In 1972, Lantech invented the stretch packaging machine and changed the way companies pack and protect their products were shipped, which had an impact on the world. Nowadays, billions of pallet loads are stretched to pack every year.

Today, Lantech manufactures box and pallet handling, stretch packaging and pallet conveying equipment, has manufacturing facilities in the United States and the Netherlands, and offers sales and technical support worldwide. For years, Lantech’s family business has been building on a mission of innovation, customer support and a significant reduction in global transportation losses. Lantech’s mission is to significantly reduce billions of dollars in losses incurred during transportation, allowing products to arrive from the factory floor to the retailer’s doorstep in their original condition.

There was a time when boxes of products were fixed to the pallets through high tension steel strips or with infrared shrink furnaces and 2 pound shrink packaging. It all got better when Pat Lancaster and his brother Bill invented the stretch packaging machine in 1972.

Things that are commonplace now sounded impossible in the early 1970s. Secure thousands of pounds of product to a pallet using plastic film that is only micron thick? But it does work and proves to be a faster, more cost-effective, lighter and safer way to load, saving product manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars in freight losses each year.

Later, Pat pioneered the concept of pre-stretched films - reducing the amount of film usage (and related costs) by half. In a factory that packs 40 items per hour and two shifts a day, film costs alone can save up to $10,000 per year.

One of the founding principles of Lantech is the firm belief that anything can be improved. Over the years, Lantech has obtained more than 200 U.S. patents related to machines and how they work. Today, this includes everything from tools that accurately and automatically measure load containment to touch screen monitors that display SPC trend data for preventive maintenance.

The acquisition of Rembrandt, Netherlands in 2001 is a merger of two related industry companies with similar business philosophy. Placing square packs on the tray makes it easier to hold the load. But Lantech's expansion into Europe is only the first step.

Today, Lantech equipment is spread all over the world and provides technical support in more than 24/7/365 languages. The combination of international growth and continuous innovation saves the company billions of dollars. Lantech places great emphasis on understanding how equipment is used in your warehouse and will usually arrive on site long before and after initial installation to check how the machines perform and understand what can be done to improve their productivity and reduce maintenance. and eliminate downtime.

Innovation is key to our mission, and Lantech’s mission is to help customers reduce the billions of dollars wasted on shipping damage that happens every day around the world. No one does better than Lantech. For most companies, the transition from management to second-generation ownership is a huge "cliff event". The company founder Pat Lancaster deliberately took on a new role in the R&D department in the middle of his career to make way for his son Jim Lancaster to take over the power. Now the third generation is learning the trick. In the stretch packaging industry, it is crucial that the film does not break. For Lantech, maintaining leadership continuity is equally important, if not more important.

Lantech is a truly unique company with great values, quality products, quality services and a bright future.