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Unlike previous years, there weren't a lot of major shake-ups in 2016. But that doesn't mean it wasn't a solid year for the top North American converters.

Compared to the Top 25 Converter lists of the past few years, this year's list may seem, well, ordinary. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. While this year was not without its share of M&A's, they were all fairly minor to some of the big shake-ups the industry has seen in the past. What results is a list featuring a lot of familiar converters, many of whom continue to see year-after-year growth.

And with that, we present the 2017 Top 25 Converters, which are based off 2016 sales. Read on to see how this year's list shakes out and what each converter was up to over the past year.

1 BEMIS

2016 sales (in billions): $4 / Neenah, Wisconsin

For the second consecutive year, Bemis earned the Highest Achievement Award as part of the Flexible Packaging Achievement Awards, this year for its Hunt's Recipe Ready tomato paste pouch. The lightweight 6-ounce pouch delivers a convenient alternative to the traditional can. The new format meets changing consumer demographics and lifestyles by providing a convenient, portion-controlled 2-tablespoon serving of tomato paste. Consumers simply tear, dispense and toss. Bemis also earned four other awards, Gold Awards in Sustainability, Extending the Use of Flexible Packaging and Packaging Excellence, and a Silver Award in Printing and Shelf Impact.

Bemis j (920) 527-5000; www.bemis.com

2 SEALED AIR CORP.

2016 sales (in billions): $2.6* Charlotte, North Carolina

Sealed Air released its Opti Next Generation Shrink Films from Millennium Packaging in 2016, films that provide about 30 percent more footage in the same footprint as conventional shrink films. The Opti NX family includes five all-purpose (Opti NXG) and two soft-shrink (Opti NXS) gauges that meet the needs of a broad array of applications, including irregularly-shaped products and soft items, such as converted paper that are unable to withstand the shrink force of conventional all-purpose materials. The new films adapt to a wide range of shrink machinery, are recyclable, and are both FDA and USPS approved.

Sealed Air Corporation (980) 221-3235; www.sealedair.com

3 SIGMA PLASTICS GROUP

2016 sales (in billions): $2.45 Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Sigma formed...

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