It is the end of an era as 47 workers at the Palmyra-based Paul T. Freund Rigid Box Division found out last week. The company is ceasing operations after 120 years as one of the Country’s top box manufacturers. Workers at the Park Drive in Palmyra were informed they’ll finish work on current contracts and then be out of a job. The Company started in Rochester in 1891 and, at its peak, employed about 100 people.
The Freund Folding Carton Division manufacturing plant on Division Street in Palmyra already has a For Lease sign in front of it. The company’s controller says operations shut down there in November.

The Company President, Rick Frederick, bought a division of the former Freund operation that will be known as Pulp Packing and will continue work out of the leased Park Drive facility. Pulp Packaging designs and manufactures high end archival/collectors boxes in a niche market. The new company has already hired eight of the former Freund employees with another three to be added in February with a total of 26 by the end of 2012.

The Freund family will continue to own and lease property at the Division and Park Drive facilities.

Another man had hopes of acquiring the other parts of the Freund Company but had to back out when Small Cities and other grants did not fall into the time line for a take-over.

Wayne County Economic Development Corporation Director, Peg Churchill, said that there are plans to expand the Pulp Packaging Company even further in the future. In addition the Freund family is hoping to lease out space at its two facilities for storage and future companies.