Pharmaceutical Industry Revolutionized by NJM in 1935
The Year 1935 didn’t just mark the debut of the Sugar Bowl and the Orange Bowl. It also marks a significant NJM Milestone in our 100-Year history. That was the year we began following the pharmaceutical industry, helped found the Packaging Manufacturers Machinery Institute (PMMI), and introduced the Pony Label Rite® Labeler, the predecessor for many of our workhorse machines to come. Abbott Labs, which was just then beginning its expansion into the international market, purchased the first Pony Label Rite® labeler for its operations.
In 1933, recognizing the benefits of sharing best practices across the industry, NJM was one of five Charter Members of the brand-new PMMI (Packaging Manufacturers Machinery Institute). Today, the PMMI boasts 700 member organizations, and NJM will remain a charter member throughout its history.
But NJM’s involvement in improving the packaging process didn’t stop there. In 1936, NJM was one of two exhibitors at the AMA National Packaging Expo. Knowing that manual labeling was a problem with many pharmaceutical and other companies, NJM came prepared with a solution to automate and revolutionize the way drugs, cosmetics, and other items would be labeled: the Pony Label Rite® labeler, a machine with a smaller footprint that immediately caught the attention of attendees, including the Karl Voss Division of Shoup Owens Inc., a fine cosmetics manufacturer and now a division of Kiernan-Hughes Company.
Undoubtedly, NJM’s introduction of the Pony Label Rite® labeler was the most significant chapter in our company’s history. It represented NJM’s inroads into the pharmaceutical industry, particularly when Abbott Labs purchased the first one for its pharmaceutical packaging needs. The Pony Label Rite® labeler coated labels with glue automatically and positioned the label exactly where it needed to be placed, without glue oozing out from the sides of the label, thus eliminating the need to manually inspect packaging, pharmaceutical or otherwise.
But the Pony Label Rite® labeler also laid the foundation for the high quality workhorse machines NJM produces today. Its small size introduced the concept of space-saving machines to packaging lines. The Pony Label Rite® labeler helped cement NJM’s expertise in packaging and labeling.
NJM Packaging’s history doesn’t stop here. Stay tuned next month to learn how, while the