Thiele Technologies Announces Acquisition of SWF Companies from Dover Corporation

24/02/07 Robert H. Chapman, Chairman and CEO of Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc., and Larry Smith, President and CEO of Thiele Technologies, Inc., have announced the acquisition of SWF Companies of Reedley, Calif., a long-established provider of automated packaging machinery, from Dover Corporation. The acquisition positions Thiele Technologies as one of the largest manufacturers of primary, secondary and robotic packaging solutions across a broad spectrum of industries.

“Combining the SWF business with Thiele’s extensive capabilities and experience is a terrific strategic fit and will provide SWF customers with a variety of new opportunities in cartoning, bundling, case packaging, palletizing and systems integration,” Smith stated. “We are very excited about joining forces with SWF, a highly respected equipment company, and expanding our customer base into many new markets. Likewise, the integration of the SWF service group with Thiele’s aftermarket service team will provide our customers with access to one of the industry’s largest field service organizations.”

The addition of SWF to the Thiele organization brings together such well-known packaging machinery names as: Bliss Machinery, Salwasser, Padlocker, Tisma, Dyna-Pak, McDowell International, Tri-Sterling, and GSMA Robotics and System Integration. The machinery and systems made under these brands include an extensive line of vertical, horizontal, and wraparound casepackers; bliss and conventional case erectors; case sealers; vertical and horizontal cartoners; and robotic systems for palletizing and packaging.

Thiele Technologies, a division of Barry-Wehmiller Companies, Inc., was formed as an operating group in 1998 through the acquisition of Bemis Packaging Machinery Company and the subsequent integration of Thiele Engineering, Master Palletizer, Frontier Packaging, Edmeyer Dairy Systems, Slidell Machinery and Streamfeeder, LLC. Combining more than 100 years of experience, Thiele has become a well-balanced supplier of packaging machinery, providing a full complement of equipment for high-speed bag filling and palletizing, case packaging and palletizing, cartoning, bundling, and placing/feeding solutions for the packaging, printing and mailing industries.

SWF Companies was founded in 1946 and has become a leading manufacturer of packaging machinery through a series of acquisitions beginning in 1995. SWF provides a wide range of solutions for packaging products in cartons and corrugated containers and for palletizing complete loads. The company is recognized as a leading manufacturer of precision packaging machinery for the produce, prepared foods, confectionary, converted paper and snack food industries.

On behalf of SWF, Ed Suarez, Vice President, commented, “We are very pleased that the employees of SWF Companies have become part of the Thiele organization. We look forward to enhancing our industry expertise and capabilities, particularly in the area of cartoning, casepacking and bundling. This expanded product mix and the system integration opportunities will be a great benefit to our customers.”