History

January 18, 2008 -

Vonco acquired a Chicago area business, Poly Shapes, of Gilbert, IL.  This acquisition has allowed Vonco to enhance its overall capabilities to provide a wider variety of products to its growing customer base.

 

November 2005 - BBM (Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine)   

Vonco Celebrates 50 Years

By Perry J. Littrell

Associate Editor

Broom, Brush & Mop

In mid-September, 1955, Walter VonStoeser left a partnership with a bag manufacturer in Chicago, IL, to start a company in his garage dedicated to making custom shaped plastic packaging, while offering excellent customer service, quality products and prompt response times.  On Friday, September 30, 2005, Vonco Products, Inc., of Lake Villa, IL, celebrated its 50th anniversary with 94 associates at a catered picnic and a carnival-like atmosphere. Broom, Brush & Mop spoke with Vonco Products Vice President of Sales, Les Laske. 

“Fifty years is quite a milestone for a family-owned business, and we wanted to take the time to thank the associates of Vonco for their service.  We kept it a family affair for our Vonco associates.  We didn’t have any special guests or anything of that sort.  However, our customers and suppliers helped us celebrate by donating prizes for our associates to win through raffles and games.  We also ordered commemorative shirts for everyone,” Laske said.  “It was a nice celebration.  We had contests, carnival games, raffles and we even gave each employee the opportunity to throw a pie at the manager of their choice.  It was a great day, and a proud moment for Vonco.” 

 

 July 2003 - BBM (Broom, Brush & Mop Magazine) 

 

Vonco Products Expansion

Lake Villa, Illinois Packaging Firm Grows With 8-Color Printing, 2 more Presses

 

By Harrell Kerkhoff

Broom, Brush & Mop Editor

In the broom industry, Vonco Products, Inc., of Lake Villa, IL, is perhaps best known as a leader in manufacturing self-locking custom polyethylene broom sleeves. When introduced in 1977 by Vonco President Larry Laske, the fast-load poly broom sleeve changed the way most brooms were packaged.

In the medical field, Vonco is well known for its VonSeal® specimen bags and other packaging products for medical applications. These products meet the toughest of government regulations.

In the industrial and retail fields, Vonco has long made a name for itself with such poly items as vat liners and boiling bags, along with such shaped bags as disposable gloves and mitts.

And in the promotional field, Vonco’s products are becoming well known at sporting events thanks to its ThunderStix® Noisemakers and inflatable No. 1 hands.  The company is also a quality manufacturer of such items as poly balloons, kites, hand puppets and Christmas stockings.

Perhaps just as important, however, is that as of late June, Vonco is now known for something else—8 color printing.

The northeastern Illinois company, which began in 1955 in the garage of company founder Walter VonStoeser, has recently undergone a major expansion at its Lake Villa facility.  The expansion includes an additional 15,000 square feet of space and two Italian MAF Flexographic 55-inch presses—one with 8-color capability and one with 6-color capability.  These presses are expected to greatly enhance Vonco’s printing capabilities for its various poly packaging products.  Before the recent expansion, the company operated one 6-color printing press, which it will continue to run. 

“The new presses will allow us to maintain our lead times and go after more business,” Vonco Vice President of Sales and Marketing Les Laske said. “This will expand our capacity and capabilities in printing. A lot more printing is going toward process work—art work that looks like a photograph.  Process printing is a photographic print.  Because of this trend, eight colors are being used more and more.”

“With our current 6-color press, we now have three presses and have more than tripled our capacity because the new presses are faster. People have liked our quality and service, and they have asked us to expand our capabilities.  Part of doing that is expanding our print capacity.” 

New printing capabilities will also help Vonco with the all important UPCs (Universal Product Codes) that have become so significant in the packaging industry during the past 10 years.

“The accuracy of UPC is important.  Having more flexibility with our printing presses will help.  The (UPC) bars have to be clear.  If they don’t read, the product doesn’t leave our building,” Laske said. 

