Dordan celebrates its golden birthday today, turning 62 and custom thermoforming since 1962.
Dordan is a third generation, family owned and operated thermoform designer and manufacturer of medical packaging, dunnage and assembly trays, and clamshells and blisters.
On October 18th, Dordan celebrates its golden birthday, turning 62 and being founded in 1962. While today Dordan is a highly sophisticated packaging designer and thermoformer, it has very modest roots.
Above: Dordan's CEO and President Daniel Slavin at Dordan Manufacturing circa 1974
Dordan began as a contract packager that also manufactured skin packaging and small volume single-sheet vacuum forming. In the late 1960s, Dordan transitioned into high volume plastics thermoforming. In 1974, founders Vivian and Edwin’s son, Daniel, acquired leadership and moved the company in a more progressive direction with the introduction of CAM/CNC produced tooling and early utilization of microprocessor based thermoformers. In the early 1990s, Dordan relocated its operations to Woodstock, IL, expanding into a 50,000 sq. ft. facility with in house packaging design, tooling, and plastics thermoforming. At this time, Dordan specialized in providing thermoformed packaging to the consumer electronics, automotive, cosmetics, and retail markets.
Above: Several of Dordan's plastic thermoforming machines
In 2013, Dordan achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification and in 2019, Dordan completed construction of is ISO Class 8 cleanroom for manufacturing medical packaging. In 2024, Dordan achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification for the design, manufacture, and distribution of custom thermoformed medical packaging. Today, Dordan applies six-decades of custom thermoforming to the development of high quality medical packaging that meets the stringent regulatory and safety requirements of the medical industry.
Above: Dordans ISO Class 8 cleanroom
As Dordan celebrates its golden birthday this month, it also welcomes the fourth generation, further extending its roots of stability for continuous and sustainable growth. As thermoform packaging companies continue to be acquired, Dordan remains one of the few family-owned and privately held custom thermoforming suppliers.