All-Fill thanks Bob Barnes for over 40 years of dedication!

All-Fill and its fine family of companies would like to thank Bob Barnes of Barnes Packaging Machinery, for 42 years of exemplary salesmanship as he enters retirement. Bob has been an exclusive manufacturer’s representative for All-Fill since 1971.  Over the past 40 plus years, Bob has worked the territory compromising of Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and southern portions of Illinois. 

Bob’s career in the packaging industry began in 1958 as a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Packaging.  After graduating, Bob worked for various packaging companies before being drafted for the Army for 16 months in 1960-61.  After his military service, Bob’s career started taking off as he held various engineering and sales positions with the cartoning company Weyerhauser.   Seeking a switch from inside sales and support at Weyerhauser, Bob made the transition to a manufacturer’s representative for well known, industry leaders at the time, R.A. Jones and Mateer-Burt.  This representative group was known as Packaging Equipment Co. St Louis.

Bob made his first auger filler sale in 1964 to Benjamin Anshel Co. in St. Louis, MO.  Roughly 7 years later, Bob left Mateer Burt and became a full time, manufacturer’s representative for All-Fill, Inc.  The switch from Mateer-Burt to All-Fill coincided with the early beginning of All-Fill as company founder; Richard Edginton and Bob Barnes have always had a very sound business agreement that has led to many successful machine installations. 

In 1972, Bob had formed a very strong group of core companies to market and he entered into a new business alliance with Dewey Duhart.  The partnership with Duhart lasted about 3 years and Bob decided that it was time to be on his own; Bob officially founded Barnes Packaging Machinery, Inc.

In the early years, R.A. Jones was a key account for Barnes Packaging, and perhaps the highlight of Bob’s career was a quantity of 20 R.A. Jones cartoners sold to Mobil Chemical’s hefty Cinch Sak division, a sale of just over $5,000,000.00.  To Mobil Chemical alone, Bob sold 43 R.A. Jones cartoners over a 35 year period.

In direct regards to All-Fill, Bob has cultivated a territory with varying amounts of manufacturing and made the most of every opportunity.  All-Fill and Bob Barnes have combined to make over $15,000,000.00 in combined sales between All-Fill’s product lines.  A vast majority of sales from Barnes Packaging were All-Fill semi-automatic and automatic filling machines, totaling  just over $13,750,000.00.  Of these sales, many were unique projects with custom designs as well as many control conversion and machine retrofits.  Rotary fillers, Twin Head fillers, Dual Head fillers, Servo Fillers, Clutch Brake machines, it didn’t matter, Bob sold them all.  

In addition to his success with selling filling machines, Bob has been an integral part of the growth at Alpha Checkweighers over the past 20 years.  Bob’s sales in checkweigher models CW-10, MW-16, HW-15, EW-8, PW-12, and HP-14 have totaled over $1,750,000.00, which is most remarkable because of the low cost of check weighing units in comparison to filling machines that can often be sold a higher per unit prices. 

Along with the auger filling machines and checkweighers, Bob has also supplied primary filling machines such as vibratory filling machines and cup fillers as well as complementary pieces such as accumulation and unscrambling tables, horizontal and vertical screw feeders and spare parts.

As Bob nears his official retirement date in late February, he will look forward to spending much more time with his wife of 56 years Carol.  Bob will enjoy visiting with his three children, Ken, Cathy and Andy and his four grandchildren Erin, Colin, Kelly and Booker.  Whether it’s traveling, playing golf or hiking in the woods, the All-Fill family wishes Bob nothing but the best! 

According to Carol, “Bob is a good friend, kindest, gentlest, most thoughtful, generous with his time and talents, loving husband, father and grandfather.    He has a great sense of humor, quick wit and often comes out with a great comment.”  All-Fill would like to add, “a great salesperson and better friend!”  Thanks for the time and great memories through the years, Bob, we hope to see you around!