Rep Hovey Impressed With Curtis Packaging

State Representative DebraLee Hovey, who represents about 1,000 families in one southerly Newtown voting district, visited Curtis Packaging Corporation June 21 to view the company’s operation and meet with President and CEO Donald Droppo, Jr.

Curtis Packaging was established in 1845 when it manufactured products, such as suit buttons and combs, out of cattle hooves. Over time it has evolved and adapted and is now a leading provider of luxury packaging for some of the most recognizable consumer products. They provide packaging for Titleist, Jack Daniels, Godiva and high-end fragrances by Beyonce and Origins, to name a few.

“This is such an impressive company,” Rep Hovey stated in a release. “They buy American machinery where available and produce an American product. We are lucky to have them here, providing employment for so many people and setting a great example for employers throughout Connecticut.”

Mr Droppo spoke to the local lawmaker at length about the manufacturing process and Curtis’s environmental stewardship. The company lives by its tagline, “Luxuriously Responsible,” and is proud to be the first packaging company in North America that is 100 percent carbon neutral and uses 100 percent renewable electricity.

“I spend a lot of time outdoors and the environment is important to me,” said Mr Droppo. “Its not always easy or inexpensive to be so committed to sustainability, but even when we had to weather cuts during the recession, our commitment to sustainability did not falter. We take a lot of pride in that.”

Though innovation and efficiency have helped keep the company viable, its reliance on a strong consumer market made for some difficult times during the last few years. Curtis, which now employs 150 people, was forced to cut some positions as a result of the recession.

While some positions have been brought back, it has been a slow recovery.

“This company has deep roots in Connecticut and we have no intention of leaving,” said Mr Droppo, “but I’d be lying if I told you the taxes and regulations aren’t making things difficult. I have received a lot of phone calls from other states making some great offers if I move my operation. ”

Rep Hovey said Curtis Packaging is “exactly the type of company we want in Connecticut.”

“They treat their employees well, they are environmentally conscious, they represent an interesting part of our state’s history and they make a product we can be proud of,” she said.