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Mark Rolfes, Co-President and CRO“Integration support is rare. Turnkey solutions are even rarer. And for OEMs running high-volume programs with dozens of unique configurations, the industry offers little consistency, little innovation and even less urgency, and we are here to fix that,” says Mark Rolfes, co-president and CRO at Packaging Strategies Incorporated (PSI).
As a U.S.-based, fully integrated design and manufacturing company, Packaging Strategies has redefined what protective packaging can be for military, federally funded and aerospace maintenance programs. It specializes in the design, engineering, fabrication and full-system integration of custom cases that meet program-specific MIL requirements and the real-world demands of field operations.
Instead of handing OEMs an empty case and walking away, Packaging Strategies steps into the part of the process most suppliers avoid. Its engineering team develops full protective systems, including shock-mounted assemblies, internal frameworks, harnessing and custom inserts designed to safeguard everything from large military drones to missile components to advanced simulation hardware. And because many customers need more than a container, Packaging Strategies finishes the job by installing all electronics, components and accessories in-house. The result is a fully assembled, field-ready case that the OEM never has to touch.
With new investment, upgraded systems, modernized equipment and an ambitious leadership team, the company has positioned itself as the partner that finally closes the gap between the sophistication of today’s defense technologies and the packaging systems required to protect them.
Engineering the Envelope around Mission Critical Equipment
A persistent misconception in the industry is that custom packaging ends with custom-cut, shaped, or pick-n’-pluck foam. Packaging Strategies’ capabilities extend far beyond that definition. The company designs internal frameworks that suspend equipment, absorb shock, and stabilize sensitive components through mechanical support systems. Missiles, drones, electronics and simulation hardware are protected using assemblies that manage impact and vibration in real transport scenarios, such as heavy drops or forklift contact, without transferring force to the payload.
Packaging Strategies experts start by gaining a detailed understanding of both the equipment being protected and the environment/transit requirements. Weight distribution, handling requirements, deployment conditions, environmental exposure and any accompanying tools or components are all captured at the start of the design process. Packaging Strategies engineers the outer case and full protective envelope, including the internal insert systems that support and secure the payload.
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When equipment must arrive ready, intact and operational, packaging is no longer an add-on. For us, it is part of the system itself.
A persistent misconception in the industry is that custom packaging ends with custom-cut, shaped, or pick-n’-pluck foam. Packaging Strategies’ capabilities extend far beyond that definition. The company designs internal frameworks that suspend equipment, absorb shock, and stabilize sensitive components through mechanical support systems. Missiles, drones, electronics and simulation hardware are protected using assemblies that manage impact and vibration in real transport scenarios, such as heavy drops or forklift contact, without transferring force to the payload.
Throughout the process, compliance is treated as a design requirement. Packaging Strategies engineers each case to meet the specific MIL standards defined by the program. As a result, each case performs consistently under operational stress without cracking, leaking, or compromising the equipment inside. Every design is tailored to the critical mission specifications it supports, with the goal of ensuring that the system arrives ready to perform.
From Packaging Supplier to Integration Partner
For defense and aerospace programs, risk often appears at the seams between assembly, packaging and deployment. Packaging Strategies addresses that vulnerability through integration, consolidating what is traditionally a fragmented handoff into a single, engineered workflow grounded in both design and execution.
Under its turnkey model, customers send components directly to Packaging Strategies for installation inside the case. The team determines the complete internal layout, including placement, drilling points, mounting structures, and the configuration of power units, electronics, hardware, and support equipment. Once assembled, the finished unit ships directly to the end user, eliminating internal handling, reducing deployment timelines and lowering the risk of damage or misconfiguration. This gives customers a single accountable partner for both protection and system readiness.
An Engineer-First, Execution-Driven Approach
Packaging Strategies’ engagement strategy reflects an engineer-first philosophy, rooted in customer centricity. The company encourages customers to involve its engineering team early in program development, when system requirements, deployment conditions and compliance criteria are still being defined. Addressing packaging alongside system design reduces downstream rework, avoids late-stage compromises, and improves overall program readiness by aligning with real operational demands.
All project parameters are documented centrally from the outset, ensuring that technical requirements, constraints and expectations carry seamlessly from initial engagement into active execution. This continuity allows engineering, design and production teams to work from the same understanding, minimizing misalignment and keeping programs moving efficiently from concept through delivery.
Speed is a practical advantage derived from this approach. Standard product quotes are often delivered within hours, while custom designs are typically quoted within days. In an industry where extended response times are still common, Packaging Strategies’ responsiveness helps customers maintain momentum on time-sensitive programs.
Delivering Complexity at Scale
Packaging Strategies’ model has been tested under high-volume and high-variance conditions. Over two years, the company produced approximately 80,000 cases across 46 designs for a major training and simulation initiative spanning U.S. and international military operations. Each design carried distinct dimensional constraints, internal layout requirements and environmental performance criteria, which meant Packaging Strategies had to engineer solutions that performed consistently despite significant variability.
