For rigid packaging made from hard glass to light plastic, Morrison Container Handling Solutions manufactures timing screws, auto-adjust rails, and custom machine systems that keep a wide range of products moving smoothly through packaging lines. Everything from ice cream to peanut butter, alcoholic spirits, and even ammunition, navigates every twist and turn.
For more than 54 years, the second-generation family-owned business has become a trusted partner to OEMs by building fully integrated infeed and product handling solutions for complex builds. The products are engineered in its Glenwood, Illinois, facility, and designed to integrate with upstream or downstream systems and machines.
“It’s everything you see in the grocery or pharmacy or liquor store,” said Chris Wilson, president at Morrison Container Handling Solutions, during an interview with Packaging OEM. “We’ve more than likely touched that product somewhere in the process, from the bottle to filling to capping to case packing.”
Container handling sets the pace in everything Morrison does. For five decades, the company has evolved from a family-run shop into a full OEM solution provider, scaling its expertise and equipment to meet the needs of packaging machine builders.
“OEMs are really important to us,” said Nancy Wilson, CEO of Morrison. “They’re a key component of our business, and the more we can work with them up front, the easier it becomes for us if they get involved in a difficult container or problem, before they design themselves into a box.”
Over the past 12 years, the company has expanded its team with strategic hires in engineering and sales, growing not just its flagship products but also its large machinery capabilities.
All in the (packaging) family
Morrison was founded in 1971 by Nick Wilson. Named after a former partner, the company set out to create change parts and timing screws to keep the packaging industry moving.
Nick, a chemical engineer with an MBA, laid the foundation. Over time, the business grew – not just in size, but in family involvement. His son, Chris Wilson, joined full-time in 1998 after earning his bachelor’s degree from Kent State University in Northeast Ohio.
Chris grew up in the business, even having the school bus drop him off at the family facility. Those years shaped his hands-on understanding of the organization. He’s worked in production, sales, service, managed engineering, and currently oversees operations as president. His office now sits next to the shop floor, keeping him close to the team.
“It’s so different from where I started,” said Chris. “It’s just neat to see the evolution and be part of it.”
In 2011, Nick convinced his wife, Nancy, to join the company and work alongside Chris. She brought 25 years of leadership and marketing experience from Ford Motor Company and started as the director of customer relations. In 2013, she stepped into the CEO role.
One of her first moves was hiring a dedicated sales team.
“One of my first hires, Dustin Lee, is now vice president of sales. Nick trained him, and he picked it up very, very quickly, and he started bringing in business,” she said. “We’ve transitioned over the years to have more feet on the street, more direct salespeople.”
Nancy also built out teams in IT, marketing, and machine design, bringing in Ryan Finke, who now serves as the vice president of engineering.
“The one thing I loved about Morrison from day one is that there’s very little red tape. It was always about meeting the customer need,” said Finke, explaining the organization’s communication style. “You could be an intern or entry-level engineer, sitting next to Nick Wilson, our founder.”
Since 2011, Morrison’s headcount has climbed from the 40s to more than 140 employees.
“It’s been a fun transition, and we’ve grown a lot,” Nancy said.
With its expanding team, Morrison now regularly builds large, integrated systems in addition to its core products, including a Strip Label Applicator, multi-packing equipment, screw denesters, and a Robotic Orienting System.
“Being a family business is at our core, and I would say that it extends to all of our employees, as they have become part of our extended family,” said Nancy. “We believe strongly in education.”
She noted that the company works with local programs and schools to promote workforce development. Morrison also provides training and tuition assistance for its team.
Built around the container, designed for the line
Machine builders and end users alike rely on Morrison’s change parts, timing screws, container handling machines, and auto-adjust rails to keep containers accurately positioned across packaging lines.
“What Morrison puts into the market is a highly engineered but very simple solution that is incredibly repeatable,” said Dustin Lee, VP of sales. “It is something that continuously works.”
As the largest timing screw supplier in North America, Morrison produces these components for a wide range of packaging machinery. It’s a distinction that Seth Licke, Morrison’s director of assembly operations and service, wears as a “badge of honor.”
He noted that timing screws are a “fundamental” in the packaging industry, explaining their usage in machinery: “We see timing screws going toward our machine builds and solutions, but most of what we see in the industry are generally part of monoblocks or rotary rinsers, fillers, cappers, and they really tie machines together.”
