Paper Straws Driving Growth at NH Supplier

A selection of Good Start Packaging products. Photo by Judi Currie.

A Bedford company is growing by leaps and bounds as demand in the restaurant industry for sustainable food containers and straws has exploded.

Good Start Packaging, which recently doubled the size of its headquarters, sells and distributes compostable food service products. That’s everything from cups and straws to take-out boxes and bags. Ken Jacobus, CEO and founder, says his company is on a mission to help customers become more sustainable. As cities and towns across the country establish regulations that require more  sustainable options or ban single-use plastics, as Portsmouth recently did on city property, the demand for eco-friendly products is growing exponentially.

Year-to-date business is up by 79% and he says he expects to double the size of his 12-person staff over the next year as well as bring on 200 new restaurants a month.

Good Start Packaging doesn’t manufacture the products; rather it focuses on the sales and marketing side. One of the major brands it represents is World Centric, a B Corp that develops sustainable products made from sugar cane and bamboo processing. “It’s a great way to support farmers and sustainable farming,” and use plant materials that were thrown out in the past, says Jacobus.

The company typically works with restaurants with one to three locations, including farm-to-table restaurants, high-end coffee shops and corporate cafeterias, helping them to meet their sustainability goals and share their beliefs with their customers.

“When I founded the company, I called it Good Start for a reason,” says Jacobus. “We can’t just go from this amazing society to all living in yurts, but anything we do to help reduce the use of plastic is a good start.”

For more information, visit goodstartpackaging.com.