was founded in 1967 by Arthur Graham. 

Graham pioneered the free-flowing interior packaging material industry.  In the 1950s,  he headed a company, Safe-T Pacific Company, that made soda fountain supplies including paper soda straws. The straw manufacturing process produced  “straw ends”, paper scrap that was about three quarters of an inch long.  Graham offered these straw ends to several local businesses to use as packaging material.  Among the first companies to test and use these "straw ends" were Gumps of San Francisco and AMFAC of Redwood City.  This packaging material was so successful that Safe-T Pacific started making “straw ends” to keep up with demand.   

As a result, Free-Flow Packaging Corporation was incorporated on December 1, 1967 to produce and sell the paper straw ends, known as FLO-PAK^® free-flowing cushioning material.   

The loosefill packaging industry was born. 

Already holding a patent for hollow paper tube packaging, the company looked at making its product from lightweight plastic.  In 1968 the company developed a unique, new extrusion process to produce its free-flowing cushioning material from expanded polystyrene.  The hollow polystyrene tube was crimped in the center to make a figure-eight-shape.  This distinctive figure-eight-shape both identified FLO-PAK loosefill and created greater product protection by interlocking with other eight-shapes in a carton during shipment. 

By 1989, the company had developed a recycling, or reclaim, system to allow use of post-consumer expanded polystyrene (EPS) packaging in its FLO-PAK loosefill.   The company was the first to use recycled content in its loosefill, creating a new industry standard.   

From recycling approximately 500,000 pounds of EPS in 1989, the company’s recycling effort has grown until today over 11 million pounds of EPS are recycled annually at its U.S. and U.K. facilities.  All the recycled material is used to make new FLO-PAK loosefill.  

The company has received national recognition for its unique polystyrene recycling program, including awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Recycling Coalition as well as numerous state and local environmental organizations.   

In October 1996, to reflect its growth and product diversity, the company changed its name to Free-Flow Packaging International, Inc. and adopted FP International as its trade name.  

After starting with one product, FLO-PAK loosefill packaging, the company greatly expanded its product line.  Today the company offers a wide range of interior packaging materials and equipment.