The company produces timing screws using several materials, 99% of which are manufactured in-house. Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW) accounts for 85% of production.
While Licke says UHMW offers “the best wear pattern” over time, he added that it’s not suited for every application as the material can expand in high heat and shrink in extreme cold. Delrin is deployed for tight-space filling applications, while nylon is preferred for glass container handling.
Each timing screw includes distinct design features to reduce operator error. They’re stamped with container information, a serial number, and configured to install in only one direction.
“We put a square feature on the infeed and a circle feature on the discharge, both having pin locations where you can only put it on in one direction,” Licke explained.
For changeovers, Morrison offers auto-adjust rails, a pneumatic solution controlled by air, that can be controlled by a human-machine interface (HMI) to reduce manual labor and setup time.
Licke puts it simply: “Once you set up a recipe, it literally takes a minute. A line is generally between 300 and 700 feet long. Imagine going every 36 inches to take a wrench and loosen an angle bracket, and move that bracket to the next container size. It takes hours.”
Reducing labor is a big benefit, along with reliable line adjustments.
“A quick changeover is great, but an accurate changeover is better,” said Licke.
Working with OEMs to keep lines in motion
Morrison works with OEMs on a company-by-company basis, sometimes starting with a complete set of prints, other times co-designing parts from scratch. This flexibility helps machine builders adapt to the unique demands of each line, something Lee says they look for in a partner.
“They want to work with someone who takes care of problems,” he said. “When you’re building, especially custom machinery, there are things that pop up and things you can’t plan for.”
Throughout a project, Morrison engineers stay in direct contact with the OEM or end user.
“One of our competitive advantages is that we actually have our design engineers communicate with the customers,” said Finke, adding that a third party isn’t involved. “We understand what their needs are exactly.”
That direct line of communication aims to ensure Morrison’s components integrate seamlessly with packaging machinery – before, during, and after installation.
“Ultimately, it’s about how you support that equipment in the field, and I think Morrison does that better than anybody else in the business,” Lee explained. “That’s why OEMs want to work with us and why we’ve built so many partnerships over the years.”
Scaling smart: Growth by design
Every engineering project at Morrison starts with one thing: the container, because everything else depends on it.
“It’s in our name: container handling solutions,” said Finke. “Our goal is to build repeatable, reliable machines, change parts, and timing screws around that container.”
Rather than using a fixed template, he said each component is crafted to meet specific application requirements. “It’s about us understanding what the customer needs are and then designing reliably with our standard approaches and machine around that container and those constraints.”
This mindset has fueled growth across the company, especially in its change parts division.
“We have leveraged new technologies, new workflows, and are way more successful in our ability to deliver [change parts] on a tight timeline,” said Finke, noting that the area of the business grew 30% year over year.
The company continues to evolve internally, adopting new tools like artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline tasks.
“It helps scan contracts and process terms,” said Nancy. “We’re using it behind the scenes now.”
‘Support Built In’ mentality that runs through Morrison’s DNA
When Nancy joined Morrison, she brought decades of marketing experience and used it to articulate a culture that had long been in place. The company refers to this mindset as “Support Built In,” a tagline that reflects its approach to partnerships, culture, and service.
“’Support Built In’ really is our secret sauce, and it was here before I came,” she said. “It’s the way the company’s always approached things, to make sure we’re doing the right thing for our customers. When we sell to a customer, we stand behind that machine no matter what.”
That mindset is evident in everything, from overnight parts shipments to helping customers adapt when challenges come up.
“Our team, our president, and CEO, they’ve built it within us. We need to service our customers, especially when they need us the most,” said Licke. “We frequently turn parts in less than a day.”
It’s also reflected in company loyalty and growth.
“We have a lot of people that have crossed over the 40-year mark,” Nancy said. “Most of our hires come from referrals. Good people know good people.”
And after all those years, the man who started it all still walks the floor – not just to check machines, but to stay connected to the people behind them.
“We work hard and have fun,” said Nick Wilson, founder of Morrison. “That’s why I’m still here.”
Engineering solutions, empowering people
Through decades of change, growth, and technology shifts, Morrison’s commitment to deliver solutions that move containers – and relationships – forward remains constant. One turn at a time.
“Supporting our customers is within our DNA, growth is within our DNA. Supporting employees is in our DNA,” said Nancy. “It’s easy. All you have to do is keep looking forward and do the right thing. It’s not difficult.”
