Competing solely on price isn't the only option. Dedicate time to grasp your industry and consumer trends. Prioritize what your customers appreciate — be it quality, convenience, innovation, or brand alignment — before focusing on pricing again.

Melissa is delighted to share that she has been selected as a recipient of the 2024 Women Who Empower Innovator Awards! This recognition is a true honor and represents a significant milestone in her entrepreneurial journey with Tanbark.

A note from our leader, Melissa LaCasse:

“Thank you to Mainebiz for naming me alongside several impactful individuals who lead businesses in Maine. This award serves as validation of our team’s shared vision and relentless pursuit of innovation here at Tanbark…

Governor Mills announces Maine Jobs & Recovery Grants to upgrade electric grids and support rural economic development.

Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, which started manufacturing operations in Saco in July, is a rapidly growing designer and maker of high-end sustainable packaging made from Maine pulp and paper.

Tanbark Molded Fiber Products in Saco is making clamshell containers for Luke's Lobster shacks with pulp from Maine trees, the latest reinvention of the state's legacy industry.

Today, August 2nd, marks the day we have collectively used up all our natural resources the Earth can replenish in a year... Earth Overshoot Day marks a point in time when we are officially borrowing resources from the future.

On July 28, 2023, President Joe Biden signed an executive order, “Invent it here, make it here,” requiring federally-funded inventions to be manufactured in the United States.

Good things come in threes. Tanbark’s three-fold commitment to innovation, Maine, and the planet has earned the company a place in the spotlight by three Maine organizations:

Going up against the plastics industry and creating a healthier planet requires us to break down silos, create open systems, and collaborate at every turn of the corner. We get this and are committed to it.

Last month, Tanbark co-founder Melissa LaCasse hit the stage in New York City delivering a message of hope at The Future of Packaging​​, the definitive event for those working toward sustainable packaging design.

“If we want to keep Maine competitive with other states that are working aggressively to attract businesses, then we simply cannot be without a business incentive program,” said Governor Janet Mills. 

“Tanbark Molded Fiber Products in Portland will manufacture Type 3 molded fiber using pulp made from locally sourced, sustainable harvested trees.”

“After winning the Gorham Savings Bank LaunchPad business-pitch competition in June, the company used its $50,000 prize money to pay freelance industrial designers with the goal of eventually bringing someone on full-time.

CEO and co-founder of Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, Melissa LaCasse, sat down with Mainebiz for On the Record.

“Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, a Portland-based company that wants to replace single-use plastic packaging with a sustainable option, has won the 2022 LaunchPad business pitch competition and its $50,000 first-place cash prize.”

“Tanbark Molded Fiber Products, a Portland-based company that wants to replace single-use plastic packaging with a sustainable option, has raised $1.7 million in seed funding to fund its first phase of growth.

Tanbark Molded Fiber Products was selected as one of the 5 startup companies joining the Roux Institute Residency Program in Maine. Here are a few of our favorite our highlights.