Plymouth Pack & Ship Co. delivers care, convenience

Jim Paul

Contributor

January 26, 2026

PLYMOUTH – When Pahoua Stromberg opened Plymouth Pack & Ship last month, she said she knew there was a gap in Plymouth’s shipping options – what she didn’t realize was just how big that gap really was.

“I knew there was a need in Plymouth, but I did not know how big a need it was,” she said. “Everyone is so happy they have a place in Plymouth here, somewhere local they could just walk into and not have to drive a ways to get to.”

Located at 2617 Eastern Ave., in a former GNC storefront, Stromberg said Plymouth Pack & Ship will be a one-stop shop for shipping, packing, copying, printing and – in a twist that makes the shop stand out – international snacks and beverages.

Stromberg said she owns the business outright, though her husband, Matthew, helps out when he can.

Filling a gap

Stromberg said her path to entrepreneurship started just across the street.

Before opening Plymouth Pack & Ship, she said she worked as an assistant manager at the local Walgreens, where she quickly noticed a pattern.

“At Walgreens, we did FedEx drop-off and pickups, and it’s just strictly those pickup and drop-off,” she said. “When I started seeing people come in wanting to ship something out, I noticed the community needed this. I was getting feedback that people were driving 20-30 minutes away just to ship a package or return something.”

Stromberg said that feedback, combined with her own experience, sparked an idea.

“I wanted to create a local, reliable place where people can walk in, talk to a real person and know their items are being handled with care,” she said. “So, that is when I jumped on that idea and created Plymouth Pack & Ship.”

Though she grew up in Sheboygan, Stromberg said she moved to Florida for about a decade after college before returning to Wisconsin.

She said her role at Walgreens – managing front-end operations and training in the pharmacy – gave her the skills needed to start her own business.

“I was in charge of the everyday operations in the front end,” she said. “The goal was to become a store manager within six months.”

Stromberg said that ambition now lives in her own sign over the door.

Though Plymouth was unfamiliar to her before her time at Walgreens, she said the town quickly won her over.

“I chose Plymouth [for the business] because it has a strong sense of community,” she said. “People here support local businesses, and we wanted to build something that serves the families, the seniors and the small businesses here. We are really proud to be a part of Plymouth and the local business ecosystem here.”

Stromberg said that community support was evident from the beginning, as the grand opening Dec. 17, 2025 – featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony, snacks and cake – was met with great enthusiasm.

New beginning

Opening Plymouth Pack & Ship Co. in the former GNC location, Stromberg said, meant reimagining the space – laughing as she remembers opening the doors for the first time.

“There were so many shelving units, it was from the front all the way to the back,” she said. “We had to take some of those down, use what we had, but also transform it in a way that it didn’t look like GNC.”

The remodel was just part of it, Stromberg said, as she was simultaneously building the business itself – literally.

“It was a lot of getting things here in time,” she said. “I built the counter [and] I built the worktable – that took a little bit of time.”

Balancing the launch of Plymouth Pack & Ship Co., her final days at Walgreens and raising three children, Stromberg said she’s proud of how the transition has unfolded.
“I’m still learning, so I’m very happy with how I started,” she said. “Every day is a learning experience for me… I don’t think I would change anything.”

Offerings – current and future

Stromberg said Plymouth Pack & Ship works with multiple carriers, offering both outgoing shipments and drop-offs and will soon offer copying and printing services.

“We send out packages through UPS, USPS, DHL and Speedy Delivery,” she said.

Stromberg said she plans to strengthen collaborations with local businesses moving forward, as well.

“Our future goal is to start working with the businesses around here,” she said. “This is just our first month, we are still working on reaching out to the businesses around here, maybe packing and shipping items for them, because I know that running a business, you really do not have much time…, especially small [businesses], to get things shipped out.”

As Plymouth Pack & Ship continues to evolve, Stromberg said the plan is to offer even more services.

“We are also planning on doing fingerprinting – the digital fingerprinting,” she said. “We do have mailboxes – they should be ready within a week.”

Notary services, Stromberg said, are also part of the expansion plans.

Plymouth Pack & Ship’s hours, she said, reflect her goal of meeting people where they are.
“I try to open my store as long as I can throughout the day,” she said. “I am open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and then I also open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, because there are people who are working throughout the week and they can’t make it to the store.”

Among the shop’s most unexpected features, Stromberg said, are shelves stocked with international snacks and beverages – which are inspired by the care packages she and her husband received while in college.

“His mom used to send us care packages, and there’d be so many snacks in there,” she said.

Stromberg said it is an offering that blends the practical – shipping – with something more personal.

Though just weeks into opening, Stromberg said she has already encountered some unexpected packages.
“I had to ship out a race car seat, that is one thing, and then a snowboard – it was really long,” she said.

When it comes to fragile or odd-shaped items, Stromberg said she has a method – beginning with bubble wrap.

“I [also] have packing peanuts in there just to fill that void, so it’s not moving around,” she said. “I also make sure it is not a box that is too big, so that it is still able to move around. I make sure it’s the right size, and then I put fragile stickers all over it.”

Stromberg said she’s already come across one of the most common misconceptions customers have about her services.
“That we’re getting paid by the carriers per package,” she said. “Because that’s absolutely not true.”

Stromberg said she takes a hands-on approach with shipments to stay ahead of any problems.

“I always return calls, and I always check up on my customers,” she said. “Even throughout the week, I check on their tracking just to make sure it is getting to where it needs to go. I am taking those extra steps to build that trust with my customers, so they know they’re not just a tracking number… their package actually means a lot to me as well, because it’s being shipped out through me.”

Should a problem occur, Stromberg said she immediately reaches out to the carrier to address it.

Her philosophy, she said, is simple: “Your business, the foundation of it, is your customers, so always listen to your customers, stay flexible, be patient and build that trust because it is worth it.”

Looking ahead, Stromberg said she expects the shipping industry to continue expanding.

“I see shipping improving and actually getting better,” she said. “Online shopping is getting bigger. Most people just shop online nowadays, and the community is just getting bigger. So, I feel like it’s going to be a great thing to have in Plymouth here.”

For more details, find Plymouth Pack & Ship Co. on Facebook.