OPEX delivers trusted, scalable automation solutions, transforming industries with innovation, reliability and a 50-year legacy
OPEX engineers unique automated solutions to address complex business challenges. The company’s scalable warehouse and document and mail automation solutions drive efficiencies and help solve the business challenges of today and tomorrow. A family-owned company, it has more than 1600 committed employees working together to innovate, manufacture, install and service products that are helping transform industries every day. By listening to its customers, the company works collaboratively to reimagine the future through automated solutions.
“OPEX was founded by my grandfather, Al Stevens, 50 years ago,” Andrew (Drew) Stevens, Vice President of Operations, begins. “So, we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary this year. We started out mainly in mail automation and over the years, we’ve continued to evolve our product portfolio and now also operate in warehouse automation. It’s been a great 50-year journey of growth.
“We partner with clients from across the globe, helping them streamline their document automation processes to achieve enhanced operational efficiency. We provide state-of-the-art solutions that cater to various industries, including service bureaus, banks, medical and healthcare organizations, law firms, insurance agencies and government institutions.
“As a company, we develop unique solutions within various areas of commerce. Initially, we created machines that could open an envelope, extract the check and process it. Today, we also provide high-speed industrial scanners, and document scanning constitutes a large part of our business. You won’t be able to find a bank or an insurance company in the US that doesn’t rely on our equipment to process documents or checks. On the warehouse automation side, we have a few different products. One is our goods-to-person product line and that includes both Perfect Pick® and Infinity®.”
OPEX Perfect Pick® is an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) that simplifies warehouse operations. This user-friendly system reduces the need for manual labor, maximizes vertical space, and enhances operational effectiveness. Expansion modules make it possible to scale Perfect Pick® with business operations to meet demand without additional labor. The Infinity® AS/RS is a reliable and efficient storage solution with 35 percent more storage capacity than other systems. It optimizes inventory storage, enhances throughput, expedites order fulfilment, and helps businesses optimize warehouse space. The solution can be configured to meet unique business needs and enhance workflow efficiencies.
Automation is the future of warehousing, delivering advantages like increased accuracy, productivity, and safety. OPEX continues to develop systems that address clients’ most significant challenges in the industry.
“Our automated system selection aligns with our clients’ core warehouse functions, from storage and retrieval to sorting,” Drew elaborates. “Our configurable solutions feature intelligent robotics, space-saving rack layouts, and functions designed to make life easier. With technology like our iBOTs, employees can take fewer steps while these autonomous systems efficiently navigate the racking system for streamlined storage and sorting.”
OPEX makes it possible to create a fully connected warehouse environment that reduces the burden on understaffed teams while making order fulfilment simpler and more systematic. Warehouse operations are essential to effective supply chains, and automation solutions from OPEX enable teams to keep up with demand.
“My grandfather always had the philosophy that the more we can control our own destiny, the better we would be as an organization,” Drew shares. “So, we have maintained a very high level of vertical integration as a priority. What that allows us to do is make a commitment to our customers. Control is in our hands. We’re not reliant on multiple third parties to help us complete a project. From engineering an initial concept to manufacturing and assembling our parts, we carry out the work ourselves. We also install the equipment and then service it on an ongoing contract basis. That vertical integration gives us a fantastic level of confidence and control.”
Indeed, OPEX Service offers comprehensive support and maintenance solutions to optimize operational efficiency and reliability. The offering includes 24/7 technical support, service agreements covering parts and labor, training programs and software licensing for performance monitoring. These solutions are designed to improve system performance and ensure staff competency. OPEX Service’s aim is to provide cost-efficient and scalable solutions that adapt to business needs, ensuring maximum system uptime and operational success. 
“We’re a tech type of company,” Drew continues. “We like to be forward thinking. While we provide robotic systems to some of our customers, we also, utilize them on our own production floor. We’re working on automating in any way we can with cobots, which is a lot of fun. They’re still new to the market in many ways, but have unlocked increased flexibility in our production line. We’ve implemented Tulip’s manufacturing execution system (MES), which has helped to automate our iBOT production.
