6-digit U.S. detail
322212
Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing
Description
The NAICS industry of folding paperboard box manufacturing specializes in transforming flat sheets of paperboard into three-dimensional containers designed for folding and assembly. These facilities handle materials that are not paper but rather board products derived from pulp, excluding corrugated structures which fall under a different classification. Typical business activities within this sector include cutting, slitting, creasing, and folding paperboard into various box shapes for retail and distribution purposes. Manufacturers produce both rigid and semi-rigid boxes tailored for diverse industries such as food, cosmetics, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Operators range from small independent print shops that handle short runs and custom designs to large-scale industrial plants capable of mass production for major corporations. The scope of operations encompasses a full spectrum of sizes, from single-piece mailers to complex nested packaging solutions requiring specialized engineering. Many businesses in this area also integrate direct printing and finishing services to add branding directly onto the box surface before the final folding process. The market demand is consistently high due to the essential nature of packaging in modern commerce, driving continuous innovation in material efficiency and automated machinery to meet tight deadlines and precise dimensional requirements.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 322 | Paper Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Paper Manufacturing subsector make pulp, paper, or converted paper products. The manufacturing of these products is grouped together because they constitute a series of vertically connected processes. More than one is often carried out in a single establishment. There are essentially three activities. The manufacturing of pulp involves separating the cellulose fibers from other impurities in wood or used paper. The manufacturing of paper involves matting these fibers into a sheet. The manufacturing of converted paper products involves converting paper and other materials by various cutting and shaping techniques and includes coating and laminating activities. The Paper Manufacturing subsector is subdivided into two industry groups, the first for the manufacturing of pulp and paper and the second for the manufacturing of converted paper products. Paper making is treated as the core activity of the subsector. Therefore, any establishment that makes paper (including paperboard), either alone or in combination with pulp manufacturing or paper converting, is classified as a paper or paperboard mill. Establishments that make pulp without making paper are classified as pulp mills. Pulp mills, paper mills, and paperboard mills comprise the first industry group. Establishments that make products from purchased paper and other materials make up the second industry group, Converted Paper Product Manufacturing. This general activity is then subdivided based, for the most part, on process distinctions. Paperboard container manufacturing uses corrugating, cutting, and shaping machinery to form paperboard into containers. Paper bag and coated and treated paper manufacturing establishments cut and coat paper and foil. Stationery product manufacturing establishments make a variety of paper products used for writing, filing, and similar applications. Other converted paper product manufacturing includes, in particular, the conversion of sanitary paper stock into such things as tissue paper and disposable diapers. An important process used in the Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing industry is lamination, often combined with coating. Lamination and coating make a composite material with improved properties of strength, impermeability, and so on. The laminated materials may be paper, metal foil, or plastics film. While paper is often one of the components, it is not always. Lamination of plastics film to plastics film is classified in Subsector 326, Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing, because establishments that do this often first make the film. The same situation holds with respect to bags. The manufacturing of bags from plastics only, whether or not laminated, is classified in Subsector 326, Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing. Excluded from this subsector are photosensitive papers. These papers are chemically treated and are classified in Industry 32599, All Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing. |
| 3222 | Converted Paper Product Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in converting paper or paperboard without manufacturing paper or paperboard. |
| 32221 | Paperboard Container Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in converting paperboard into containers without manufacturing paperboard. These establishments use corrugating, cutting, and shaping machinery to form paperboard into containers. Products made by these establishments include boxes, corrugated sheets, pads, pallets, paper dishes, and fiber drums and reels. |
| 322212 | Folding Paperboard Box Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | The NAICS industry of folding paperboard box manufacturing specializes in transforming flat sheets of paperboard into three-dimensional containers designed for folding and assembly. These facilities handle materials that are not paper but rather board products derived from pulp, excluding corrugated structures which fall under a different classification. Typical business activities within this sector include cutting, slitting, creasing, and folding paperboard into various box shapes for retail and distribution purposes. Manufacturers produce both rigid and semi-rigid boxes tailored for diverse industries such as food, cosmetics, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Operators range from small independent print shops that handle short runs and custom designs to large-scale industrial plants capable of mass production for major corporations. The scope of operations encompasses a full spectrum of sizes, from single-piece mailers to complex nested packaging solutions requiring specialized engineering. Many businesses in this area also integrate direct printing and finishing services to add branding directly onto the box surface before the final folding process. The market demand is consistently high due to the essential nature of packaging in modern commerce, driving continuous innovation in material efficiency and automated machinery to meet tight deadlines and precise dimensional requirements. |
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Classification References
- 01Manufacturing setup paperboard boxes (except corrugated or laminated solid fiber boxes) or milk cartons--are classified in U.S. Industry 322219, Other Paperboard Container Manufacturing;
- 02Manufacturing corrugated and solid fiber boxes--are classified in U.S. Industry 322211, Corrugated and Solid Fiber Box Manufacturing;
- 03Manufacturing paperboard and converting paperboard into containers--are classified in Industry 322130, Paperboard Mills;
- 04Manufacturing paper and converting paper into containers--are classified in Industry 322120, Paper Mills; and
- 05Manufacturing paper bags--are classified in Industry 322220, Paper Bag and Coated and Treated Paper Manufacturing.
Index Items
Boxes, folding (except corrugated), made from purchased paperboard
Cartons, folding (except milk), made from purchased paperboard
Folding boxes (except corrugated) made from purchased paperboard
Folding paper and paperboard containers (except corrugated) made from purchased paperboard
Food containers, sanitary, folding, made from purchased paperboard
Sanitary food container, folding, made from purchased paperboard
Shoe boxes, folding, made from purchased paperboard
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 322212.
Sustainable Packaging Coalition
A trade association representing the packaging industry, including paperboard box manufacturers, promoting sustainable packaging solutions.
U.S. Census Bureau
The official government source providing detailed statistical data and industry profiles for NAICS code 322212.
Packaging World
A leading industry publication and directory offering news, technical articles, and vendor connections for folding cartons and corrugated packaging.
