Tanbarkmfp

Tanbark Molded Fiber Products designs and manufactures rigid packaging and products from natural wood and plant fibers, positioning molded fiber as a replacement for rigid, single-use plastic. The company uses Type 3 processing, also called thermoformed molded fiber, in which pulp is first formed on a screened tool and then pressed between matched metal tools to compress and dry the part. This yields precise, dimensionally stable parts with finished surfaces on both sides, in contrast to Type 3's Type 2 counterpart (used for products such as egg cartons), which produces air-dried parts with one rough side and greater dimensional variability. Typical applications include packaging inserts, luxury and beauty packaging, custom food and beverage containers, and structural or design-focused single-use items such as disposable medical device bodies, lamp diffusers, mold forms and desk organizers.

Parts are made from a blend of softwood and hardwood virgin pulp, often from certified sustainable sources, with softwood fibers supplying strength and hardwood fibers providing surface finish; trace additives below FDA limits assist processing and moisture resistance. Finished parts are recyclable like paper and can be produced in natural kraft or white, with embossing, debossing, inkjet, laser or label marking. Current production systems make parts fitting within 22" x 16" x 6", with wall thicknesses of roughly 0.02"-0.04" (0.5-1.0 mm). Food-contact parts are produced with FDA-approved materials and practices, and parts can be sterilized by autoclave, radiation or ethylene oxide, though the company does not currently produce parts that act as a sterile barrier. Wood fiber is sourced primarily from Maine and New England forests.

Founding story

Co-founder and CEO Melissa LaCasse has described deciding to start the company while driving in Westbrook, Maine, listening to the 'On Being' podcast and hearing the question 'What kind of an ancestor do you want to be?' She has said the founding team combined decades of experience in molded fiber production, engineering and business development, and that while the team knew business-to-business sales and manufacturing, it initially had no experience raising startup capital.

Business model

Tanbark sells contract design, tooling and manufacturing services for molded fiber parts and packaging, offering three levels of engagement: manufacturing from a customer's finished design, design work adapting an existing part for molded fiber, and innovation projects developed jointly with the customer's team. Production is domestic, at the company's Saco, Maine facility.

Revenue comes from custom molded fiber production runs plus associated tooling and design work. Minimum order quantities are set by machine cycles and generally range from 10,000 to 200,000 parts depending on part size; the company states its tool sets cost roughly the price of a used car, materially less than tooling for conventional high-volume molded fiber lines.

Traction

The company began operations in the summer of 2023 and reports being in full production. Luke's Lobster piloted a program with Tanbark and was set to transition to Tanbark products exclusively for its custom takeout containers. As of June 2025 the company reported 15 employees and plans to hire five to ten more within a few months. In 2024 it reported incoming financing from the Finance Authority of Maine and the Maine Technology Institute to purchase and install equipment and expand output.

Latest developments

In June 2025 the Maine Community Foundation announced a partnership with Maine Venture Fund and highlighted Tanbark in an accompanying video as a promising Maine startup; the company reported 15 employees, clients including Luke's Lobster, and plans to add five to ten staff. Earlier, the company reported financing from the Finance Authority of Maine and the Maine Technology Institute to buy and install equipment, and said it was engaged in market testing and materials prototyping. It describes itself as in expansion mode and open to adding larger-format equipment.