Robert Bosch Corporation (Packaging Divsion)

Robert Bosch opened his small "Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering" in Stuttgart in the year 1886. He soon began to specialize in ignition systems for engines of all types. From these modest beginnings the Bosch Group has expanded to become a worldwide presence, manufacturing state of the art products in the automotive industry, telecommunications, consumer appliances, power tools, electronics, and industrial capital goods.

Bosch employs more than 156,000 people and has over 140 manufacturing locations worldwide. Sudsidiaries, affiliates, and foreign representatives are present in 128 countries. In the United States, the Bosch Group employs some 14,700 individuals at over 40 locations.

One interesting feature of the Bosch Group is that 92% of its stock is owned by the Robert Bosch Foundation, which by corporate charter is fundamentally charitable in nature. Apart from the return of an unusually large proportion of corporate earnings to research and development, the company supports a wide range of projects in health care, international understanding, social services, welfare, education, arts and culture.

The Packaging Machinery Division had its origins in the 60's and 70's with a series of acquisitions of well-known German equipment manufacturers such as Hamac Hansella, Höller, Höfliger & Karg, Strunck and Hesser. Basic equipment lines were broadened under the Bosch Packaging umbrella in the 70's and 80's, ultimately addressing an exceedingly wide range of processing and packaging applications in the food, confectionary and pharmaceutical industries. Based on corporate commitment to quality of design and manufacture, Bosch's equipment is found worldwide, supported by a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries and agencies in 95 countries.

The North American Bosch Packaging presence was established as a sales/service and spare parts subsidiary in New Jersey in 1974. Domestic manufacturing started with vertical form/fill/seal machinery in Bridgman, Michigan in 1988. In 1995, the Bosch Group acquired Bosch Packaging Technology, Pharmaceutical Operations in Minneapolis, adding a second U.S. sales, service and manufacturing site dedicated to pharmaceutical machinery.

Based on its success in achieving high standards in manufacturing quality, efficiency and customer service, the Bridgman manufacturing effort was expanded in recent years to include a wide spectrum of of vertical form/fill/seal machinery. In May 1997, Bosch Packaging consolidated the South Plainfield, NJ sales/service headquarters to the Bridgman facility with plans to further expand domestic manufacturing into casepackers and confectionary equipment.

Today, Bosch Packaging is a leader in highly efficient, high quality packaging equipment in a broad range of product markets. Over 3,700 machines are installed in North America, some still in service after more than 40 years of production. The U.S. food and pharmaceutical operations employ over 200 professionals dedicated to customer service and meeting the needs of the marketplace.