Since 1955, Vonco has been an innovative manufacturer of thermoplastic custom packaging and specialties.  Today, along with expanding its printing capabilities, the company has increased its product offering and the markets it serves.  Currently, Vonco’s more popular types of poly packaging include printed roll stock, broom sleeves, mop bags, wicketed bags, bags on a roll, and hard header bags (a bag that has a cardboard header). 

As mentioned earlier, promotional items are also becoming increasingly important, such as Vonco’s popular ThunderStix® Noisemakers, a product which was widely used by fans during the 2002 Major League Baseball World Series. 

“In the promotional market we also manufacture and sell such products as plastic kites, trade show bags—such as those used at American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA) meetings—and plastic holiday items like Christmas stockings.  We have patents on a self-locking valve system used with many of these products,” Laske said. “Regarding our ThunderStix®, we saw a film of a Korean baseball game where a similar type of product was being used by the fans.  We saw an opportunity, something that would do well in the United States.”

Like many of Vonco’s promotional items, the ThunderStix® Noisemakers come in a variety of colors and designs. 

 Innovation Leads Vonco Out Of The Garage

One word could perhaps best describe Vonco since its 1955 beginning—innovation.  Although he was in his 60s and could’ve started thinking about slowing down, Walter VonStoeser opened Vonco out of his garage, all because of the innovative idea of making shaped bags for commercial use.  From there, the company continued to grow with such innovative products as Larry Laske’s fast-load poly broom sleeve, introduced in 1977, to today’s ThunderStix® Noisemakers. 

Innovation is the lifeblood of Vonco, just as it was for VonStoeser.  A longtime inventor and entrepreneur, VonStoeser was a partner in a company that manufactured plain poly bags in square and rectangular shapes, standard for the day.  He saw a need, however, to go into a different direction—to produce bags that fit the shape of such items as brooms and people’s hands. 

With the help of his wife, Josephine, VonStoeser ended his partnership and began Vonco in the family garage.

“He was in his 60s, with three high school-age daughters at home, when he quit his job to start a new business,” Les Laske said, speaking of his grandfather.  “Four years later, in 1959, my father (Larry Laske) graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in mechanical engineering and came to work for him.  That same year, the business was moved out of the garage and into a small facility (in Grayslake, IL.)”

Larry Laske had also married Walter VonStoeser’s daughter, Barbara, in 1959, the same year he joined his new father-in-law’s business.  With hard work, VonStoeser’s entrepreneurial spirit and Larry Laske’s engineering background, Vonco soon grew into a reputable manufacturer of shaped poly products. 

“The company started with two sides.  One side was the production of shaped products.  Some of our first products were poly mitts for Oscar Mayer, plus gloves for pumping gas and hand puppets for children.  We expanded from there,” Les Laske said.  “Vonco also had a machinery division that made such items as heat tunnels.  This side of the business was sold in the early 1970s so that the company could focus strictly on manufacturing various products in packaging.”

As mentioned, one of the major innovations Vonco became involved with, starting in the mid 1970s, was the self-locking, fast-load, custom-shaped broom sleeve.  The sleeve was invented by Larry Laske, who holds the patent, and revolutionized the way brooms are packaged in stores.  Until then, those who wanted to purchase a broom most likely found it stapled or heat sealed in a poly package or wrapped in paper.

“If you look in the stores today, the majority of broom sleeves have a rounded corner so the package stays on the broom better.  Larry Laske invented that,” said his son, Les Laske. 

By 1968, Vonco had outgrown its Grayslake facility and moved to a 12,000-square-foot building in nearby Lake Villa.  The facility has since been expanded three times, with the latest addition, completed in 2003, increasing it to 55,000 square feet. 

In 1976, Walter and Josephine VonStoeser retired.  It was during this same year that Larry and Barbara Laske purchased Vonco.  In June of 1986, Les Laske joined the company, working in sales.  Later that same year, Les’ brother-in-law, John LaRoi, who is a mechanical engineer, also became involved and is now Vonco’s vice president/general manager.  Both Les Laske and John LaRoi are graduates of Iowa State University. 

