Delkor Systems, St. Paul, Minn., celebrated 40 years of operation on June 12 with an open house at its new facility in St. Paul. The company recently transformed 114,000 sq. ft. of an existing building into a manufacturing facility that combines all its existing operations. Previously, Delkor had operated in two separate buildings in nearby Circle Pines, Minn.

Dale Andersen, CEO and president, says the manufacturing floor has been designed to rival or exceed some of the world’s best packaging equipment manufacturers’ plants. Having a single-purpose-designed facility also allows the company’s engineers, technical representatives, sales and other support staff to collaborate more closely in developing packaging solutions for customers, he says.

Andersen reports that Delkor has experienced significant growth in the past two years, despite the recent difficult economic period of 2008-2010. He attributes today’s growth to the company’s decision to invest heavily in research and development even when the economy went into free-fall, as well as expansion in targeted export markets. During that time, Andersen says, the company listened to packagers’ requests for more productive automation and greater flexibility, and developed a number of machines with such capabilities. In doing so, he says Delkor was able to expand its product line and leapfrog many competitors.