O.Berk Celebrates 100th Anniversary

O.Berk Co., a full-service supplier and distributor of glass and plastic containers, closures, sprays, and pumps, reports that 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the company. O.Berk was established in Newark, NJ, in 1910 by Osias Berk. In 1925, the company was purchased by Isaac Goldstein, great grandfather of O.Berk’s current Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Marc M. Gaelen.

Four generations later, the company has grown from three employees to 150 in four locations. At its inception, O.Berk sold only glass bottles and containers; today, O.Berk provides a full line of glass and plastic containers along with many different types of closures, sprays, and pumps, as well as decorating services.
 
In reflecting back over the company’s history, Norbert Gaelen, O.Berk’s former Chairman and Isaac Goldstein’s grandson, commented, “O.Berk has evolved from a small, family-owned and operated distributor of glass bottles to a multifaceted company that is still family-owned and operated. However, its overall scope of business has expanded to include plastic containers and closures along with dispensing advice and counsel about many aspects of the packaging business. And, proudly, we’ve grown into the largest organization in our industry in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States.”
 
O.Berk offers assistance to beauty and personal care, pharmaceutical and healthcare, food and beverage, and household and industrial products. The company’s proprietary package selection system, OptiMatchSM, guides a customer’s package project through a comprehensive five-step process that ensures all goals are achieved and objectives are met both on schedule and on budget.
 
Additionally, O.Berk has packaging resource affiliates that offer solutions to O.Berk’s customers. AQL Decorating creates custom labeling and decorating solutions using such technology as an OMSO Axial machine that can apply multicolor graphics 360° around a product’s surface. BottleStore.com, another O.Berk division, offers an impressive selection of glass and plastic containers with pump, cap and sprayer closures, sold by the carton in small quantities.
 
In terms of its capabilities as a packaging supplier and distributor, O.Berk provides market-specific sales and service consultants, state-of the-art computerized operations and technology, strict quality control standards, custom label and decorating solutions, more than 160,000 sq ft of warehouse space and a fleet of vehicles to ensure that orders are delivered on time, O.Berk distinguishes itself as a perennial leader in the packaging supply and distribution industry.

Marc Gaelen says, “Our first 100 years have seen dynamic growth and diversification in our product lines, our customers, and our complete service solutions. We will continue to differentiate ourselves in the packaging space as a leader in providing packaging solutions, not just packaging products. We will continue to work with our customers to provide all the resources they need to walk them through our total customer-centered packaging process, to manage their needs, and to exceed their expectations.”