INNOVATION AND RISK
ALL COMPANIES HAVE A GREAT SUCCESS STORY; ALLOW US TO PROUDLY SHARE OURS. ALL-FILL INC. IS A FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED THAT HAS THRIVED OVER THE COURSE OF THREE GENERATIONS OF EDGINTON’S.
Since the very beginning of 1969 some employees have come and gone, others are still employed to this day. The industry has changed and All-Fill was eager to adapt along the way. There were tough times, there were always great times. No matter the business, the key to success is hard work and determination. Never was this truer than in the very beginning, the early years in which the first employees laid the structural foundation and required a work ethic for long-term success and growth. At All-Fill, we have a great story to tell, enjoy following the history of our company throughout this blog series and we will get back to work so that we can continue writing future chapters.
1974
ALL-FILL WAS FIRMLY ON THE RISE AFTER ONLY FIVE YEARS IN BUSINESS. AS A RESULT OF OEM BUSINESS AND SOME VERY STEADY END USERS, ALL-FILL WAS ABLE TO START TAKING ON RISKIER APPLICATIONS.
Part curiosity and personal hobby, part business, Dick purchased the All-Fill airplane to have quicker accessibility to customers up and down the east coast. Call it crazy, perhaps it was but the importance of the plane was that Dick knew that All-Fill was here to stay.
In the mid 1970’s, manufacturer’s representatives were a mainstay in the packaging industry. A manufacturer’s representative was a self-employed salesperson who worked with and represented the manufacturer of packaging machinery. A typical “rep” would have a knowledge base for all the machinery involved in a packaging production line. Typically, a packaging production line would consist of a product feeder, a bottle feeder, filler, a capper, a labeler as well as many other auxiliary pieces of equipment. The representative would cover a territory outside of the home base of the manufacturer. During this time, travel was not nearly as easy as it is today. All-Fill relied on their representatives to set up initial sales meetings, arrange for product sample tests and ultimately to close the deal. The representative was in constant contact with All-Fill’s appointed in-house contact or regional salesperson.
1975
AS ALL-FILL CONTINUED TO GROW THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE DECADE, THE EMPLOYEE CENSUS GREW TO JUST UNDER 30 EMPLOYEES.
The engineering department began to expand from traditional filler designs and All-Fill was setting trends through the industry through innovations, often taking big risks. Packagers suddenly began to respect All-Fill as an industry leader and trusted them to handle very crucial packaging projects.
In 1975, All-Fill sold its first ever rotary filling machine. The rotary filler sale represented a momentum swing from a moral standpoint as everyone employed at All-Fill accepted the challenge to always strive for more. At the close of 1975, All-Fill employed just about 30 employees from SIG and developed a relationship with Gary Baker of Auger Manufacturing.
1976
AS ALL-FILL APPROACHED THE SECOND HALF OF THE 1970’S IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE ORIGINAL NEWTOWN SQUARE FACILITY WAS SIMPLY NOT ADEQUATE FOR A GROWING COMPANY.
A major milestone in the company’s brief history was when All-Fill prepared to move into a new office and manufacturing space capable of handling the rapid increase of machine design builds. For more information on the subsequent move from Newtown Square, PA to Malvern, PA; please look forward to the next installment of the All-Fill Timeline Series #5.
