Custom Packaging Solutions in California

Our Mission

In its 50+ years of existence, newly named CHL Packaging has reinvented itself several times to now becoming a Secondary Packaging Service, Dry and Refrigerated Warehousing Facility, and Order Fulfillment company.

Although we cater to mostly National Customers, we take pride in our International Customers and are happy to say we are able to provide services to a Global base.

CHL Packaging is dedicated to being intentional about quality, customer satisfaction and environmental friendliness, as well as focusing our efforts on becoming a more diversified workforce.

We accomplish this vision by responding to our customer’s needs at the highest level, providing flexible services, and striving toward the utmost commitment for all the work we do day in and day out.

You can count on CHL Packaging for:

Clear Communication

We are dedicated to understanding customer expectations, and identifying and developing opportunities that enhance customer experience, especially with international clients in a wide variety of industries.

Transparency

We place the highest value on trustworthy practices and integrity in all business and relationships. We pride ourselves in all our relationships including employees, customers, and vendors. From this, we continue to earn respect, trust, and appreciation from all we serve.

Sustainable Solutions

We are responsible, eco-friendly, and are practicing green initiatives that ultimately help the environment, as well as maximizing work efficiency and productivity for uncompromised results.

Empowered Employees

CHL Packaging values employees, team spirit, and promotes individual empowerment and diversity. We recognize excellence by encouraging responsible leadership through open communication, individual development, and continuous process improvement.

Innovation & Advanced Technology

CHL Packaging values progress, growth, and advancement. We are committed to continuous process improvement through high standards in leadership, innovation, and technology.

Specialization

We are committed to creating specialized, sustainable flexible packaging solutions that support growth and fluctuating product needs.

Our Story

At California Hi-Lites (CHL), we know that highlights are the most memorable parts of each person’s life, especially when visiting California. As with all things, beautiful moments pass and people fade back into normalcy. For this reason in 1967, our company was established and chose to produce dried fruit gift packs that would represent the natural abundance of California and include a unique postcard showing "highlights" of the state so people could cherish them for years to come. This is how the seed of ‘California Hi-Lites Incorporated’ was planted and grew into what it is now.

CHL has been in business for over 50 years, and just like our famous California fruit trees, the business has blossomed during the half-century. CHL expanded from a one-employee business to our current team of over 100 dedicated employees- all while highlighting diversity and women in the workforce. Our company continues to shine in our industry by providing top of the line Secondary Packaging and Fulfillment, representing some of the best quality California has to offer.

Timeline

1970

CHL founder, Wilbur Lee hires William Coulson as Operations Manager and one female employee named Louise Aguirre. While doing business with only a 1,000 square-foot storefront in Montebello, CHL packages novelty candy items (MINI FRUITS) for tourists, dried fruit and cheese gift packs during the holiday season and at locations throughout California such as airport gift shops, Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, in addition to well known retail stores like Bloomingdale's, Macy's, and Neiman Marcus.

1971

CHL moves the business to a 3,000 square-foot building in East Los Angeles and expands to out-of-state sales markets using brokers. They add 4 new full-time employees and are incorporated, officially becoming California Hi-Lites Inc. They begin in-house dried fruit packaging, purchase their first sealing machine and shrink tunnel for over wrapping and hire 20 seasonal employees.

1974 to 1983

CHL moves to a 6,000 ft.² of space and has stock purchases. The Farmers Crate Line is introduced and they participate in the national Fancy Food Show for the first time, helping them gain national exposure and increase their yearly sales to $500,000. Always changing with technology, CHL purchases a “Litton computer” for invoicing, commission statements, product sales and inventory tracking.

1984

Year-round operations are in place with major spikes in seasonal sales; up to 30 full-time employees hired and the airline snack business reaches $1 million in sales. "Feast of Eden", their famed high-end gourmet dried fruit packs are introduced to Bloomingdale's, Macy's and Neiman Marcus.

1988

CHL expands again, moving to the City Of Commerce into a 20,000 square-foot building with larger capabilities, handling more packaging, club store warehousing and distribution business. CHL is now working with big-name customers such as Starkist, Bumblebee, Nabisco, Procter & Gamble. Sales hit $3 million by 1990.

1991-1995

Founder Wilbur Lee retires; CHL moves to Santa Fe Springs into a 45,000 square-foot building. Blaine Nickol becomes CFO; Al Keller joins the team and becomes minority shareholder; CHL goes through expansions in assembly services such as movies standees, display loading, software packing, and fulfillment just as dried fruit sales start to decline due to change in marketing tastes; Chuck Howard joins as a sales rep; Advanced tech computer programs are installed for tracking production and attendance making maximum efforts to grow in the Secondary Packaging segment.

1995-1998

CHL hires Lisa Gonzales as an office manager. In addition, CHL sets higher standards by providing an employee manual both in English and Spanish completed and issued for the Spanish-speaking employees. Both for the temp agency and longtime established workers.

2000

After 30 years of success, the dried fruit, gift packs and candy lines are discontinued; the focus turns to major contracts, like the Los Angeles School District and Costco; CHL secures the warehousing, packaging, and distribution of imported products services for a wider variety of companies; CHL stays at Santa Fe Springs location while subleasing an additional 20,000 square-foot of warehouse space and refrigeration as the customer base continues to grow; seasonal employee count reaches 75 employees.

2011-2015

“California Hi-Lites” and “Premier Packaging Solutions” merge, Robert Landini joins as Operations Manager, quickly transitioning into VP of Operations.; Jim Yoder joins as VP of Finance and Administration. William Coulson retires; Hans Blom becomes president; Yoder, Blom, and Landini take control of the company; CHL expands square footage to 90,000 ft.² of warehousing and storage space and an employee count of over 100 people.

2020

California Hi-Lites changes its name to CHL Packaging. The direction of CHL Packaging’s business continues to grow as it expands its service capabilities to that of Secondary Packaging, Warehousing and Order Fulfillment. CHL Packaging stands out from other companies when producing and in their ability to increase speed and output on all jobs; always striving to guarantee the utmost satisfaction in all areas across the board.

2020

CHL Packaging is working with CBD products as the consumer-products industry discovers the benefits of cannabinoids and CBD. Also taking on several celebrity boutique fulfillment clients, as entertainment stars continue to become more involved in ecommerce. CHL Packaging has a dedicated team of staff and employees who are always focusing on setting an unprecedented value on breaking the glass ceiling for women in business- with more than 50% of positions in-office staff and upper management held by females. We will continue to highlight diversity in business as well as in the workforce, allowing for consistent productivity and engagement.