Packaging Strategies’ team delivered these systems on strict timelines while coordinating with multiple stakeholders across engineering, logistics and program management. Maintaining quality and repeatability at this scale required disciplined processes, strong internal communication and a modernized production environment capable of adapting to frequent design adjustments. The ability to meet these demands demonstrated the strength of Packaging Strategies’ engineering and manufacturing model and reinforced its position as a partner equipped to support programs where complexity and volume converge.
Modernizing for the Next Phase of Demand
In October 2024, Packaging Strategies was acquired by ArchStar Capital, marking a new chapter for the company and opening the door to long-term investments in people, infrastructure and systems. The new ownership brought industry veterans, a sharper focus on operational excellence and scalable growth, reflecting the increasing demands of the defense and aerospace markets.
Following the acquisition, Packaging Strategies modernized its internal systems, upgraded production equipment, and reorganized its factory floor to improve efficiency and throughput. These improvements were paired with updated digital tools across CRM, finance, and customer-data platforms, giving teams clearer visibility into program performance and enabling faster, more informed decision-making. The transformation has enabled the team to take on larger, more complex engagements without stretching its operational capacity.
By treating packaging as an engineered system and pairing it with full integration services, Packaging Strategies closes a critical gap between design and field deployment. Its national footprint, U.S.-based manufacturing, and execution-focused culture reflect an industry that can no longer afford reactive solutions.
As Rolfes puts it, “When equipment must arrive ready, intact and operational, packaging is no longer an add-on. For us, it is part of the system itself.”
Selecting Military Signature Management Systems For Mission Integrity
Executives responsible for acquiring military signature management systems operate in an environment where transport, deployment and storage decisions directly affect readiness, safety and program continuity. Equipment is rarely static. Sensitive electronics, weapon systems, simulation platforms and support tools must move from design facilities to test sites, staging areas and active theaters without degradation or delay. Failures in containment, protection, or integration surface later as downtime, rework, or compliance exposure. The market serving these needs has historically been fragmented, shaped by regional providers and narrow service scopes, leaving buyers to coordinate design, fabrication and installation across multiple vendors.
A disciplined approach to military containment design begins with the ability to translate complex system requirements into a single, coherent architecture. Weight distribution, dimensional tolerances, mounted components and ancillary equipment must be accounted for early, not treated as downstream constraints. Programs often involve more than protecting a single asset. Maintenance tools, power systems, peripherals and safety equipment travel alongside primary systems, creating interdependencies that demand purpose-built internal architectures rather than generic inserts. Solutions that treat containment as a configurable platform, rather than a static box, reduce handling risk and simplify deployment.
Compliance remains a central pressure point. Military and federally funded programs operate under defined standards governing impact resistance, environmental exposure and ingress protection. Buyers face heightened scrutiny regarding water, dust, temperature extremes and drop scenarios across all orientations. Systems that cannot be engineered to meet specific military standards introduce uncertainty late in procurement cycles.
Speed and coordination also matter more than is often acknowledged. Acquisition timelines rarely allow for extended design iterations or slow quoting cycles. Delays at the containment stage ripple outward, stalling integration, acceptance testing and delivery. Providers that maintain structured intake processes, internal visibility across sales and engineering teams and rapid response expectations remove friction from otherwise compressed schedules.
Within this landscape, PSI Cases stands out for how it consolidates design, manufacturing and system integration into a single offering tailored to military signature management requirements. It operates as a US-based designer and manufacturer of custom military packaging and integration systems, serving defense and federally funded programs alongside aerospace maintenance organizations. Its work extends beyond fabrication to full integration, installing customer-supplied electronics, components and mounting frameworks directly into finished cases. That approach allows end users or prime contractors to receive completed units ready for deployment without additional internal handling.
Its engineering capability addresses scenarios that go well beyond basic foam solutions. PSI Cases designs internal suspension and shock absorption systems that secure missiles, drones and other sensitive assets in transport, even under severe handling events. Each solution is engineered against specified MIL-STD covering impact, environmental exposure and structural integrity. This ensures that compliance is not assumed but built into the enclosure and its internal architecture.
The company’s process emphasizes early engagement with technical stakeholders. By working directly with engineers responsible for system design, it captures detailed requirements before procurement decisions are finalized. Information flows through shared internal systems, allowing designers, estimators and production teams to work from a unified dataset. This structure supports fast turnaround, with standard configurations quoted rapidly and custom designs delivered within practical timelines.
For organizations seeking military signature management systems that reduce coordination burdens while meeting demanding performance and compliance expectations, PSI Cases represents a strong choice. Its ability to deliver integrated, standards-aligned solutions at scale reflects an understanding of how containment decisions influence mission readiness, not just logistics.
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Packaging Strategies Incorporated (PSI)
Company
Packaging Strategies Incorporated (PSI)
Management
Mark Rolfes, Co-President and CRO
Description
Packaging Strategies Incorporated (PSI) is a U.S.-based designer, manufacturer, and integrator of custom packaging solutions for aerospace, defense and federally funded programs. The company specializes in engineering protective cases that meet demanding military and regulatory standards, ensuring sensitive, high-value equipment can be transported, stored, and deployed without compromise.