“Prior to when I joined the business in 1986, my father (Larry Laske) sold through brokerage firms,” Les Laske said.  “In 1986, we started to take a new direction.  John (LaRoi) joined the company a few months after I began working here.  Together, as a team, we started to help the company grow further.”

In 1991, Vonco took another major step by starting its printing operation for its various poly packaging products.  Previous to 1991, the company farmed out all of its printing needs. 

“Beginning a printing operation gave us a lot of flexibility for increased service and quicker delivery.  We then began to make mop bags and wicketed bags.  We had never made standard bags before.  Everybody thought of us just for shaped bags.  Now, people think of us for both,” Laske said.  “Since then, we have expanded into printed roll stock and bags on a roll.  We can now provide the whole realm of flexible packaging”

He added Vonco has now grown into other industries such as those serving the medical, industrial, retail and promotional fields.  Its growth in these markets has been possible, in part, due to new patents the company has been able to attain.

“For example, we have patents pending on our new specimen transport bags.  There are new international regulations for shipping specimens.  We have the only bag, that I know of right now, which passes these new regulations,” Laske said.  “The regulations came into effect at the beginning of this year.  It’s one side of the business that has been growing for us. 

Our range of products go from a simple industrial bag to a medical (bag) that has to be documented all the way through its manufacturing process.  Testing must be done on these types of products.  Our retail side has also been growing, along with shaped packaging.”

Company Stays Busy In Broom, Brush And Mop Industries

Vonco continues to stay very active in providing products for the broom, brush and mop industries.  These products include broom sleeves, mop bags and packaging for brushes.  Among its longtime customer base is O-Cedar Brands, a client for more than 35 years.  Other clients in the broom, brush and mop industries include Harper Brush Works, Rubbermaid and Rubbermaid International, Quinn Broom Works, FHP and Birdwell cleaning products.

“Regarding the broom market, even though the customer base has been shrinking over the years due to acquisitions and changes in the market, our sales and market share have continued to grow since 1986,” Laske said.  “Overall, we are very diversified in the products and services we provide, and the markets we serve.  This has been a strength for us.  We have had four solid growth years because of our variety.

“Our broad range of products have helped bring an awareness of Vonco, and our expanded capabilities in printing have certainly also helped.  Although we are involved with some markets that are currently down, other markets that we are in are up.  Overall, we are up.”  

Strong business growth over the past four years gave Vonco officials confidence in adding the new addition to the company’s facility, as well as in acquiring its two additional presses. 

“Our work in the past two years has been evaluating other companies versus expanding Vonco, which we elected to do.  We have expanded our facility by 15,000 square feet, which was just completed (in June 2003),” Laske said.  “If we didn’t do this, we wouldn’t be in the position to take care of such issues as requested shorter lead times and increased capacity.”

Laske sees a strong possibility of growth for Vonco in the near future on several fronts.  He said the manufacturer continues to blossom in certain markets while others remain stable. 

“Our broom market business is growing because of the diversity of products and people moving toward us.  Overall, our business is growing because of the various niches we are in.  In general, our medical, industrial and promotional packaging markets are expanding,” Laske said. 

When discussing the broom, brush and mop industries specifically, he added that there remains a concern by some of an increase in imports and a trend of more company buyouts.  Positives, however, remain for Vonco in these industries.

He explained:  “While there are those who have been saying that the sky is falling during the last five or six years, we have been very stable in these industries because people are diversifying more of their goods to us.  The broom business has been a very nice business that we have been involved with since the late 1950s.  We have had some of the same customers sine the 1950s, 60s, and 70s in this market.  I have had relationships myself with people for 17 years in the market.”

He has noticed that there are fewer family-owned businesses that Vonco sells to these days.

There has certainly been a change in the last 10 years.  Even at the ABMA meetings, you don’t see as many family-run businesses as there used to be.  Many of the family businesses have merged or have been bought by bigger corporations.  You don’t have the same connection as in the past,” he said.  “Certainly, there is also international competition.  For years, the concern has been of broom manufacturing continuing to move to other countries and possibly taking the packaging with it.  We still have clients that specify our packaging even though they are importing their products.  They know of the quality of the printing that we are doing and that the packaged part of the product will be correct.”

