BMG/Lyle Industries, celebrating its sixtieth anniversary this year, was tooled into existence back in 1965 out of a working relationship with Brown Manufacturing and in the shadow of Dow Chemical Co. and General Electric, when a group of engineers decided to assist GE with the assembly and functionality of the interior components necessary for the soon-to-be-realized modern home refrigerator.
As a result of a few forward-thinking engineers from Beaverton, Michigan, the solutions necessary to pull together this feat of refrigerator foresight was soon to be facilitated. Lyle (Oberloier) Industries was imagined and created by Bill Oberloier as an engineering company that serviced some of the original Brown Machine plastic thermoformers used to create the interior panels for the 1960s GE refrigerator revolution. Bill Oberloier (Lyle Industries), Gaylord Brown (Brown Machine LLC, and Miles Kalahar (former Dow Employee and head of Kal Plastics), all Beaverton, Michigan, residents, were the solution that GE was looking for. Contracts were signed, and the rest is history.
Steve Sobolewski, the grandson of Bill Oberlier and a current 27+ year employee at BMG as a Tech Service Controls Engineer, said, “My grandfather was an incredibly intelligent person who let me hang out at the plant and just enjoy life when I was younger. Grampa Bill loved all his employees and celebrated their lives at every opportunity. Improving the quality of life for people was a lifelong goal, and he concentrated on that every day of his life.”
Flash forward to the 20th century and Lyle, a company that began rebuilding Brown Machine thermoformers and later building bottle trimmers has become known for the development of the CPET thermoformer, mechanical side pull toggle form station, sprocket less chain rails, hinged open/close ovens, counterbalance trim presses, and many other engineering advancements that have proven themselves over the years to be instrumental in moving the entire thermoforming industry forward into the 21st century and beyond.
Most recently, BMG, formerly Brown Machine Group, has recognized Lyle’s unparalleled importance as a true engineering partner for the future and has made it part of the BMG group of thermoforming companies, which now leads the industry from a position of authority. Lyle is proud of its heritage and the pioneers who have carried the torch to this point. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the Lyle Industries brand of equipment, and BMG is truly honored to be part of a celebration of the lifelong impact that Lyle has had on an industry forged together after the Second World War. Beginning its life as Oberloier Enterprises, transitioning to Lyle Enterprises, and eventually becoming part of the BMG family of thermoforming companies, it has had an incredible ride over the last 60 years, and we know it will be at least 60 more as it rolls into the 21st century.
Many people have been employed at Lyle over the years, and many of them for their entire careers. BMG wants to take this opportunity to thank those who came before and those who are carrying the torch now, who labor tirelessly to make BMG/Lyle thermoforming equipment the best it can be. BMG/Lyle Industries thrives on producing technologically advanced thermoforming machine solutions that make plastic manufacturing an easier, safer, and more profitable enterprise. As a leader in the thermoforming industry, it produces equipment that makes plastic cups, plastic containers, plastic food trays, automobile parts, medical packaging, and countless other plastic parts for many industries.
BMG continues its commitment to assisting customers in need of thermoforming packaging/automation solutions with an acute awareness and attention to detail when it comes to providing true turnkey solutions while taking into account the need for shorter developmental timelines, increased ROI, reduced cost of doing business, and an unparalleled service commitment rivaled by none worldwide