The Robinette Company
The Bristol, Tenn.-based company is committed to serving the food and beverage, textile, construction, nutraceutical and healthcare markets with superior and consistent packaging products to meet their individualized needs, it says.
Even though The Robinette Company officially was incorporated in 1987, its roots trace back to 1938 when Judge Robinette established Strong-Robinette Bag Co. to serve flour and corn millers in the eastern United States. Through the years, the company secured a reputation for excellence. By the time Robinette sold the business to Stone Container in 1985, its geographical footprint stretched from Baltimore to Tampa, Fla.
“The Robinette Company was built on being an innovative company having the resources our customers need and a responsiveness that can’t be matched,” the company declares. “These goals remain the primary thrust of The Robinette Company today.”
From surface-printed polyethylene, polypropylene, natural kraft paper or coated paper to multilayered S.O.S. bags or stand-up pouches, The Robinette Company aims to be a one-stop shop for consistent, high-quality packaging, it maintains.
Expanding Its Capabilities
Joe Robinette – the son of Judge Robinette – managed the company’s Bristol manufacturing plant for Stone Container before he decided to branch out on his own. When he established The Robinette Company in 1987, its initial focus was to serve the milling industry with printing roll paper for form-fill-seal machines.
According to the company, it later diversified into industrial tapes for the gypsum industry. It also started producing wrappers for asphalt shingles and paper bags for aluminum can lids.
From there, The Robinette Company grew alongside its customer base and continued to broaden its capabilities. “As the packaging needs of the food industry became more complex, The Robinette Company expanded again by adding film printing and laminating to its product lines,” it says.
“The company later added poly bags and pouching as a natural extension of its film-printing capabilities.”
State-of-the-Art Printing
Today, The Robinette Company operates two state-of-the-art printing facilities in Bristol and Piney Flats, Tenn. Together, the two plants offer more than 200,000 square feet of production space.
“The printing capabilities in Bristol and Piney Flats include 12 printing presses supported by a complete graphics/plate department, four poly bag machines and a full complement of winding and laminating machines,” the company says.
In 1999, The Robinette Company acquired the assets of Prescott Paper Co. of Canada and the former Central States Diversified of Florida.
“These assets and the Robinette machines were installed in Piney Flats to form the largest can end bag factory in the world,” the company asserts.
“Operating 20 machines, the Piney Flats plant produces more than 1 million quality bags per day,” it adds.
Cutting-Edge Equipment
The Robinette Company prides itself on its cutting-edge equipment. For instance, it has three Windomoeller & Helscher (W&H) high-speed flexographic printing presses and seven narrow and wide Web-central impression presses. These W&H presses are gearless, direct-drive machines with Turboclean, automatic inking and a wash-up system and sleeved technology for quick changeover and set-ups.
Its eight- and 10-color presses can produce variable repeat lengths ranging from 10 to 54 inches on a variety of film and paper substrates, according to The Robinette Company.
“They are capable of speeds in excess of 1,500 feet a minute, keeping our production runs fast and efficient,” the company states.
quality assurance
The reliability of its machinery helps The Robinette Company ensure quality. The company says it follows the manufacturing practices set forth by the American Institute of Baking (AIB) International, which audits its Bristol and Piney Flats plants every year. Since 1918, AIB has been dedicated to protecting the safety of the global food chain. The organization provides food safety inspections, audits, certifications, food safety education, and research and technical services. “The commitment of AIB International’s staff to provide quality service for every client has secured leadership positions and a reputation for effectiveness and integrity,” it says.
The Robinette Company maintains that both facilities in Bristol and Piney Flats have received superior ratings from the AIB for the past seven years and counting.
“We have specific quality assurance procedures for each product line that [focus] on the material science and best practices for each market we supply,” according to The Robinette Company.
“We dedicate production lines to market-specific needs using the most advanced technology available in the packaging industry. By building quality into our products, our customers win.”
Innovative Ideas for Imagery
The Robinette Company’s highly experienced and innovative graphics department complements the experience and innovation provided by its work force on the production floor.
“Our Prinergy Power Pack Workflow is a proven productive flexographic pre-press solution for packaging,” The Robinette Company says. “Robinette manages and manipulates color in the graphics production process to help our customers achieve superior quality in the reproduction of their designs.”
Even though The Robinette Company operates a highly efficient production line, its products are customized to meet the specialized needs of individual clients. Custom-built machinery enables the company to personalize these offerings. “Our proofing process and printing plates are custom-built to meet the specific characteristics of Robinette’s printing and converting equipment,” the company maintains.
The Robinette Company uses Kodak InSite technology to transfer imagery onto customers’ substrates.
“Kodak InSite allows us to build stronger relationships with our customers by using the internet to connect them directly into our production workflow,” it explains.
“The InSite Software facilitates collaboration, digital asset management and online job submission, as well as monitors proofing to streamline the review and approval process.
“The ThermoFlex computer-to-plate system has enhanced the quality of our printing and improved cycle times by eliminating variables in the plate-making process,” the company continues.
“HyperFlex resolution-enhancement software allows us to control relief depth and dot profiles for consistent presswork and high print quality.
“The combination of a unified workflow, color-proofing systems, internet connectivity tools and a flexograhic digital platesetter complete a packaging pre-press solution that delivers quality and customer satisfaction.”