Box Latch builds on century-old challenge with reusable solution

Box Latch Products, a Pewaukee-based company founded in 2010 by brothers Jack and Jim Wilson, was recently named one of the 148 nominees in Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce’s Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin contest.

The recognition highlights a product tackling a problem that has existed for more than a century: how to close cardboard boxes without tape, staples, or damage to the flaps. Patents for such closures date back to the early 1900s, but most never reached the market. The Wilsons changed that history.

The company’s signature product, the Box Latch, is a reusable clip that secures box flaps. It is designed to reduce waste by extending the life of corrugated boxes, which are typically used once and then discarded. “Nine out of 10 boxes are used only one time,” Jack Wilson said. “Reuse before recycling is incredibly valuable in the sustainable world.”

For the Wilsons, sustainability is personal. Jack has planted more than 35,000 trees over his lifetime, beginning as a child in 4-H. “Conservation has been a key for me since I was 11 or 12,” he said.

Jim’s background as both a veterinarian and an attorney gave him a professional lens on conservation and efficiency. Together, they combined their skills to bring Box Latch to market.

A pivotal moment for the company came through the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.’s ExporTech program, which provided training and grant support to expand internationally. That step led to a breakthrough with a clothing manufacturer in Europe, which over several years purchased $250,000 worth of Box Latch products. “Without ExporTech, we wouldn’t have had the guts to do it,” Jim Wilson said. “It gave us the confidence to look beyond our borders.”

International markets have proven especially receptive, in part because of stricter environmental legislation. “There’s no question that European laws are considerably further ahead than the U.S. when it comes to reuse and sustainability,” Jim Wilson said. The company has found opportunities in countries where regulation encourages innovation.

“Those early successes abroad showed us the product could work on a large scale,” Jack Wilson said. “But selling into new markets is never simple.”

In the United States, adoption has been slower, but the Wilsons see momentum building. “People don’t usually buy because of sustainability,” Jack Wilson said. “They buy sustainable products if it enhances their bottom line.”

As industry concerns about plastic waste increase, more companies are starting to see the financial and operational benefits of reusable packaging.

“Without passion and persistence, you will fail,” Jim Wilson said. “That’s true for any startup, and it’s what has kept us going.”

For Box Latch, that persistence has also highlighted the role Wisconsin programs and manufacturers can play in scaling innovation. What began as an overlooked invention is now gaining traction across borders, a reminder of how local ideas can shape global markets.