A Century of Innovation
For more than a century, LDI has demonstrated how dedication and hard work, combined with a commitment to core values and continuous innovation, can produce great things from humble beginnings. Today, as we embark on our second century of innovation, we are still guided by the principles present at our founding. We are grateful for the people, past and present, who have kept the flame of innovation burning bright.
From Used Boxes to Nationwide Leader: The Liberty Packaging Story
In 1918, a Russian immigrant named Jack Fiterman formed a company called Liberty Used Boxes. In 1947 the post-war economy rebounded and the demand for boxes skyrocketed. Liberty responded by starting a stock box business and purchasing a slotter, slitter, saw and taper to make boxes in 1957. Just eight years later, Liberty outgrew its facility and moved to a 120,000 square foot facility in Golden Valley in 1965.
As our packaging business has grown, we have invested in new machinery, expanded facilities, and made strategic geographic acquisitions to meet rising customer demand. These investments have enhanced our nationwide redundancy, ensuring greater reliability and improved service for our customers.
Liberty Packaging leverages our scale, integration, and expertise to create sustainable supply chain packaging programs and solutions. As stewards of our environment, we are committed to producing high-quality products in a responsible and sustainable manner by minimizing and recycling all scrap material.
Liberty Paper:
Pioneering Sustainable Paper Products since 1995
In 1995, LDI built a state-of-the-art paper mill dedicated to sustainable paper production. At Liberty Paper, our innovative facility transforms recycled old corrugated boxes into new paper for packaging. As one of the largest recyclers of corrugated material in the Midwest, we process 600,000,000 pounds of old corrugated containers (OCC) annually.
Designed with efficiency in mind, our mill is strategically located near Xcel Energy to recycle the steam they emit, which plays a crucial role in the papermaking process. In 2012, Liberty Paper enhanced its sustainability efforts by adding an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) to clean the water used in paper production. Before the ETP, wastewater was primarily treated at the Becker Industrial Wastewater Facility, and excess wastewater had to be trucked to Minneapolis for treatment. Now, this ETP pre-treatment system has made our 100% recycled paper mill even more efficient, allowing all the effluent to be treated at our Becker facility. The ETP’s anaerobic reactor also generates methane, which will eventually be harnessed to produce new energy — further reinforcing our commitment to environmental responsibility.