Wisconsin company acquires Indiana-made Aardvark paper straws to meet skyrocketing demand

As cities across the country and companies across the globe move away from plastic straws, Indiana-based Aardvark Straws — a leading paper straw manufacturer and sole U.S. producer — has struggled to keep up. That said, a new acquisition finalized and announced this morning will help the Fort Wayne company meet the unprecedented demand. 

Hoffmaster Group, Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of premium disposable tableware, acquired Aardvark Straws, owned by Precision Products Group, Inc., Monday morning.

Though based in Wisconsin, Hoffmaster will keep manufacturing operations for Aardvark at its Northeast Indiana facility along with its employees. It is unclear at this time the monetary amount for which Aardvark was acquired. 

"In the coming months, we will aggressively ramp up Aardvark's manufacturing capacity to meet the rapidly accelerating demand for paper straws..." President of Hoffmaster's foodservice division Andy Romjue said in a release. "We are committed to being a reliable supply source for paper drinking straws in the foodservice market." 

Within the last year, cities such as San Francisco, Seattle, Fort Myers, Fla, Malibu, Calif. and Vancouver have banned the use of plastic straws as others — such as New York — are moving in that direction. Many notable brands, including Starbucks, American Airlines and Disney, have also announced that they will eliminate plastic straws from their establishments in the coming years. 

Aardvark came onto the scene in 2007 as the anti-plastic movement began to emerge. In the 10 years since reintroduction, the company has seen year-over-year growth, according to David Rhodes, the company's global business director. This last year's growth, however, is beyond anything the company could have expected: 5,000 percent.

Although no specifics could be provided, a spokeswoman for Aardvark told IndyStar that the company is talking to and potentially working with all major players and brands that are moving away from plastic straws and looking for alternatives. 

This acquisition, according to Hoffmaster, will provide Aardvark with the necessary resources to fulfill orders and meet that demand. There currently is a several month lead time for orders depending on their size.

Hoffmaster has a 6- to 9-month plan for expansion and ramping up Aardvark's production, according to Sammi Coppedge with Dittoe Public Relations, representing the paper straw company. That said, Hoffmaster will keep the product as it is — as the straw's unique formula is what sets it apart from competitors and a large part of what caught Hoffmaster's eye.

Aardvark's paper straws do not disintegrate or get soggy when in drinks and are naturally degradable, compostable and FDA compliant. Recent reports have suggested that there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean, by volume, by 2050, making plastic pollution one of the most daunting environmental challenges of our time. 

"[Hoffmaster's] knowledge of the foodservice market paired with their resources will aid the company in providing billions of quality paper straws to restaurants and businesses looking to implement necessary changes to protect our environment," said Dave Hooe, CEO and president of Precision Products Group. "We're proud of how far Aardvark has come and look forward to continued success with Hoffmaster." 

Call IndyStar reporter Sarah Bowman at 317-444-6129. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @IndyStarSarah. Connect with IndyStar’s environmental reporters, join The Scrub on Facebook.

IndyStar's environmental reporting project is made possible through the generous support of the nonprofit Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust.