A small Leamington company is building on a legacy established in Windsor-Essex more than 60 years ago by bringing child-resistant safety caps, jars and pouches to the cannabis industry.
Tychon Packaging Inc. was established in 2017 and is now providing its products to more than 70 licensed cannabis suppliers across Canada and a handful in the United States.
“I don’t know whether it’s simply because more people are working from home and able to use cannabis products or whether it’s because the industry is becoming more accepted and mainstream but our sales quadrupled from our second year in business to our third year,” said Tychon president Kevin Kantati.
“We took a look at where the industry was going and decided child-resistant packaging was going to become extremely important,” said Kantati who established Tychon with wife MaryLyn Kantati and brother Joseph Kantati.
Tecumseh born pediatrician Dr. Henri J. Breault helped design the ‘palm-and-turn’ child resistant cap in the mid 1960s and it quickly resulted in a 91 per cent reduction in accidental medicine ingestion.
Breault, who established the Ontario Association for the Control of Accidental Poisoning, launched a 41-year medical career in Windsor after graduating from Western University in 1936. In addition to his private practice, Breault was also Chief of Pediatrics and Director of the Poison Control Centre at Hotel Dieu Hospital beginning in 1957.
“The Windsor-Essex region is world renowned for what we make, and what we grow.”
Tychon is building on that legacy with a variety of child-resistant products including jars, corrugated boxes, pop top containers, smooth-sided jars, caps for cannabis-infused drinks, packaging for pre-rolled products and edibles, glass jars with droppers and pre-rolled vape cartridges.
“The Windsor-Essex region is world renowned for what we make, and what we grow. With Tychon packaging and even our booming cannabis sector, you’re seeing the evolution of both of those core strengths as it happens in real time,” says Adam Castle, Director of Venture Services at WEtech Alliance. “As we look to what’s ahead for our economy, this is the kind of diversification that gets us to where we want to be.”
The company has patents pending for two child-resistant pouch designs, another for an airtight container used for pre-rolled products and a fourth for child-resistant cap for beverage containers which is being produced by Omega Tool in Windsor.
“Most of our products are being manufactured overseas so we are very proud of the fact that one of our more popular products is being made right here in Windsor,” said Kantati. “Ultimately we hope to bring most of our production back to Canada.”
All of Tychon’s products have to be certified child-resistant by both Health Canada and the Federal Drug Administration before they can be sold to one of the many licensed producers across Canada and the U.S.
“It can be a lengthy process but it’s also extremely important to keep these products out of the hands of children,” explains Kantati. “We need to make sure they are 100 per cent safe before they go out into the marketplace.”
The beverage caps are installed at the end of the line before the cans are packed and shipped out. The caps are not reusable but they are recyclable and ruggedly designed to withstand stacking in boxes without compromising the cap.
The pouches, meanwhile, feature zippers which are flush to the pouch so that they don’t jam or get products in the pouch from getting caught up in the zipper.
Kantati said he worked in the produce industry on the packaging side but quickly switched over to packaging for cannabis products as soon as the industry became legal and mainstream almost five years ago.
With a small staff and overseas product agreements, Kantati said Tychon is able to offer competitive prices to its clients and is on track to exceed last year’s sales numbers.
For more information on Tychon products, visit tychonpackaging.com
