Our Company
The history of Lantech
In 1972 Lantech made an impact on the world by inventing the stretch wrapper and changing the way companies package and protect their products for shipment. Now, billions of pallet loads are stretch wrapped every year.
Today we build case and tray handling, stretch wrapping, and pallet conveying equipment, with manufacturing facilities in the United States and the Netherlands, and sales and technical support worldwide. Over the years, our family-owned business has been built on innovation, customer support, and the mission to dramatically reduce shipping damage globally.
Our mission is to dramatically reduce the billions of dollars of damage that happens in transit – making sure products get from the factory floor to the retailer’s door in pristine condition.
Disruptive innovation since 1972
There was a time when boxes of products were held together on pallets either by bands of highly tensioned steel or shrink wrapped with infrared shrink ovens and 2 lbs. of film. The invention of the stretch wrapping machine in 1972 by Pat Lancaster and his brother Bill changed all that – for the better.
What is now commonplace sounded impossible back in the early 70’s. Using plastic film just microns thick to hold thousands of pounds worth of products in place on a pallet? But it worked – and proved to be a faster, more cost-effective, lighter and safer way of containing loads, saving product manufacturers hundreds of millions of dollars in freight damage every year.
Later on, Pat pioneered the concept of pre-stretching the film – reducing film usage (and related costs) by half. In plants wrapping 40 loads per hour, running two shifts a day, that saves up to $10,000 per year in film costs alone.
One of the founding principles at Lantech is the conviction that anything and everything can be improved. Over the years, we’ve been awarded over 200 US patents related to the machines and how they work.
Today, that includes everything from tools that accurately and automatically measure load containment force to touch-screen monitors that show SPC trend data for preventive maintenance.
Going global
The 2001 purchase of the Rembrandt Company in Holland was a melding of two companies with similar operating philosophies, in related industries. Having square packages on the pallet makes it much easier to secure the load. But our expansion into Europe was just the first step.
Today, Lantech equipment is found worldwide, with technical support available 24/7/365 in multiple languages. International growth is combined with continuous innovation, saving companies billions of dollars.
Lantech makes a point to understand how our equipment is utilized in your warehouses, often coming on-site before and long after the initial installation to review how well our machines are performing – and to learn what we can do to make them work more efficiently, reduce maintenance and eliminate downtime.
We are a technology leader, as evidenced by our hundreds of patents – but we understand that customers aren’t looking for innovation unless it truly adds value.
Innovation is key to our mission, which is to help our customers reduce the billions of dollars wasted in transport damage that is occurring every day, everywhere around the world. No one does it better than Lantech.
Family first
Lantech has a huge global footprint, but at heart it is still a small family-owned and operated business. One where everyone knows your name, recognizes and respects the value you add for our customers – and for each other.
Managing the transition to second-generation ownership is a huge “cliff event” for most companies. Not at Lantech. Company founder Pat Lancaster deliberately stepped into a new role in R&D in the middle of his career, making way for his son Jim Lancaster to take over the reins. Now a third generation is learning the ropes. In the stretch wrapping business, having no breaks in the film is critical. For Lantech, having continuity in leadership is equally, if not more, important.
Lantech is a truly unique company with great values, great products, great service and a great future.
