# 189 - Freedom Packaging's newest President, Tom Hauerstein joins Adam

- Show: [People of Packaging](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging)
- Published: 2023-04-18
- Length: 29m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam
- Listen: https://encase.substack.com/p/189-freedom-packagings-newest-president

## Summary

Tom Hauerstein, who spent 20 years building the Labels and Packaging division at S1 Labels and LexJet, explains his move to become President of Freedom Packaging to take on a new challenge. He contrasts S1’s digital, short-run model with Freedom’s high-volume flexible packaging for private label retail, discussing the economic barriers to compostable materials and the shift toward pure polyethylene structures. Hauerstein details how food inflation is driving demand for house brands and frozen goods, while noting that extended producer responsibility (EPR) reporting is just beginning to trickle into private label requests.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=0) Introduction: Tom Hauerstein and Freedom Packaging
- [5:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=305) Tom's 20-Year Journey at S1 Labels and LexJet
- [8:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=520) Sponsor Read: Ruvi and Spark Packaging
- [9:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=570) Freedom Packaging's Business Model and Clients
- [11:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=712) Sustainability Challenges: Compostable vs. Pure Polyethylene
- [14:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=875) Food Inflation and the Rise of Private Label Brands
- [18:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=1115) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in Private Label
- [20:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=1224) Material Science: Paper vs. Plastic Barriers
- [27:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam#t=1639) Growth Strategy and Contact Information

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Sustainability & circular products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sustainability-and-circularity)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Freedom Packaging (company)
- S1 Labels and Packaging (company)
- LexJet (company)
- Spec Wright (company)
- Spark Packaging (company)
- Walmart (company)
- Costco (company)
- Amazon (company)
- Indigo (product)
- Ellen MacArthur (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [#260 - Packaging Changes as you Grow with Evie's Snacks and Belmark](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-08-04-260-packaging-changes-as-you-grow-with-evies-snacks-and-belmark) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [The Human Driver of Sustainable Manufacturing w/ Mark Remmert](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-04-25-the-human-driver-of-sustainable-manufacturing-w-mark-remmert) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Founder Feature: Cam Mathias of Huntaway](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2024-08-16-founder-feature-cam-mathias-of-huntaway) (The Startup CPG Podcast)
- [Making garbage useful with Tom Szaky of TerraCycle](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-08-17-making-garbage-useful-with-tom-szaky-of-terracycle) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Tim Ferriss](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-08-28-advice-line-with-tim-ferriss) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2023-04-18-189-freedom-packagings-newest-president-tom-hauerstein-joins-adam. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to People of Packaging.