Client & Alumni News

Dave Bestwick of Tray-Pak named Thermoformer of the Year

David Bestwick, chairman of Tray-Pak Corporation, in Reading, PA, has been named Thermoformer of the Year by the Society of Plastic Engineers.

David Bestwick, Chairman, Tray-Pak Corporation

David Bestwick, Chairman, Tray-Pak Corporation

Under the leadership of Bestwick and his team, Tray-Pak has grown from 36 employees in 1975 to more than 250 dedicated employees today.

Tray-Pak manufactures custom thermoformed packaging, and has clients in the medical device, confectionary, and fast food industries, among others. Operating forty-four thermoforming machines in nearly 200,000 square feet of space, Tray-Pak offers custom design, in-house tooling and engineering, and automation expertise.

With an investment from Ben Franklin and support from Lehigh University’s Enterprise Systems Center, Tray-Pak implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning system that addressed manufacturing operations on an enterprise-wide level, including production forecasting, scheduling, and material planning.

Four years ago, the company expanded to a new facility with increased capacity to respond to a sustained annual growth rate of eight to ten percent. The company has also been an avid supporter of the Medical Devices Consortium, led by Ben Franklin staff, that encourages and supports the expansion of the medical device industry in Berks and surrounding counties.

On this and many other occasions, Tray-Pak has exhibited a tremendous commitment to the region’s economic prosperity, and to creating local jobs. Tray-Pak has created 45 new jobs and retained another 252 with Ben Franklin assistance.