July 17 || LLM Staff Writer
For nearly seven decades, Bay Cities has quietly helped shape the products consumers see on store shelves and the packages arriving on doorsteps every day. While many recognize the company for its award-winning packaging and retail displays, Bay Cities has evolved into something far greater than a packaging manufacturer. Today, it is a design studio, technology innovator, logistics partner, retail display solutions provider, and one of the nation’s leading employee-owned packaging and display companies, proving that people remain the greatest competitive advantage in business.
As Bay Cities approaches its remarkable 70th anniversary, the Southern California company stands as a testament to resilience, innovation, and a culture that has never lost sight of its founding principles. What began in 1956 as a corrugated box manufacturer has grown into an industry leader serving some of the world’s most recognizable brands through creative packaging, retail merchandising, fulfillment, and supply chain solutions.
A Legacy Built One Generation at a Time
Few manufacturing companies can claim seven decades of continuous growth while remaining independent. Even fewer can say they have successfully navigated three generations of leadership, dramatic shifts in consumer behavior, technological revolutions, and economic uncertainty without compromising their identity.
That longevity is no accident.
Founded by entrepreneur Bill Hanan in 1956, Bay Cities was built on a philosophy that still guides the organization today: continue growing, continue innovating, and always place the customer first. Those values remain woven into the company’s culture, helping it evolve from producing traditional corrugated boxes into creating sophisticated packaging experiences that influence purchasing decisions around the world.
What makes the milestone even more meaningful is the people behind it.
As Chief Revenue Officer Sahar Mehrabzadeh explains, “Reaching 70 years is both humbling and inspiring. Very few companies have the opportunity to celebrate seven decades in business, and even fewer can do it as a 100% employee-owned company. This milestone represents the dedication, resilience, innovation, and hard work of hundreds of employees who have contributed to Bay Cities throughout the years.”
The Difference Employee Ownership Makes
In today’s corporate landscape, employee ownership is still rare. At Bay Cities, it has become one of the company’s defining strengths.
“Ownership creates a different level of engagement and accountability,” said Chairman and CEO Greg Tucker. “Our employees don’t just come to work; they’re helping build value in a company they own.”
Since becoming 100 percent employee-owned, every member of the organization has a direct stake in the company’s success. That ownership mindset creates something difficult to replicate: genuine accountability.
Financial transparency, shared goals, and a culture centered around collaboration encourage every employee-owner to think beyond quarterly performance. Decisions are made with future generations in mind, creating a workplace where innovation and responsibility naturally go hand in hand.
Mehrabzadeh believes that ownership changes everything.
“When people know they are owners, they think differently. They care about quality, efficiency, customer relationships, innovation, and long-term growth because they directly share in the company’s success. Our ESOP culture creates accountability and pride. Employees don’t just work here, they build value here.”
Packaging Has Become Part of the Brand Story
The role of packaging has transformed dramatically over the past seventy years.
What was once viewed simply as protection for a product has become one of the most influential elements of the customer experience.
Today’s packaging must capture attention in seconds, communicate a brand’s personality, withstand increasingly complex shipping journeys, support sustainability initiatives, and create memorable moments long after purchase.
Bay Cities has embraced that evolution through investments in structural engineering, graphic design, digital printing, automation, and shopper insights, helping brands turn packaging into one of their most effective marketing tools.
The company often describes itself not merely as a packaging manufacturer, but as an advertising agency that also manufactures, fulfills, and delivers the finished product.
That philosophy has become especially important in the age of e-commerce.
The New Luxury Is the Unboxing Experience
As online shopping continues to reshape retail, packaging has become the customer’s first physical interaction with a brand.
Every fold, graphic, texture, and message contributes to an emotional experience that cannot be replicated digitally.
Bay Cities has elevated this concept by designing packaging that surprises consumers from the moment they open the box. Advanced printing technology allows the company to decorate both the exterior and interior of a package in a single production pass, creating memorable experiences that strengthen brand loyalty.
The company has a favorite saying that perfectly captures this shift:
“The party is on the inside of the box now.”
Sustainability Without Compromise
Long before sustainability became a corporate buzzword, Bay Cities was already investing in environmentally responsible packaging solutions.
Today, sustainability influences nearly every aspect of its operation, from material selection to manufacturing efficiency.
That commitment extends beyond materials and manufacturing. As states roll out extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws that hold brands financially accountable for packaging waste, Bay Cities helps brands understand their obligations and reduce exposure before new mandates take effect.
Additionally, corrugated packaging remains one of the most renewable and recyclable materials available, and Bay Cities has built a highly efficient closed-loop manufacturing process that enables continuous recycling and reuse.
For the company, environmental responsibility is not simply about reducing waste. It is about helping clients create smarter packaging solutions that benefit consumers, retailers, and the planet simultaneously.
Technology Serving People
Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping manufacturing, but Bay Cities views these technologies differently from many organizations.
Rather than replacing people, technology is designed to empower them.
“What excites us most about AI is empowering our employee-owners with better information, faster,” Tucker said. “We’ve been working on data transformation for several years, and we’re now bringing real-time data straight to our employee-owners so they can make the decisions that help clients win at retail.”
Real-time data, predictive analytics, workflow automation, and advanced production systems help employee-owners make faster, more informed decisions while improving quality, efficiency, and customer service.
One of the company’s newest print investments is a next-generation rotary die-cutting system engineered for exceptional speed, precision, and automation, reinforcing Bay Cities’ commitment to staying at the forefront of manufacturing innovation..
Built for the Next Thirty Years
While many companies celebrate anniversaries by reflecting on the past, Bay Cities is focused on what comes next.
Its leadership envisions a future defined by sustainable innovation, personalization, artificial intelligence, automation, and even stronger partnerships with brands as they navigate an increasingly competitive retail landscape.
That long-term thinking extends to leadership itself: earlier this year, 20-year company veteran Sahar Mehrabzadeh was named Chief Revenue Officer and Tucker’s official successor, proof that employee ownership builds leaders as much as it builds value.
For 70 years, Bay Cities has built its reputation on trust, customer service, integrity, and long-term partnerships. Those values continue to guide every decision as the company prepares for its next chapter.
“At our 100th anniversary, we will look back and say we delivered on every promise we made to our employee-owners, customers, and partners,” Tucker said. “We will be known for the same things that have defined us for 70 years: integrity, innovation, employee ownership, and a relentless commitment to serving our customers. That’s a legacy worth building, and we believe it’ll make Bay Cities the name clients trust to help them win at retail anywhere in the world.”
Looking ahead to its centennial, Bay Cities hopes to be remembered not only for the packaging it produced, but for the culture it built, the employee-owners it empowered, and the customers it helped succeed.
In an industry constantly reinventing itself, Bay Cities has demonstrated that lasting success is not achieved by standing still. It comes from honoring your heritage while continually embracing change. As the company celebrates seventy remarkable years, it stands as a powerful reminder that when innovation is fueled by ownership, purpose, and people, the future becomes every bit as inspiring as the past.