“Similar to how we’ve done business for the last 50 years, when there’s an opportunity and a customer base that wants our equipment, we do everything we can to fulfill that demand. Over the last few years, there’s been a big surge in international markets. Our EMEA division has increased revenue by almost four times what it was two years ago, and its headquarters serves as a centralized location for demonstrations, training, and collaboration. This empowers businesses by providing innovative and efficient solutions tailored to their specific operational needs. We’re also starting to see some highly strategic Asia-Pacific customers. We want to be close to the customer just like we are here in North America, where we’ve developed great customer relationships. To do that, we need to prioritize additional production and manufacturing sites outside of the US. Our equipment is extremely versatile. Some of our biggest customers have SKU portfolios in the millions, so that allows us to play in a lot of different marketplaces. For example, we’ve had success in the e-commerce sector. We’ve done well in grocery, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, but there’s a whole world of opportunity out there for us.”
The team at OPEX sees itself as a partner for life. The company’s commitment to delivering top-of-the-line automation solutions goes beyond selling machines; the team strives to build lasting relationships with its customers. With generations of experience and deep industry knowledge, OPEX’s values and principles have guided its culture and how it does business since 1975, and they continue to serve as guideposts for the future.
“I often describe OPEX as being one of the industry’s best kept secrets,” Drew enthuses, “because we’re truly a trusted partner for some of the largest and most security-sensitive retailers and financial organizations in the world. When we discuss contracts and seal a deal, our word is our bond. We’ve developed a reputation over the years for being a trusted partner. Our clients know they have access to the executive level of our organization and that when we make a commitment, we stick to it. That’s obviously not without challenges and particularly so, during difficult socio-economic events, but we stand by our promises.
“We strive to always model our values. We have accountability within our own culture, and I think our customers appreciate that. I’ve been very fortunate to be able to see that unfold over my last 20 years at OPEX. In terms of tenure, I’m a rookie around here when compared to others. Some members of our team are celebrating 30 or 40 years with the company. Their values and principles align with the company. They’re committed to the organization, and the organization has been committed to them. So, we have a very high retention rate. We’ve also had to hire over 800 people in the last five years to keep pace with growth. Many of those individuals are now responsible for continuing to cultivate our culture and thread it throughout the organization.
“We always prefer,” Drew continues, “to promote from within and we do that wherever we can. As an example, I recently went down to our sheet metal shop and had a conversation on the floor with a young man who’s been here for about five years, and told him that his boss speaks extremely highly of him. If he keeps doing what he’s doing, it won’t surprise me to still see him here in ten years’ time. We’ve always tried to prioritize our people. If they work hard and live up to our values, then we take care of them too. OPEX really is a family business.”
This family culture and commitment to shared values have been integral to the company’s longevity as it celebrates 50 years in business. “This year, all the Stevens family members are flying around the world to sit down in smaller regionalized pockets with our employees. We recognize our employees’ tenure and celebrate the wins and success we’ve had together,” Drew elaborates. “So, we’ve been getting to enjoy joining our folks across the organization to celebrate. Fifty years is very exciting for the next generation of leadership, and everybody is really excited about the direction in which we’re going.”
Looking to the future, Drew shares what’s next for OPEX. “We have aggressive goals we’re working towards to finish this year in a strong position, and we’re currently on track to achieve those. In the next three-to-five years, we will continue to develop our solutions by listening to our customers and acting on their feedback. International expansion will be a huge endeavor for us. Some of our biggest international growth efforts have been in places we didn’t predict, such as South Korea. We’ve developed an amazing partnership there. We’re also selling multiple machines in Israel, Italy, France and Germany, so we’re excited to see international growth.”
OPEX continues strengthening its commitment to European customers and partners at its newest office in Duisburg, Germany. Located in northern Germany, this state-of-the-art center is the primary European hub for showcasing the full range of OPEX solutions for document and mail automation as well as warehouse automation.
“Over the past 50 years, OPEX has proven to be a trusted partner across industries where compliance, security, and reliability are critical,” Drew concludes. “In a crowded market, many new players come and go, but we stand apart by designing and manufacturing our own products and supporting them for life with our dedicated service team. That commitment ensures long-term confidence and value for every customer we serve.”