Tucked inside a multi-building complex in the Bronx, Color Carton runs on decades of trust, consistency, and hard-earned loyalty.

On any given day, you’ll hear employees chatting in multiple languages, celebrating a birthday, or swapping stories from the 1970s. “We’ve had people here for 10, 20, even 40 years. They show up early, stay late, and help each other. It’s a family,” says Vinny LoPrinzi, the company’s second-generation owner.

Color Carton was founded in 1960 by Vinny’s father, Nicholas LoPrinzi, and his business partner Robert Newton. The two men met while working in Alphabet City – Nicholas, a printer, Robert a machinist. “They were completely different,” Vinny says. “But they never once argued.” To launch the business, Robert sold the patent for the ubiquitous 6-pack beverage carrier he had designed. With five employees and a small facility, Color Carton got to work. Vinny still has the original payroll book.

What began as a five-person shop has grown into a 100,000-square-foot manufacturing hub.

Today, Color Carton serves clients like Shiseido and Eataly, producing high-quality folding cartons for cosmetics, specialty food, consumer goods, and retail brands. “We can handle 100 pieces or a million,” says Vinnie. “Some shops take weeks — we’ll do it overnight if that’s what it takes.”

Everything is done in-house: structural design, graphic layout, prototyping, printing, finishing, and fulfillment. With a full suite of advanced machinery and a team that knows how to use it, Color Carton is built for scale, speed and precision. One longtime employee, Marco, started out making samples by hand. “When we got our first CAD machine, he was overwhelmed and completely computer illiterate,” recalls Vinny. “Now he’s in his 80s and teaching the new hires how to use it.”

Resilience has been part of Color Carton’s DNA, especially in recent years. After the COVID shutdowns, the company rehired quickly, welcoming skilled workers from a competitor that had closed and returning to full capacity in record time. Then came the storm. “The roof collapsed from heavy rain. I walked in at 4:30AM and saw water everywhere. I thought we were done,” Vinny remembers. “But the team showed up – no hesitation. Everyone grabbed brooms and got to work. Nobody waited to be asked.”

Color Carton is still proudly family-owned and operated.

Vinny and his brother Nicky took over in the 1990s after working in the business since the 70s. Their children are now helping lead the way, bringing programming, automation, and fresh energy to the shop floor. “We’ve all worked here. My wife was here for 15 years. Even my kids got roped in. The family tradition is baked in.” Vinny says.

The company has earned certifications from FSC and EcoVadis, reflecting its commitment to sustainable sourcing and responsible production. While not every client asks for eco-friendly options, Color Carton offers recycled and recyclable board for those who do. Every project is inspected carefully, and most are handled by people who have been with the company for decades. “You don’t need a patent to stand out in packaging,” Vinny says. “You just need to solve problems, do it fast, and make your customers’ lives easier.”

That mindset has kept employees loyal and customers coming back. “We celebrate everything: Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick’s Day, birthdays – any excuse to extend the lunch hour with our team,” Vinnie adds. “Even past employees show up. People leave, but they don’t really leave.”

As for what’s next, Vinny laughs. “For me? Retirement in Florida. But the business? That’s staying right here. Still family-run and only getting stronger.”