According to Laske, although Vonco is not solely reliant on the broom, brush and mop industries, this side of the business is still very important to the company. 

“There are a lot of printing requirements in this market, and with our three presses we have a larger capacity for quality printing,” he said.  “If you look at the broom, brush and mop industries, there is still room for Vonco to grow.  In the past, we didn’t have the machinery or printing capacity to go after, for instance, the print roller sleeve business and packaging for various kinds of brushes.  We now can take care of this type of work. 

“If someone had interviewed me 10 years ago, I would have said that all we make in this industry are broom sleeves.  In the past, people didn’t think of Vonco for mop bags, bags on a roll, hard header bags, and printed roll stock—now we can offer all of these things.”

Laske credits Vonco’s quality and diversity of custom made products as being key reasons the company has grown since its garage days of the late 1950s.  He said the primary objective of Vonco is to produce quality. 

Vonco, he added, has never been a “commodity house” by any means.

“For instance, we don’t make such products as bread bags.  A lot of people buy bread, lettuce and apple bags by the pound.  They’re pure commodity items,” Laske said.  “Currently, we are not a warehouse distributor of straight poly bags or stocked sizes of clear or zippered bags.  Everything we do seems to be custom made at this point.”

Quality in its printing capabilities is also essential.  Laske said Vonco avoids offering lower quality printing work in which the company could charge lower rates.

“We want to maintain high quality and integrity in our printing,” he explained. 

When selling Vonco’s products and services, Laske said there are several areas which are specifically stressed to current and potential clients by company sales personnel.

“In the past, we mainly stressed our patents and creative designs.  We do a lot of unique shapes and configurations of bags that other people can’t do,” Laske said.  “We also now explain that we won’t compromise on quality.  We always strive for the highest quality of printing, (manufacturing) of our bags and timely orders.”

Vonco’s Art Department Adds To Company’s Printing Capabilities

With the addition of its 8-and 6-color presses, Vonco has greatly expanded its printing capabilities to the benefit of a diverse client base.  The company has also added an art department in the recent past to work with customers in getting each printing job correct—whether it’s for a broom sleeve, mop bag, ThunderStix®, etc.

With today’s demand for process printing on packaging, the need for a quality art department is even more essential. 

“We are here to offer high quality printing in a short period of time,” Vonco Art Director Joe Gray said.

Laske added that Vonco’s art department is mainly responsible to make sure that the client’s selected art work is printable.  Quality printing starts with quality art preparation.  This is especially important as more clients desire process printing on their products, as opposed to standard line art.

“Process printing is more photographic printing.  Clients are starting to ask for this more on such items as mop bags and broom packaging.  For instance, it’s becoming more common on broom packaging to see a picture of a broom being swept across the floor.  It’s a photo now versus just line graphics of the past,” he said.  “That is why we have moved forward with the 8-color press.”

According to Laske, many times a client will hire an artist to develop the company’s unique art work.  Vonco likes to be brought in during this process to give advice on how the particular piece of art work can best be printed on plastic. 

Laske added that there is a difference between printing art work on paper versus plastic.  Some graphic designers are more familiar with offset printing in the paper industry.  This is a little different, however, than flexographic printing on poly bags.

“It’s always best if people come to us in the beginning, whether it’s designing a bag for a new type of product, or working with a new piece of art,” Laske said.  “For instance, clients will send us a broom or mop and tell us how they want the package made.  We will then make a prototype.  At this point, changes or improvements can be made to assure complete satisfaction.”

Working with the customer is essential for both the customer and Vonco.  Several initial steps often take place, as Laske explains: “An order can go from the customer sending us a product, letting us size or design a package, sending the client back a prototype for approval, and having our art department work with their artists for printing.”

Working with clients on a step-by-step basis eliminates a lot of problems.  Headaches, however, do occur.  For example, for the ThunderStix® Noisemakers that Vonco produced for the World Series, and art company sent art work for the product that included 13 colors.  Since Vonco at the time only had a 6-color press, changes had to be made. 

