With more than three decades of experience in the printing and packaging industry, Jeffrey Herrington has built his career around one simple idea: there is always a better way to solve a problem. As the President and founder of Arranti, he brings together experience in product development, innovation, strategic partnerships, sales, manufacturing and business growth. His leadership is shaped by curiosity, practical problem-solving and a willingness to challenge established ways of working.
Jeffrey Herrington | President and Founder | Arranti
EliteX proudly features Jeffrey Herrington in this edition, recognizing a distinguished journey of leadership, innovation, and meaningful impact.
Herrington started in printing at a very young age and grew up around the industry. What began as an understanding of printing mechanics gradually developed into a career focused on finding solutions to complex business and packaging challenges. Over time, he became increasingly interested in packaging because of the many disciplines it brings together, including engineering, materials, manufacturing, graphics, logistics, marketing and consumer behaviour. His entrepreneurial mindset encouraged him to question traditional approaches and eventually led him to establish Arranti.
Stay curious, challenge convention and keep moving forward.
Today, Arranti focuses on flexible and innovative packaging solutions. Its capabilities include stand-up and flat-bottom pouches, large-format packaging, rollstock and flow-wrap films, pressure-sensitive labels, shrink sleeves and retail display packaging. However, Herrington believes the company’s role goes beyond simply supplying packaging. Its goal is to engineer better solutions that create measurable value for customers. This can involve reducing material use, removing unnecessary secondary packaging, improving shipping efficiency, developing new package formats or significantly shortening lead times. The company captures this philosophy through its Packaging Intelligence™ Delivered approach.
The packaging industry is facing increasing pressure to achieve several objectives at the same time. Customers want lower costs, greater sustainability, shorter lead times, better product protection and packaging that attracts attention on retail shelves. At the same time, supply chains have become less predictable. Herrington has responded by building a more diversified supply network and placing a strong focus on speed. Through several programs, Arranti has helped reduce traditional 12-to-16-week lead times to approximately five weeks. For Herrington, this reflects a changing market in which customers increasingly need partners who can respond quickly rather than suppliers who simply accept orders.
Innovation is at the centre of his leadership approach. Herrington encourages his team to question assumptions and reconsider processes that have remained unchanged for years. One of Arranti’s notable innovations is its patented Dual Chamber Pouch technology, which allows two products or components to be incorporated into a connected flexible packaging format. The technology has received multiple international patents and was recognized with Best in Class in the PAC IOU category at the PAC Global Awards. Arranti has also developed concepts such as Cubi-Pak and Mini-Me to rethink conventional rigid and secondary packaging formats. For Herrington, innovation does not always have to make a product more complicated. In many cases, the strongest innovation is the one that makes something simpler.
Sustainability is another important part of Herrington’s vision for the future of packaging. He believes sustainability must be approached through the complete lifecycle of a package rather than through simple environmental claims. This means considering material consumption, package weight, shipping efficiency, unnecessary components and what happens to the package after use. Arranti works with recyclable mono-material structures, including PE-based solutions, PCR materials and downgauging opportunities. The company is also developing packaging formats that can replace heavier rigid containers and reduce secondary packaging. Herrington believes that sometimes the most meaningful environmental improvement comes from simply using less packaging.
Better packaging starts with smarter thinking.
He also sees digital technology as an important force shaping the packaging industry. Arranti is developing systems that improve quoting, artwork management, proofing, specifications and production information. Variable-data printing, serialization, unique QR codes and authentication technologies are creating opportunities for individual packages to have their own digital identities. Herrington believes next-generation 2D codes will also create opportunities for traceability, authentication, regulatory information and direct consumer engagement. In his view, the package of the future will do more than contain a product; it will increasingly connect manufacturers, retailers and consumers.
For Herrington, effective leadership begins with curiosity. Packaging is constantly changing as new materials, equipment, regulations and customer expectations emerge, making continuous learning essential. He also places strong value on resilience because manufacturing and entrepreneurship rarely proceed exactly as planned. Rather than expecting leaders to have every answer, he believes they should surround themselves with talented people who bring knowledge and perspectives that they may not possess themselves.
His advice to young professionals reflects the same practical philosophy. He encourages them to understand the technical side of packaging by learning about materials, printing presses, converting equipment, film performance and package construction. At the same time, they should understand the commercial challenges facing customers. Professionals who can connect technical knowledge with customer needs can become highly valuable to the industry. Most importantly, Herrington encourages young people to question established thinking and look beyond the familiar response that something is simply done because it has always been done that way.
Looking ahead, Herrington wants to build Arranti into an internationally recognized packaging innovation company, with greater presence in the United States and Europe and continued investment in proprietary technologies, sustainable materials, intelligent packaging and variable-data applications. He also wants to shorten the distance between an idea and a finished package, making speed a major competitive advantage.
After spending most of his life in the industry, Herrington remains excited about what lies ahead. He believes sustainability, intelligent packaging, automation and new manufacturing technologies are converging to create an important period of transformation. His approach is straightforward: remain curious, work with talented people, move quickly and never become too attached to traditional methods. For Jeffrey Herrington, the future of packaging belongs to those willing to question what exists today and build something better for tomorrow.
Innovation begins with curiosity and the courage to question.