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Partnerships power innovation in the packaging industry, bringing the best in equipment through collaboration. That’s why companies like Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery Inc., based out of Sturtevant, Wis., and Morrison Container Handling Solutions, located in Glenwood, Ill. have been working together for more than 20 years.
Spee-Dee, known for their high-speed fillers that promise some of the quickest changeovers in the business, utilizes change parts from Morrison to bring easy, simple changeovers to their equipment. This year’s PACK EXPO in Las Vegas marks 20 years of partnership at the show.
“We’ve worked with Morrison for a long time—our first rotary filler in 2008 had Morrison change parts and I remember an inline-filler back in 2005 that included Morrison timing screws” Mark Navin, Vice President of Sales at Spee-Dee said. “From that point forward, they’ve been a trusted partner for our change parts. In our industry, if you mention Morrison, people instantly recognize the name. They’ve built an exceptional reputation for expertise in timing screws and change parts, and I’d say 90% of the time, if a customer asks who we use, they nod in approval when they hear “Morrison.” That kind of brand recognition doesn’t happen by accident—it’s a result of decades of consistent performance and problem-solving.”
Morrison is known for their responsiveness, through their industry-renowned Support Built In customer service program. Spee-Dee complements this program by always seeking to anticipate customer needs. Together, this brings a next-level of support customers can enjoy when purchasing a filler from Spee-Dee.
“That attentiveness mirrors our own quick-response, “never give up” culture, and it’s one of the reasons our partnership works so well,” says Navin.
“Spee-Dee is really known for their technical expertise in the filling space, bringing reliable, fast equipment to food manufacturers world wide,” says Dustin Lee, Vice President of Sales at Morrison. “We enjoy being a trusted partner to companies like that because we know from a technical standpoint, customers are going to be happy with their purchase and our change parts are just amplifying the experience.”
Morrison supplies almost every change part for container handling on Spee-Dee’s rotary fillers. Customers can enjoy timing screws, infeed and turret stars, discharge stars, and guide rails from Morrison, who is a leader in the container handling space. Navin describes this role as critical because these components influence overall equipment efficiency, positive control of the container, and changeover speed.
“Morrison is innovative in this space; for example, their quick-release mechanisms on turret stars directly support our quick-changeover promise to customers,” Navin said.
Beyond sharing innovative mindsets, both companies are still family-owned, which Navin believes brings an entrepreneurial mindset and higher sense of accountability. Plus, the companies are only about 60 miles away from one another, making collaboration a snap.
“Our companies are both rooted in just doing what is right for the customer, no matter what,” says Morrison CEO Nancy Wilson. “You just can’t find partnerships like that easily anymore, and it helps make sure customers are not only receiving quality equipment they can trust, but they are purchasing from someone they can rely on when things aren’t always straight forward and easy. If you use suppliers with the same mindset, you know your customer is going to be treated like family as well. It’s why it’s always such a joy to see a Spee-Dee order come through.”
Both companies continue to come back to the word trust when describing their relationship. This bleeds through in delivering innovative projects for the industry.
One standout project that highlights this creative problem-solving was with an infant cereal filler
“The product had a high static charge, and the lightweight cereal would actually “jump” out of plastic containers,” Navin said. “The solution was to manufacture stainless steel change parts to dissipate static. But before committing to expensive stainless parts, Morrison built a low-cost plastic prototype set so we could test and perfect the design. Once validated, the stainless-steel versions worked flawlessly. That kind of smart, staged engineering is exactly why we value them—they solve problems in a way that’s cost-conscious and practical without compromising performance.”
Additionally, both companies share a high level of engagement within PMMI, being longtime advocates for the industry. Their leadership teams routinely collaborate on industry issues to help the industry-at-large grow, while remaining dedicated to education. This is exemplified by Dustin Lee and Mark Navin’s co-sponsorship the MaX Sales Share Group, where they invite other leaders in the space a place to collaborate and problem solve together.
“From a quality perspective, Morrison’s designs are creative, their engineering is proven, and their willingness to support us results in solutions that meet or exceed our standards,” Navin says. “They’re experienced problem-solvers, culturally aligned, and technically dependable, which makes them an ideal long-term partner.”
When reflecting on the storied partnership, both companies look forward to what they can innovate together.
“Spee-Dee cares about their product, their customers, and their suppliers in a way that the industry should model itself after,” Wilson said. “When it comes to supplying our change parts to a filling company, we’re proud to be represented on Spee-Dee’s equipment.”
After 25+ years, both companies remain committed to pushing the boundaries of speed, precision, and service in the packaging industry. With these shared values, technical expertise, and a customer-first mindset, Morrison and Spee Dee look forward to many more decades of innovation together. You can find both companies in the West Hall at PACK EXPO Las Vegas:
Morrison Container Handling Solutions: Booth W-3522
Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery: Booth W-1915
