When Top Seedz first launched, the mission was simple: make nutritious, seed-forward crackers that actually tasted good. In their first year, the team celebrated a milestone of producing 16,000 boxes of crackers. They packed them into clear plastic clamshell containers, a standard, affordable choice for a young brand testing the waters.
But as healthy snackers caught on, demand skyrocketed, pushing the brand into its largest expansion to date. The numbers tell the story better than any headline could.
“This expansion represents a major milestone for Top Seedz,” says Owner/CEO Rebecca Brady. “What excites us most is our ability to serve more customers without compromising the quality that has defined our brand from the beginning. In our first year of business, we produced approximately 16,000 boxes of crackers over the course of an entire year. Today, with our expanded manufacturing capabilities, we can produce nearly twice that amount in a single day.“
To support this demand, the brand added a second high-speed production line and upgraded its industrial baking ovens. This massive jump in production brought them face to face with a major roadblock: their packaging.
The Growth Leap at a Glance
- Year 1 Total Output: 16,000 boxes
- Current Daily Output: ~32,000 pouches
- The Result: Doubling year-one volume in a single day
The Bottleneck: Why the Clamshell Had to Go
The rigid plastic clamshells that worked so well in the beginning became a major operational hurdle as production scaled up. Empty clamshells took up massive amounts of warehouse space, and they were awkward to feed into high-speed automated packing lines. They also lacked a true air-tight seal, which put the crackers’ signature crunch at risk.
For Brady, the clamshell was never a mistake, it was simply a format the brand had outgrown.
“Our traditional clamshell packaging served us well for many years and was an excellent solution as we launched and grew the business,” Brady explains. “It offered a lower barrier to entry for a growing brand and allowed us to bring our products to market efficiently. As Top Seedz continued to scale, however, we saw an opportunity to improve operational efficiency, enhance product shelf life, increase sustainability, and provide the resealable convenience consumers were looking for.”
The team needed a format that kept up with their machine speeds while matching the eco-conscious values of their customers. As Brady puts it, the choice ultimately came down to solving several problems with one packaging switch.
“The decision was driven by a combination of growth, sustainability, and consumer experience,” Brady says. “The transition to post consumer recycled pouches allowed us to address all of those priorities at once.”
The Pivot: Working Side by Side with ePac
Top Seedz did not have to look far for a solution. They turned to ePac Flexible Packaging, a team they had already trusted with other smaller projects across their portfolio.
“Our decision to partner with ePac was built on a strong relationship that has developed over several years,” Brady says. “ePac already understood our products, quality standards, and growth goals. Their ability to provide high quality sustainable packaging, combined with their collaborative approach and responsiveness throughout the process, gave us confidence in making this important transition.”
The work itself spanned film tests to handle shipping stress, graphic design tweaks for shelf appeal, and support through the factory floor rollout—the kind of multi-stage transition that can easily stall without close coordination between both teams.
“The experience was extremely collaborative from start to finish,” notes Brady. “Packaging transitions of this scale involve many moving parts, and the ePac team was highly engaged throughout the process. They were responsive, solution oriented, and committed to helping us find the right specifications for our products. From testing performance to refining design details and supporting the rollout, they worked as a true partner every step of the way.”
The result was a custom stand-up pouch made from certified post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics, built with a high-barrier film to lock out air and moisture, and finished with a secure, press-to-close zipper.
| Feature | Old Way (Rigid Clamshell) | New Way (ePac PCR Stand-Up Pouch) |
| Daily Output | Constrained by manual packing | ~32,000 pouches packed smoothly |
| Material | 100% virgin rigid plastic | Certified post-consumer recycled |
| Freshness | Air leaks in; risk of staleness | High-barrier seals in the crunch |
| Convenience | Bulky, pops open easily | Lightweight with a tight zipper |
| Branding | Plain plastic with paper labels | Vibrant, high-def digital print |
The Results: Better Speed, Fresher Crackers
Switching to the ePac PCR pouches transformed the business almost immediately, allowing the brand to hit its goal of producing up to 32,000 packages daily. For Brady, the packaging switch was never a standalone project, it was one piece of a larger operational overhaul.
“The new packaging format was an important component of our broader manufacturing expansion,” Brady says.
Freshness was the other non-negotiable, since it is central to what makes Top Seedz crackers stand out on shelf.
“We have been very pleased with the performance of the new packaging,” Brady notes. “One of our top priorities was protecting the freshness and crunch that customers love about Top Seedz crackers. The improved barrier properties of the pouch provide enhanced product protection, help maintain freshness throughout distribution and storage, and support a longer shelf life.”
Feedback from the market has validated the change across the board, reaching everyone from the people buying the crackers to the retailers stocking them.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” Brady says. “Consumers appreciate the convenience of the resealable pouch and the ease of storing the product at home. Retail partners have responded positively to the updated appearance and merchandising advantages, while many customers have expressed enthusiasm about the use of post consumer recycled materials.”
Key Wins
Rebecca’s Takeaways for Growing Brands
Looking back on the transition, Brady shares advice for emerging brands facing their own growth spurts, advice rooted less in packaging specs and more in mindset.
“Start by thinking strategically about where your business is headed, not just where it is today. Packaging decisions should support your long term growth goals while enhancing the consumer experience. It is also important to find partners who are willing to collaborate and problem solve with you throughout the process. Sustainable packaging transitions can seem daunting, but with the right planning and the right partners, they can create meaningful benefits for your operations, your customers, and your brand.”