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Spotlight: Irfan Rajabali, president, E.B. Box

E.B. Box, a folding carton manufacturer in Richmond Hill, Ont., recently doubled its footprint by adding a second facility. Its president Irfan Rajabali joined the family business in 2007. He has used his financial and business skills to help E.B. Box grow along with his father Amin Rajabali, who is the company’s CEO. The company, which was already skilled in short runs, now has the ability to offer longer runs with faster turnarounds due to recent investments in automation and new tech. Folding carton is growing exponentially and, in this interview, Irfan gives us a sense of the opportunities in that sector.

What is the state of the print industry today, in your opinion?

IR: The print industry is in a period of evolution. On the commercial print side, we’re seeing some declines in volumes, but packaging is very different. Folding carton is growing due to plastics reduction related regulations. Food, health and CPG brands are pivoting to more sustainable options for their packaging. The real focus in that industry is speed, flexibility, sustainability and data. Customers want faster turnarounds and shorter runs but consistent, hi-end quality.

What attracted you to the print industry?

IR: E.B. Box is a second-generation family business. When I joined the business 18 years ago, it was a small company that was mostly doing standard box work. It’s really evolved into a company offering personalized packaging solutions for several large food brands. It was attractive back then for me because I looked at it as an industry that was yet to catch up with technology and innovation.

How can the industry attract more young people?

IR: We must shift the narrative of what print is. The plants are no longer messy or dirty. The facilities are very technology forward with data-driven machines. We need to show younger people the modern side of the business such as automation, digital workflows, colour management, and robotics. We want people to know there is a career path here. Actually, the wage rates and compensation are quite competitive because this industry is growing. It’s our job as business leaders to tell that story a bit better and get some of the younger generation excited to be working in this industry.

While we have labour challenges, investments in technology have allowed us to do more with less. We also do internal training, so staff that are mechanically inclined can apprentice on some of our machinery with our more senior operators and hopefully transition into operators. Then there are training centres for some of these skills in other parts of the world like India and Dubai. We’ve been able to tap into that pool a little bit, although it’s becoming increasingly difficult due current immigration policies.

In such a competitive landscape, how can printers generate more sales?

IR: Price is extremely important, but it’s not everything. It’s also about solving problems. It’s about fast turnaround times. It’s about really understanding the customers and their needs, such as lowering inventory carrying costs or helping them with sku management. There’s a lot of other value additions that one can offer clients. We believe in partnering with our clients, integrating with their teams and having a keen sense of how we’re helping them. It’s important to stay focused on continuing to deliver value.

What are some of the biggest opportunities in the print industry?

IR: The big opportunities are shorter runs and faster turnaround times. In food, where 92 per cent of our business is, people care about quality and safety. We’re a GFSI-certified facility, which is a key differentiator. Another opportunity is helping companies with their branding so that their products appeal to the Instagram generation. Packaging used to be generic; just plain white boxes. But brands now want their products to look and feel unique. There’s been a large growth in packaging as people want customization and uniqueness.

What do you think is the most exciting thing about print today?

IR: It’s exciting to see things come to life and to see the packaging we create on store shelves. It’s great to be part of a brand story and support them as their business grows.

Irfan Rajabali’s response was edited for length. For more Spotlight interviews, please visit www.printaction.com/profile.

This article originally appeared in the July/Aug. 2025  issue of PrintAction.