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ORBIS Corporation has acquired Robinson Industries, strengthening its manufacturing footprint and expanding its ability to deliver custom, reusable packaging solutions across global supply chains.
Founded in the 1940s and headquartered in Coleman, Michigan, Robinson Industries is a recognized pioneer in thermoforming, with expertise spanning single- and twin-sheet thermoforming, sheet extrusion, and structural foam injection molding. The company’s product portfolio includes custom pallets, lids, and trays, with a strong focus on automotive packaging, as well as applications in industrial, agricultural, and retail supply chain environments.
As part of the transaction, Robinson Industries will transition to the ORBIS brand, a move intended to provide customers with a seamless experience while integrating Robinson’s technical capabilities into ORBIS’ broader manufacturing and design platform.
The acquisition includes Robinson’s two manufacturing facilities in Coleman, Michigan, a move that adds production capacity and geographic proximity to the Detroit automotive hub. Approximately 100 employees will join the ORBIS organization, further strengthening its engineering, manufacturing, and thermoforming expertise.
“Robinson Industries’ legacy of innovation and technical excellence aligns with ORBIS’ vision to transform supply chains through reusable packaging,” said Norm Kukuk, President of ORBIS Corporation. “By combining our strengths, we will accelerate design innovation, deliver faster solutions, and help customers achieve greater sustainability and efficiency.”
ORBIS said customers will benefit from streamlined, end-to-end thermoforming processes, enabling faster design and prototyping, improved quality control, and expanded innovation across its packaging portfolio. The integration is expected to support more responsive development of custom reusable packaging solutions for high-demand industries such as automotive manufacturing.
“Robinson shares ORBIS’ deep commitment to customers, employees, and the communities we serve,” added Kukuk. “This strong cultural alignment will drive a smooth integration and reinforce our shared focus on delivering exceptional value.”
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
About ORBIS Corporation
Drawing upon more than 175 years of material handling expertise and 70 years of plastics innovations, ORBIS helps customers move products faster, safer, and more cost-effectively through its broad range of reusable transport packaging, including totes, pallets, containers, dunnage, and racks. ORBIS applies a systems-based approach to analyze customer operations, design tailored solutions, and execute reusable packaging programs that support more sustainable supply chains. Headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, ORBIS employs more than 3,000 people across nearly 50 locations in North America and Europe.
Source: ORBIS
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