“We got the job down to six colors.  To do this, for example, some of the sponsors on the art work had to change their blues to make them all match,” Laske said.  He added that the company’s 8-color press further enhances the printing options Vonco now has available. 

Vonco’s art department also helps clients in other ways when it comes to printing.         “One of our clients came to us to help develop a special color and a special ink they were interested in running.  We went through a large sampling program with them to get the ink approved and get costing on it before they moved forward,” Laske said.  “One of our strengths on the customer service side is that we listen to customers’ needs.”

Laske said most clients rely on professional marketing companies to actually design art work to be used on packaging.  Vonco’s specialty is not in this area.  Instead, the company’s art department specializes in evaluating and making changes in the art work to make sure it will print properly on poly packaging. 

“A lot of times we will also receive art and get a phone call asking if we can change printing on the back, or change the type setting.  We can make sure adjustments from what the customer sends us,” Laske said. 

One trend that Vonco sees more of from customers is a request for shorter lead times.  Not only do customers expect a quality product, but they want it as soon as possible.  This includes the printing side of Vonco’s business. 

“You need capacity to run orders in the short term.  That is another reason why we have added the two printing presses.  If we don’t have the printing time available due to a press not being available, then we can’t take care of quicker needs,” Laske said.  “Smaller orders, more difficult orders and quicker lead times—these are what we are preparing ourselves to be ready for in the near future.  I think we react to these areas as well, if not better, than anybody.”

Providing more customized printing runs in an area that is faster becoming strength of Vonco.  Laske said the company will do runs that a lot of its competition will not touch. 

“It wasn’t that many years ago that nobody would touch a process printed job for under 100,000 pieces.  Now, if the customer is willing to pay for the set up, we will print 10,000 pieces.  It will be more expensive than regular printing, but it can be done,” Laske said. 

Vonco, he added, must be seen as a reliable partner. 

“If you call for something that is truly needed for a certain time, we try to find a way to make it happen.  We try to make it where the customer doesn’t want to look elsewhere,” Laske said.  “We pride ourselves on being a value supplier.  There is more than just the price of the product that goes into the true cost of that packaging.”

“For instance, if we can provide UPCs that scan and don’t have a lot of waste for somebody, then we have done our job.  Even at times if we are not the lowest price, in the end, we could very well be the lowest cost provider after you factor in all of the other issues.”

 Engineering And New Technology Keep Vonco Abreast On Industry Changes

New designs in packaging just don’t jump off the production line by themselves.  Many times, engineering plays an essential role in product development.  Larry Laske, the man who developed and patented the self-locking custom polyethylene broom sleeve, is president and R&D director for Vonco.  An engineering staff works with him to create and take care of logistical problems. 

For example, when developing Vonco’s new specimen bag, engineering played a vital role, as the product had to meet new international regulations.  Larry Laske worked on the project to come up with a specimen bag that fit the new regulations.  A patent is currently pending on the Vonco product.  Les Laske said his father specializes in such special engineering endeavors. 

“If someone sends us a new broom or mop that needs packaging, we can engineer it internally,” Les Laske said.  “We rely on new technology in our equipment.  Our engineers and electrical people have to keep us up-to-date about modern equipment to stay competitive.  We have a company president (Larry Laske) who is an idea man and a researcher, and we then hand that off to other people who implement his ideas.”

Les Laske said as Vonco has grown, it has become better with logistical problems.  This is essential for the future. 

“Fifteen years ago, we probably knew every customer and every product that they offered.  Now that our company is bigger, we have to be even better with information flow, making sure from order-taking to shipping that everybody knows what’s going on by a solid paper trail,” he explained.  “We certainly are much larger today than we were in 1986 when I started.”

“Changes have been made with our computers and computer graphics, along with our printing operation.  Changes have also occurred due to government regulations—making sure we comply with current EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) requirements.  We now have a new thermal oxidizer that treats the air that is coming out of our printing presses.  Twenty years ago we wouldn’t have needed that.  It’s a significant investment for us to have in order to keep printing.”

