About
About Pre-Pack Machinery
- Over 55 Years of Experience
(217) 352-1010
(800) 475-3030
About Pre-Pack Machinery
It All Started in a Garage
The first product designed and built by Pre-Pack Machinery was the “Bihl Packer”. This semi-automatic packing machine was developed by Pre-Pack Machinery’s founder, Bob Scherer, and his father-in-law, William Bihl. Bihl operated large truck farms in Ohio and was one of the first to market washed, ready-to-eat spinach in a bag.
Although the fresh-cut produce industry was in its infancy, Bob quickly saw the potential for “fresh-cut”. By placing packing machines in various facilities, Pre-Pack Machinery had the opportunity to work with customers in plant layout, design, and fabrication of processing equipment to fit customers’ specific needs.
Pre-Pack Machinery Today
In the mid-’90s, fresh-cut fruit started to be processed by a few Pre-Pack Machinery customers that were also processing fresh-cut vegetables. Shortly thereafter, Pre-Pack Machinery was approached by several processors to develop a heavy-duty industrial peeler for melons. In February 1999, Pre-Pack Machinery’s first automatic melon peeler was installed at Handi-Pak - later known as Fresh Del Monte Produce - the first of many.
Pre-Pack Machinery introduced the Automatic Melon Peeler at the 1999 IFPA Conference and Exhibition. Because some potential customers were skeptical of the new peeler, Pre-Pack Machinery confidently sent its new peelers out to the customers’ facilities for free two-week testing and evaluation. The peelers did such a great job that each one of the peelers was purchased at the end of the evaluation.
The Next Generation
Rick Martin joined Pre-Pack Machinery in January 1989. Rick was Bob’s son-in-law. As Bob became less and less involved with the day-to-day operations of Pre-Pack Machinery, Rick took control of the company and is now the owner of Pre-Pack Machinery. Rick continues the tradition of working directly with customers to provide solutions to their needs.
We are a family-owned business, and we ensure total customer satisfaction. Call us today!