About Ropak

Ropak began as an innovative idea by brothers Ernest and Ralph Matthews in the late 1960â€ēs: design and build a packaging machine that was faster than the reciprocating style of machines being used to package sugar at 200 packs per minute. The ultimate result was the Ropak III – a rotary packaging machine that was ten times faster at 2,000 packs per minute.

The family-owned company officially opened in 1985 and that pursuit of innovation still drives the Matthews family. We custom build high-speed, high-quality machines that handle dry or liquid product, with speeds of up to 6,000 packs per minute. Our machines – the R-Pak Series, ExpressPak, and StikPak – are designed for efficiency, accurate delivery, flexibility, and safety.

Today, Ropak is known in the U.S. and around the world as an industry leader in flexible packaging technology.

Ropak Manufacturing Company Timeline

Generations of Innovations

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    1949

    Ropak Timeline 1949 - Matthews Machine Shop

    1949

    Arthur Matthews opened Matthews Machine Shop in Decatur, AL.

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    1952

    Ropak Timeline 1952

    1952

    Ernest Matthews joined his dad in the family business.

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    1960's

    Ropak Timeline 1960s

    1960’s

    A small packaging company opened in Decatur using two reciprocating machines to package sugar at the rate of 200 packs per minute each; Ernest helped repair the machines.

    Ernest and brother Ralph began working on a prototype for a better packaging machine using a rotary packaging design.

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    1972

    Ropak Timeline 1972 - Ropak III

    1972

    Ernest demonstrated the first Ropak III machine for the Savannah Sugar Refinery (GA) and won a two-year contract to package sugar for them.

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    1980's

    Ropak Timeline 1980s

    1980’s

    Ropak began selling machines internationally.

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    1985

    Ropak Timeline 1985

    1985

    Ropak Manufacturing Company, Inc. was spun off from Matthews Industries by Ernest and Ralph Matthews.

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    1989

    Ropak Timeline 1989 - ExpressPak

    1989

    Ropak purchased and upgraded the design for a liquid packaging machine, the ExpressPak.

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    2000's

    Ropak Timeline 2000s - StikPak

    2000’s

    Ropak innovated the first American-made machine to fill stick packs with a liquid.

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    2011

    Ropak Timeline 2001 - Ernest Matthews

    2011

    Ernest Matthews became sole owner of Ropak Manufacturing. He and his two sons continue working to improve the designs for higher speed and higher efficiency as new technologies allow new capabilities.