On stage for the ribbon cutting ceremony was, from left to right: Peter Fox, SOMIC Packaging CEO; James Schollett, president of the German American Chamber of Commerce Minnesota chapter; Patrick Bonetsmuller, SOMIC Chairman; Brenda Dietrich, the mayor of Inver Grove Heights; Dr. Gerhard Huber, CEO of The SOMIC Group; and Tim Haase, COO of The SOMIC Group.
SOMIC Packaging, Inc. welcomed more than 120 guests from around the world when it held an Open House at its new North American corporate headquarters in suburban Minneapolis on September 25. The crowd was treated to speeches from local and corporate officials, followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and tours of the sparkling facility with machine demonstrations.
One of the machines that caught everyone’s attention was the new 434 SuperFlex. SOMIC’s most revolutionary end-of-line packaging machine ever, guests were provided with an early preview before the next generation machine was formally introduced days later at PACK Expo Las Vegas.
SOMIC Packaging CEO Peter Fox set the tone for the program by thanking all involved as part of his initial remarks. He shared that when first introduced to the company 11 years ago, he had never heard of SOMIC. After a trip to Germany and by the time he opened the North American subsidiary in Chicago, he understood their commitment to excellence is part of its DNA and explained why the sun never sets on SOMIC.
“The passion, pride and craftsmanship I saw was tangible; you could feel it. I discovered the SOMIC DNA,” he explained. “It begins with a fundamental pursuit of perfection. There is nothing manufactured in the world that is 100% perfect, but it is the pursuit of perfection that is at the core of our SOMIC DNA.”
After expressing his gratitude for SOMIC’s deep passion for innovation and service, Fox introduced Patrick Bonetsmuller, chairman of SOMIC Verpackungsmaschinen GmbH & Co. Mr. Bonetsmuller talked about the spacious new headquarters with all of its natural lighting and said it was a grand day for a celebration. He was followed by remarks from James Schollett, president of the German American Chamber of Commerce Minnesota chapter, and Inver Grove Heights Mayor, Brenda Dietrich.
Dr. Gerhard Huber, CEO of The SOMIC Group, spoke about the company’s commitment to operations in the United States and investment in the future. Chief Operating Officer Tim Haase addressed the customers in the room while providing more information about future plans. Fox then returned to the podium with final remarks.
“We do this so we can be the leader in providing our customers with the best and most efficient way to automate their packaging operations. This makes them more competitive and efficient in the marketplace, and when they succeed, we succeed,” said Fox. “This is why at SOMIC, we proudly say we are engineered to perform. And now we are made in the USA.”
With that, visitors began touring the 48,000 square-foot building which opened in October 2024 and is located 10 minutes from the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport. In addition to the 434 SuperFlex, they saw demonstrations of various machines including the 434 with CORASÒ collating and grouping technology. As Fox explained in an interview with the local ABC-TV station, all North American machine installations are now being assembled in Minnesota.
Afterwards, a catered lunch was served outdoors on a picture perfect day. Some guests later made the trip to nearby Stillwater for an evening dinner and entertainment.
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