On the road, he made exceptional contacts, and people were keenly interested in the handle, although they wanted a larger variety. The TwinPak proved to be a good solution for companies like TreeTop and Welch’s. Cadbury Schweppes liked the TwinPak for some of their products, but was also seeking a solution for their single gallon bottles of Hawaiian Punch.

Within the next few months, Jim arrived in Eugene with a huge demand for new handle designs and quickly turned around with the very popular UniPak bale handle for the gallon jugs. By 1995, Oregon Precision Industries had outgrown its production space and found a new home at their current location in north Eugene. They also required the need for a brand name, since OPI had nothing to do with packaging.

The name PakTech came about during 1995. By 1996, PakTech completely finished making ‘custom’ molds and parts for others in order to focus on their own handle and handle applicator lines. The company has seen steady 10-20% yearly growth, which continues to this day. There are over one hundred handles available, with an engineering team working to create innovative designs weekly.

The company employs just fewer than 100 full-time staff, the majority of which are handle and applicator production workers, along with tool room staff, and a dozen senior staff members who work closely to run the production, applicator, tooling, accounting and sales/customer service departments.

In 1993, Jim’s son Zak graduated from Oregon State and began working in the tool and design department. His involvement in the company has grown and he is readying himself to take leadership in the company. Jim’s daughter Amie is also involved with the company, heading the marketing department while raising her family.

Even while producing over 300 million handles and a dozen machines annually, PakTech continues to function with a smaller business mentality which keeps them nimble and flexible to meet the needs of their customers.

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