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ORBIS company history timeline

1849

With humble beginnings as a wooden pail factory in 1849, Menasha is now one of this country's oldest and most successful privately held businesses.

1852

In 1852, company founder Elisha D. Smith bought a struggling wooden pail factory that opened in Menasha, Wis. just three years earlier.

1863

1863 Several hundred miles away, G.B. Lewis was founded as a manufacturer of wood related material handling products for bakeries, laundries, hospitals and a few light industrial plants.

1885

By 1885, a machine was developed that could weave fabric out of wooden slats resulting in a rugged container that could be used for many trips.

1947

Founded in 1947, Triangle Container maintains core competencies in high-end flexographic printing, corrugated manufacturing, and precision die cutting.

1949

In 1949, Lewis designed the first fiberglass tote pan that was a lightweight, durable, low-cost alternative to wood boxes.

1973

Project Orbis is officially launched in 1973 to deliver training to the eyes of the world.

1973 As the need for plastic containers increased, so did the need for pallets.

1974

1974 Acquired by Menasha Corporation, G.B. Lewis was re-named LEWISystems and continued the tradition of innovation.

1982

The christening of the very first Flying Eye Hospital in 1982

1989

Tad Shepard, who had retired from his positions as President and CEO in June 1989, returns on an interim basis.

1992

Tad Shepard retires again after resuming the positions of President and CEO on an interim basis in 1992.

1992 Meanwhile, the automotive industry was turning to reusables to reduce costs and protect parts during shipments.

1996

1996 To efficiently meet the material handling and reusable packaging needs of their leading customers, Menasha created ORBIS by combining LEWISystems, CONVOY, DuraPAK and WolPac.

1997

1997 To meet the bulk packaging needs of their diverse customers base, ORBIS introduced their comprehensive BulkPak product line, in industry-leading footprints and heights.

2001

Arthur W. Huge, who joined the company in March 2001, is promoted to President and CEO in May.

In October 2001, to build on their strength as a plastic pallet manufacturer, ORBIS acquired Cookson Plastic Molding.

In addition, the Corporation is named Manufacturer of the Year by the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce in Appleton, Wis., and won the "Leadership through Reinvention" award in the annual 2001 Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year Award competition.

Menasha also ranked fifth out of a total 52 companies in the manufacturing sector (in 2001 Menasha was ranked 14th out of a total of 45 manufacturing companies.)

2002

Menasha Corporation was ranked #246 out of 257 companies on Forbes magazine’s 2002 annual ranking of Largest Private Companies.

2002 Further growth was gained in 2002, as ORBIS acquired Nucon Corporation, a leading manufacturer of plastic pallets for the beverage industry in the US, Mexico and Europe.

2003

Thanks to Doctor Helveston's vision and persistence and generous support from a number of donors, Cybersight officially launched in June 2003.

2004

In January 2004, the corporation announced that its board of directors had implemented interim top-level changes designed to provide individual focus on each of the company's separate businesses.

Chairman of the Board Thomas J. Prosser retired on June 14, 2004.

Promo Edge becomes the Neenah Label plant and is sold in its entirety in August 2004.

2004 ORBIS acquires Hays Container Systems and creates ORBIS Container Services.

2006

In May 2006 Menasha acquired Creative Press of Evansville, Ind.

The group includes New Jersey Packaging in Fairfield, N.J., a new facility in Raleigh, N.C., which began production in August 2006, and Creative Press in Evansville, Ind.

2008

2008 ORBIS Corporation acquired Norseman Plastics Holdings, Ltd.., a manufacturer of plastic reusable containers, trays, bins and pallets used in bakery, beverage, dairy, recycled material/waste collection, food service, agriculture and meat processing applications.

2010

Menasha Corporation achieves an environmental sustainability goal – it has reduced its water usage by 90.2% since 2010.

2014

2014 ORBIS launches the Pally, a pallet and dolly combination designed for retail distribution.

2016

Since 2016, ORBIS represents its parent company in the EMEA region and has its own offices, production facilities and storage in Germany and Belgium today.

2017

2017 ORBIS Europe launches the GitterPak, an all-plastic collapsible reusable container designed to replace metal gitter boxes and steel bins.

2018

Menasha Corporation receives two awards for its participation in the 2018 United Way Fox Cities campaign: the Top Performer Award and the Leadership Giving/Emerging Leaders Award.

2018 ORBIS Europe launches the IonPak, the first bulk packaging solution to safely transport lithium ion batteries.

2019

2019 ORBIS launches the XpressBulk, a fully reusable bulk merchandising solution that is retail-ready.

2020

ORBIS Corporation is recognized as a 2020 Top Workplace by the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal for the 7th consecutive year.

Menasha Packaging wins Unilever's 2020 Social Impact Award as a part of Unilever's Partner with Purpose Program.

2021

LRESEX ‐ Extraordinary resolution to wind up on 2021-10-19

ORBIS Company Presentation PDF 4 MB, Last updated 01/04/2021

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Founded
1849
Company founded
Headquarters
Oconomowoc, WI
Company headquarter
Founders
Albert Ueltschi,Betsy Devecci,David Paton,Thomas Knight
Company founders
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ORBIS competitors

Company nameFounded dateRevenueEmployee sizeJob openings
Buckhorn1987$28.0M299-
Graphic Packaging International1978$8.8B18,000355
US Display Group1984$12.8M175-
Letica1968$450.0M3,000-
Purolator International1998$50.0M1302
Truck-Lite1955$540.0M1,000-
Outlook Group1977$26.0M35010
Sony DADC1983$300.0M1,823-
RockTenn1973$20.3B26,000-
Southern Champion Tray1927$83.0M75059

ORBIS history FAQs

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of ORBIS, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about ORBIS. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at ORBIS. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by ORBIS. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of ORBIS and its employees or that of Zippia.

ORBIS may also be known as or be related to ORBIS, ORBIS Corp., ORBIS Corporation, Orbis Corp, Orbis Corporation and Orbis Inc.