Bedford Industries, Inc. is celebrating its 50th anniversary at IBIE this year. The company has grown since Robert and Patricia Ludlow started the company in a garage in Worthington, MN, by manufacturing wire twist ties.
Since then, Bedford (Booth No. 3117) has expanded in all types of identification products, elastomer integrations, adhesive technology, specialized bundling ties, bendable components, packaging re-closures and promotional marketing with the patented ElastiTag product line.
More than 500 past and present employees, friends and supporters of the company attended a 50th anniversary celebration at the Worthington Event Center on July 30. A catered meal was served. The guests saw videos that not only celebrated the life’s work of its founders but also showed the dedication and ingenuity of the company’s more than 300 employees. Robert Ludlow is still chief executive officer at Bedford Industries. His son-in-law, Kim Milbrandt, is president.
In August, Bedford Industries finished construction on a new innovation center connected to the manufacturing facility. The innovation center brings together different company teams, including production planning, engineering, design and marketing.
While Bedford Industries is celebrating its 50-year history at IBIE, the company will have new products to show as well. For example, innovations continue in wireless tie, printable marketing options for on-pack promotions, bio resin-related products and new types of closures/re-closures, said Deb Houseman, creative marketing manager and a 25-year employee at Bedford.
“There are a lot of new things that we are developing,” she said. “We’re looking at a lot of innovation to come.”
