History

Over six decades Kliklok-Woodman has grown from respected pioneer to expected innovator in packaging machinery.

2008 – Present

Kliklok-Woodman announces a restructuring of international operations, and Kliklok International becomes an independent company, enabling the new UK based management team to be ideally positioned to respond quickly for the good of customers, associates and suppliers.

Kliklok International still maintains their close and long-standing relationship with their USA colleagues at Kliklok-Woodman. Of crucial importance is keeping the Kliklok and Woodman brands intact plus the continued sharing of personnel resources, technology and marketing presence.

2000 – 2008

Kliklok’s cartoning business and Woodman’s form-fill-seal business are seamlessly meshed. This establishes Kliklok-Woodman as a source for totally integrated sales, service, engineering, manufacturing, and parts. This decade continues our company’s concentration of resources on the development of new, best-in-class machinery within our core industry groups.

We’ve come to believe that we can be the best at what we do by not attempting to be all things to all people. We have streamlined our focus to build on our core competencies. As a result, deep partnerships with leading OEM suppliers of complementary technologies are solidified - allowing us to rely on fully vetted partner companies to deliver integrated system solutions.

Most importantly, there is a renewed commitment to the service and support side of our business. That comes out of a strong desire, beginning with our sales organization, to be a valuable packaging machinery consultant and productivity partner at every point of the process.

1990 – 1999

Kliklok-Woodman celebrates its 50th Anniversary as a packaging industry leader. During this decade, our installation base grows to encompass six continents and over 85 countries. Continuing product innovation also marks this period - with an extended range of end-load cartoners, new continuous-motion bagmakers, and industry-leadership in the use of colour, graphic operator interfaces (now known as Insight®).

1980 – 1989

This decade’s defining moment: consolidation of both the Kliklok and Woodman manufacturing operations in Decatur, Georgia. In the “what’s new?” arena, Woodman pioneers the application of Servo-motors on its bagmakers and Kliklok develops and patents a new rotary carton feeder which, to this day, has yet to meet its match in terms of speed and efficiency.

Woodman International consolidates its worldwide operations at Kliklok International in Bristol, England.

1970 – 1979

Leading multi-national food companies turn to Kliklok and Woodman for new ideas to enhance productivity and drive sales. Consumer convenience and packaging economies spur continued commitment and change in machinery design and package styles. New production speed benchmarks are established by Kliklok and Woodman in their industries.

Woodman moves to Snapfinger Woods Drive in Decatur, Georgia.

1960 – 1969

Kliklok introduces the first Captain Line to complement the Kliklok topload machine systems. It is an integrated cartoning machine that erects sleeve-style cartons and places them into a flighted conveyor for product loading. Kliklok International Ltd. was established in Bristol, England to serve the packaging machinery needs of Europe, Scandinavia, South Africa and other international markets.

Woodman leads the flexible packaging industry with a new breed of fully integrated vertical-form-fill-seal machines. The Profit-Maker and Fleet-Weigh series set new standards for speed and efficiency - in hundreds of installations.

Bradford High Speed Packaging and Development Corporation purchases Kliklok Corporation and the Woodman Company - consolidating the two under the Kliklok banner.

1950 – 1959

The growing presence of home freezers drives the market for packaged frozen foods and Kliklok responds with automated carton forming and closing with early vegetable carton closing systems.

The Woodman Company pursues packagers’ needs to achieve flexible packaging from a roll of web stock - leaving the days of pre-made bags behind.

1940 – 1949

The Kliklok journey begins (in 1944) when the Bemiss-Jason Company asks Binns Machine Works to develop a machine to produce four-ply laminated board made from bond paper, glassine and two layers of ground wood paper. In the process, design genius Reg Meller develops a method of folding the brittle glassine board and designs a tray corner lock which would click when snapped into place - called “Klikloks.”

The Woodman journey begins (in 1947) when Dan Woodman and a team of engineers bring their concept to life: The Air Weigh System dedicated to the weighing and packaging of potato chips. Herman Lay, founder of the HW Lay Co. (forerunner of Frito-Lay), works closely with Woodman to develop the first automated potato chip packaging system.