CINCINNATI, OH—Golden Eagle Extrusions is experiencing strong growth as it benefits from the increasing popularity of flexible packaging for food applications.

The company produces custom film laminations, coextruded films and bags, and specialty lidding films, among other products. It turned to UK manufacturer Ashe Converting Equipment for slitting and rewinding of its laminated films, in a partnership that began nearly 13 years ago and which has resulted in four installations of two different Ashe slitter models.

Golden Eagle Extrusions was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1978 by Paul Eagle, With a degree in chemistry, he initially operated out of his basement, creating formulations for food protection and producing films and bags for fresh-cut produce.

Rapid expansion and a move to a state-of-the-art facility led the company to become a market leader in films for the food packaging market. Today, it produces custom film laminations, coextruded films and bags, specialty lidding films, hot needle perforated films, and custom print.

Food packaging makes up nearly 90 percent of the company’s business, with industrial applications – such as bulk packaging for corrugated piping, and protective packaging for goods stored outside – taking the remainder.

“The move from rigid packaging to flexible packaging such as stand-up pouches has been a huge market trend in recent years,” says Chad Weikert, who joined Golden Eagle in 2000 and currently serves as CEO. “They offer better preservation for your product, take up less space and are lighter. Flexible packaging continues to grow at a strong rate and we are seeing more and more of it in supermarkets.”

Around 16 years ago, Golden Eagle moved into laminating and converting. “It was a natural step for us in terms of adding capabilities,” explains Weikert.

The company installed a 60in Nordmeccanica Super Simplex SL in 2010 and a second in 2020. For slitting machinery, it turned to UK-based manufacturer Ashe Converting Equipment.

“We did a great deal of research on slitters and went to a lot of trade shows,” recalls Weikert. “Ashe was the outstanding candidate. Service is key, particularly when dealing with a foreign company, but Ashe’s US subsidiary could supply parts and technical support. I called a couple of companies who I knew used Ashe’s equipment – no one had anything other than positives to report.

“We wanted to have machines with longevity, and this was a key point about Ashe’s equipment – these machines last. They also offer a variety of equipment, so we could start with a lower-cost machine. We liked that they offer a great deal of customization: you can design what you want in the machine.”

Golden Eagle installed an Onyx slitter from Ashe Converting in 2013, the UK manufacturer’s entry-level system, and then a second three years later. In 2019, seeing strong growth and increasing opportunities for its laminated and converted films, it added a Diamond slitter, which contains more advanced features resulting in less machine downtime. A second Diamond, Golden Eagle’s fourth slitter from Ashe, was installed in 2022.

Weikert says the US flexible packaging market has been steady this year, despite tariffs causing some uncertainty. “There has been less purchasing of equipment because of the fluctuations, but the market has been settling down. Reshoring has been good for us—companies who were previously importing their packaging materials have come to us instead.”

Laser-perforation technology is a potential next area of investment for Golden Eagle Extrusions. “It would replace our micro-perforation equipment as it is faster and easier to control thanks to its automation,” says Weikert. “We are not actively considering more slitting and rewinding equipment, though I wouldn’t be surprised if next year we were looking to buy. We would 100 percent buy another Ashe machine.”