Gallagher Industries

In 1990, Liquid Container was a regional supplier of low-margin HDPE stock bottles serving the Chicago area. The Gallagher team acquired the business, added seasoned leadership to existing management, and over time trans-formed the company into the industry leader in customized plastic pack-aging. Supported by our tactical guidance and the wherewithal to reinvest in the business, manage-ment drove profitable internal growth and in 1996, executed the strategic acquisition of Plaxicon, Inc. Liquid Container integrated Plaxicon's three production facilities and expertise in clear polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle manufacturing to position the company to secure significant new business with a growing list of Fortune 500 customers. Offering unique capabilities in the design and manufacturing of both HDPE and PET custom packaging, Liquid Container's organic growth went on to far outpace that of the industry. The company acted as the choice leader in the conversion of numerous product categories to plastic packaging, with exclusive designs generating cost savings and market share gains for its customers. To date, food product conversions have included coffee, nuts, powdered drinks and peanut butter, and consumer product conversions have included surface, window and drain cleaners.

Liquid Container began with four Midwest facilities and today operates 12 manu-facturing plants coast-to-coast. During its part-nership with the Gallagher team, unit sales, revenues and earnings have each grown seven-fold. A 15-year investment, Liquid Container remains in our portfolio today.