Buffalo Business First: It’s an exciting time at Jamestown Plastics, thanks to a brand-new product line with a catchy name and an innovative design that continues this company’s reputation for excellence.Click it Clam is a game changer in the field of transparent “clamshell” packaging and a vast improvement over flimsy traditional methodologies. Retailers and consumers alike are buzzing about the seemingly endless list of uses for this engineering marvel — sturdy, reusable plastic packaging with a patented locking feature that allows for easy opening and closing and stays sealed under stress.“It’s the first thermoform package that you can open and close with just one hand,” explains Jay Baker, company president. “There is an endless list of applications for the Click it Clam. Customers that we’ve had for many years are adopting it for all different things, and then we have a variety of brand-new customers coming onboard. The sky’s the limit.”Customers have come to expect the latest and greatest in thermoforming and packaging from Jamestown Plastics, and the Click it Clam is no exception. This product raises the bar by offering what Baker calls “inherent superiority” over existing clamshell packaging — it’s durable, more secure and reclosable, with tamper-evident features that enhance its appeal to the end user.There are myriad applications for consumers, retailers, wholesalers and industrial customers, including clear clamshells for eyeglasses, golf tees, automotive, fresh fruits and vegetables, cosmetics, hobby supplies, storage of hardware fasteners, fishing lures and ammunition.The key is a patented lock-and-release mechanism that utilizes sheer strength instead of friction for functionality.Just think:Simply click it open or close it with one hand.No more cutting or tearing into the package.A unique look that sets your product apart from the competition.Ultra-sturdy and protective.“If you drop it, it won’t burst open on you,” Baker says. “The point is, we found that there’s a much better way to do packaging. This is a game changer.”Ingenuity is the name of the game at Jamestown Plastics, a custom manufacturer of thermoformed products and a recognized leader in the global packaging industry. Established in 1957, its humble roots have given way to a customer base that ranges from multi-national conglomerates all the way down to mom-and-pop stores. In 1986, the company outgrew its space in Jamestown and moved to a 100,000-square-foot plant in Brocton, N.Y. A second location is in Brownsville, Texas.Through decades of growth and expansion, however, the founding principles have endured: Provide superior customer service and commit to getting the job done right.“We’ve been doing packaging for almost 60 years,” says Baker, who as a teenager started working at the business owned by his father, James. “What we have here is a collection of extremely dedicated and talented people. We call it the Jamestown Plastics family and we mean it; we don’t say that lightly. We have some amazing people here in Brocton and in Texas and we treat them like family.”“Home-grown employees” who joined the company and have spent years learning the ins and outs of packaging are the backbone of the business, adds Ray Navarro, plant manager.“A key point about this company is that one-third of our workforce has been here 20-plus years. You don’t find that in many companies,” he points out.Baker is proud of the tight-knit culture at Jamestown Plastics, which takes great pride in a can-do attitude and commitment to quality.“I’m more than proud. It’s who we are,” he says. “We are a mission-focused company. It’s not just an inspirational phrase that you put on a wall and just sort of chuckle about. For us, it really means something.”Now, he predicts the Click it Clam will be an exciting “next generation” in the container and packaging industry. It’s the ultimate solution to what the market wants and needs, and goes hand in hand with environmentalists’ advocacy of the three R’s — Reduce, Reuse and Recyle.As Navarro says, “This is the only thermoformed package that hits a home run on all three of those.”
