ORBIS enters agreement for manufacturing plant in Greenville, Texas

New facility to produce plastic reusable totes and pallets

OCONOMOWOC, Wis. — March 18, 2024 — ORBIS^® Corporation — an international leader in reusable packaging — has announced it is entering into a lease-to-own agreement for manufacturing space in Greenville, Texas, with EPM Partners of New York. ORBIS Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of 175-year-old Menasha Corporation, based in Neenah, Wis.

The agreement includes 420,000 square feet of manufacturing space that will be used to produce reusable pallets, totes and bulk containers. Improvements and infrastructure will be required to prepare the space for ORBIS’ manufacturing activities. ORBIS will also enter a lease agreement with EPM Partners for 240,000 square feet of warehousing space in the same building.

“We are excited to see this investment come to life and support our customers’ growth,” stated Norm Kukuk, president of ORBIS Corporation. “This plant enables ORBIS to expand its geographic footprint and increase production capacity to serve our customers with industry leading solutions, while making an impact in the community.”

ORBIS expects to add more than 190 employees within two years of the lease commencement in order to support operations at the new plant. “ORBIS is bringing great new manufacturing jobs to Hunt County and we are very excited to partner with this world class leader for the long term,” states Hunt County Judge, Bobby Stovall. This plant is projected to begin some operations by the end of 2024.

“We are so pleased to join the Greenville business community, where many investments have been made to create a strong business climate,” states Lynn Hediger, vice president of product management at ORBIS. This plant is located about fifty miles northeast of Dallas.

According to Jerry Ransom, City of Greenville, Tex. Mayor, “We are excited to expand our business community with this world-class manufacturer who is focused on providing sustainable packaging solutions for the supply chain.” As a steward of sustainability, ORBIS is committed to driving the circular economy and a better world for future generations through reuse with environmentally friendly designed products, end-of-life recycling, material innovations and sustainable operations.

Financial terms of the transaction will not be disclosed.

ORBIS Greenville plant news follows Urbana expansion

The move follows the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Urbana, Ohio, officially opened last November. This expansion added 30% more space for the production of ORBIS totes and pallets and allowed the company to add more presses and tools, increase capacity and shorten lead times. Coupled with its favorable geographic location for freight optimization, the Urbana plant expansion will help ORBIS better serve its customers nationwide.

“A more sustainable supply chain starts with reuse. Our customers rely on us to help them move their goods in the supply chain more sustainably with reusable packaging,” said Norm Kukuk, president at ORBIS at that time. “This expansion gives us the flexibility and capacity to enhance production of our packaging products. The people of our Urbana plant are dedicated, committed and focused on serving the customer. This expansion gives them the infrastructure to make that possible.”

About ORBIS Corporation

With 175 years of material handling expertise and 70 years of plastics innovations, ORBIS helps world-class customers move their products faster, safer and more cost-effectively with reusable totes, pallets, containers, dunnage and racks. Using a proven approach, ORBIS experts analyze customers’ systems, design solutions and execute reusable packaging programs to create a more sustainable supply chain for their business. Using packaging life-cycle assessments to compare reusable and single-use packaging, ORBIS helps customers achieve longer-term cost savings while minimizing their overall environmental impact.

As a steward of sustainability, ORBIS is committed to a better world for future generations. ORBIS is a part of Menasha Corporation, one of the oldest family-owned manufacturers in the United States. Headquartered in Oconomowoc, ORBIS has more than 3,100 employees and almost 50 locations throughout North America and Europe.

See the full overview of ORBIS Corporation’s reusable packaging systems.

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Rick LeBlanc

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.