Top Workplaces: ORBIS helps keep plastics out of landfills

Reduce, reuse, recycle. You might be familiar with the three R’s of sustainability, which are also guiding principles for ORBIS Corp. based in Oconomowoc.

ORBIS manufactures reusable plastic packaging for a variety of industries, with a goal of making the supply chain more sustainable. By reducing the need for single-use plastic, reusing packaging over time and recycling its products at the end of life, the company operates a “circular economy” where plastics stay out of the landfill.

ORBIS was named No. 18 out midsize businesses on this year’s Top Workplaces list. It is the ninth consecutive year that the organization has been recognized as a top place to work in Wisconsin.

The company has a long history in the state’s economy. ORBIS operates under the Menasha Corp., which got its start making wooden pails in the town of Menasha in 1849. ORBIS was created in 1996 as a subsidiary to “meet the material handling and reusable packaging needs” of Menasha Corporation’s customers, according to its website.

ORBIS’ products include reusable plastic bins, containers, pallets and totes. It supplies its for food and beverage, environmental, industrial and storage and distribution purposes across the supply chain.

Today, ORBIS employs more than 3,000 people across the U.S. and Europe. In addition to medical/dental insurance and retirement plans, the company offers a number of benefits through the Menasha Foundation. That includes college scholarships for the children of employees, donations to schools for employees who volunteer more than 20 hours per school year and gift matching for philanthropic contributions.

The company also regularly engages in community volunteer projects, as a testament to the philanthropy of Menasha Corp. founder Elisha D. Smith.

ORBIS’ Community Action Team “identifies and selects groups, agencies and causes in its local community that are in need of financial support, time or volunteers,” according to its website. The company has made contributions to Make-a-Wish, Humane Animal Welfare Society of Waukesha County, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and other local food pantries and literacy groups.

In the workplace, employees describe an environment that is challenging, yet supportive and with a strong sense of team morale. 

“I feel I am on a winning team that understands and appreciates the importance of people and teamwork,” one employee said. “We challenge ourselves to be our best and create the environment that enables it.”

ORBIS’ commitment to a greener supply chain is also a draw for some.

“Our products help companies be more sustainable and that is exciting for our employees,” Samantha Goetz, marketing communications manager at ORBIS, said in an email. 

One employee said: “I'm able to work here without compromising my moral values.” The employee noted that the work is “mentally stimulating and challenges me to think in lateral ways.”

In 2021, ORBIS introduced a new pallet for its customers, made entirely of recycled content and designed to replace wooden pallets. The company also received a Green Supply Chain Award from Supply and Demand Chain Executive magazine.

But the year was not without challenges. 

“Like many companies, raw material availability, logistics costs and labor availability created challenges for our business,” Goetz said.

The company worked between departments to rapidly execute projects to face these challenges. “Our focus was always on our customers and how these challenges impacted their businesses, so many projects addressed how to make and deliver product faster and better for them,” Goetz said. 

In the coming year, the company is planning to release more reusable products for customers working in the retail and automotive supply chains. It is also updating its Life-Cycle Analysis Calculator, which helps customers calculate how they’ve cut down on CO2 emissions, electricity and solid waste by using ORBIS’ products.

“That is a great opportunity to show our customers the environmental impact of their packaging and the clear benefits of implementing reusable pallets and totes,” Goetz said in an email.