With its newest building addition that was completed in June, Vonco elected to purchase and install the new MEGTEC regenerative thermal oxidizer, as opposed to a new or used catalytic oxidizer, to capture and control VOC emissions from the printing presses.  The choice of a new versus used oxidizer was made to take advantage of new technology that efficiently converts VOCs and other odor causing organic compounds to carbon dioxide and water vapor.  This oxidizer will allow Vonco to remain in compliance with EPA clean air requirements. 

To further keep up with technological advances, Vonco has also purchased an additional Bieffebi optical and video mounting-proofing machine.  This mounter-proofer allows the company to mount “in register” with or without microdots or target marks.  This high degree of accuracy provides superior registration control for both line and process plate mounting. 

Vonco Looks Toward The Future With Quality Services, Products And Employees

Expansion into new markets is a goal of Vonco for the future, according to Laske.  He added Vonco has been a niche market company since Day 1—from offering shaped broom sleeves to specimen bags to the ThunderStix® Noisemakers.  Looking for new markets is not only a goal for the future, but a company mission.

"To grow, we are looking to expand into more general markets to utilize volume we now have with the new printing presses,” Laske said.  “We are also trying to get more involved with publicity, making people better aware of who we are and what we do.”

This increased publicity comes in many forms, such as having a better presence on the Internet and attending more trade shows.

“We sell to certain markets direct, such as with the broom, brush and mop industries, and certain markets we sell through distribution, such as with our promotional items,” Laske said. 

As mentioned earlier, Vonco officials are striving to provide  not only the best product possible, but to offer it in the quickest amount of time.   To do this, the company is currently implementing a new warehouse layout, a new material flow layout, and is learning how to utilize its triple capacity in printing. 

Vonco currently employs about 100 people, from customer service, sales and outside sales representatives, to graphics people working in the art department, press operators, engineers and machine operators.

“A lot of bag companies wouldn’t have an engineering staff because they are just making standard bags.  We have an engineering staff because there are so many things we have to design, utilize and change,” Laske said.  “We also have press operators who have the ability to run an expensive printing press at correct speeds while ensuring quality.”

With the addition of two presses, Vonco has hired additional press operators to handle the increased load.  Some of its new press operators have arrived from bag converters and packaging companies that have closed in the past year.  These experienced newcomers will help ensure quality printing.  Vonco also trains press operators internally through apprenticeships. 

In yet another function of the company, Vonco designs and builds its own tooling through the company’s machine shop.  Vonco machinists fix company parts and building machinery. 

A major strength of the Illinois’ manufacturer is with its customer service department.  Vonco Customer Service Manager Debbi Gossell and International Customer Service Representative Silvia Montemayor play key roles in the company’s development.  Montemayor is fluent in Spanish and routinely gets calls from Spanish-speaking clients.

“Our work force is also more Spanish-speaking.  Having bilingual supervisors and trainers is very helpful.  This is an area where a lot of manufacturers are going to have to adjust as more Spanish-speaking people work in their buildings,” Laske said.  “Overall, we have a number of employees who have been with us for 25 to 30 years.  A lot of our people possess multiple skills that enable them to work in different areas of the company.  We try to be very open with our employees and give them opportunities.  There is a good, solid work force here.”

Besides enjoying a quality local work force, Laske said Vonco benefits in other ways by being situated between Chicago and Milwaukee.  He said freight charges are good in the region, which makes it convenient when shipping to both Coasts, as well as to the South.

Although Vonco sells its products mostly to national markets, it does have international customers, specifically with its ThunderStix® and specimen bag items.

“With the changes in the broom market, we also serve customers throughout the Western Hemisphere.  We have to communicate with companies in Mexico, Central and South America,” Laske said. 

No matter if a customer is across town or on a different continent, the mission of Vonco remains the same, as Laske explains: “Our mission is to provide integrity, as well as timely and quality products, at a best value price.  We also strive to be respectful to our employees and customers.”