About S&S Incorporated

Strapping and Seals Incorporated was established in Cleveland, Ohio in 1965 by George Zerby, to provide solutions to an everchanging packaging market. Steel strapping became a popular packaging method with railroad shippers, asphalt shingle manufacturers, construction workers, and textile mill workers for its 600lb secure holding power for shipments. Strapping proved to cut container costs, freight costs, damage costs, and pilfering costs.

In the 1970 Dan Kunes realized this new packaging trend and purchased S&S Incorporated. Dan would spend his lunch hour at the shipping docks and rail yards to demonstrate how easy it is to secure shipments with strapping and handheld tools.  “Relationships are the bedrock of selling,” Dan would say. By going out and working with end users and listening to their needs he would find solutions to the problems they were having. Automation arrived with the introduction to carton erectors, case sealers, and stretch wrappers. These machines would become the focus for decades to come.

In the 80’s, S&S installed a fully integrated online computer system. Which allowed for expanded operations in Toledo, Youngstown, Akron, and Canton with satellite warehouses to ensure 24-hour delivery for customers. Dan presented at the Great Lakes Industrial Show and rolled out the red carpet for customers to showcase new automation. He published the first packaging newsletter called, “The Wrap” to keep customers on the forefront of the newest innovations in packaging.

In the 90’s, S&S joined the Independent Packaging Distributors, IDS, and Afflink to come together with businesses that operated in a similar fashion. This allowed business owners to share ideas and resources to continue to grow their businesses. Bi-annual meetings helped to grow vendor managed inventory programs, hold for release programs for custom inventory, and equipment maintenance programs to maintain equipment.

S&S continued expansion in the 2000’s with a patent on the Flower Forwarder, one of the first disposal pallet racking systems for one way shipping.  This newly designed rack allowed growers to ship their plants and flowers on a rack that was ready to be displayed.  This eliminated the need for growers to use metal carts to ship on.  Growers no longer had to go back to retailers to retrieve their carts after use.

In 2016, the company’s direction continued with the purchase of S&S Incorporated by Paul Nared and Gary Krupa from the Kunes family.  In the next couple of years, the Pandemic shocked the United States.  S&S Incorporated remained an essential company serving our customers. Together we developed custom solutions to help them with the ever-changing environment and labor shortages.

Today, S&S Incorporated is one of the oldest privately owned provider of packaging supplies and solutions in Ohio.  We work with manufacturers, distributors, and institutions at delivering safe, eco-friendly, cost-effective packaging solutions. Clients look to S&S Incorporated when managing packaging costs matter.  When automation is a requirement to stay in the game.  When controlling inventory is vital. When Eco-friendly is more than just a buzz word. And when looking for solutions to multiple challenges is a reality.