History

Blackhawk Molding Co, Inc. was founded in 1949. It is a privately held Illinois corporation; with its headquarters in Addison, Illinois. The company operates three manufacturing plants in the USA; located in Addison, Illinois; Mayflower, Arkansas; and Sparks, Nevada. Its’ European partner operates plants near Nottingham, England and in Lodz, Poland.

Blackhawk Molding Co, Inc. specializes in inventing and manufacturing proprietary products. Blackhawk is a pioneer in supplying plastic injection molded products to the dairy, bottled water and juice industries. Its’ Swinger Handle™ put Blackhawk on the map in the dairy industry early in the 1960s. This handle along with the equipment to assemble it to fiber-board cartons was sold in the hundreds of millions to the dairy industry. When blow molded bottles came into use, Blackhawk was one of the first suppliers of injection molded caps. Many companies have come and gone in this industry with Blackhawk surviving as one of the major suppliers. Through the years the company has developed a wide range of caps for the dairy and bottled water industries.

BLACKHAWK MOLDING CO., INC.

  • Custom molding company was founded by Walter Hidding in Illinois
  • Primary product line included an array of plastic toys, scoops, household, personal care and medical products
  • Capabilities include custom blow molding
  • Introduces the Grip-It Handle and Swinger Handle to the dairy industry
  • HDPE single thread caps are added to the product line
  • A second manufacturing facility is opened in Mayflower, Arkansas
  • The valve-actuated system was introduced to the bottled water industry
  • Press-On caps are added to the product line
  • Worldwide product licensing programs are started
  • The Super Quad™ four-threaded cap is patented and gains market share with billions of caps sold to the dairy industry
  • The companion STS capping system is invented
  • The patented SafeGard™ 55mm cap with Kleen Peel™ technology is introduced to the marketplace
  • Blackhawk becomes a leading supplier of caps in the bottled water industry
  • The SafeGard cap is manufactured in the UK
  • A third manufacturing facility is opened in Sparks, Nevada
  • A second European plant begins manufacture of the SafeGard cap in Poland
  • Introduces resin additives to the 38mm and 55mm product lines, providing a greener option for the environment
  • The product line expands once more with the Universal™ 55mm, THE Beverage™ 38mm and the 38mm Top Seal™ caps to meet the demands of the marketplace
  • LT cap was added to our product line pioneering the way to lowering packaging materials

In the late 1980s, Blackhawk entered the bottled water industry by developing, patenting, manufacturing and selling its SafeGard™ line of no-spill caps. This product has been a true success story in the bottled water industry. Part of this innovation was introducing the Kleen Peel™ no-stick label. The company has developed a full line of caps for the bottled water industry. We are a dominant supplier in this industry.

Blackhawk’s position in the bottled water and dairy industry has lead to supplying caps for juice and “belly-wash” industries utilizing specialty foam for sealing. The company also makes capping equipment, de-capping equipment, and bottle handling tools.