Peacock Engineering Company was founded in Chicago in 1942 by Harold Peacock to be a processor and packager for military replacement parts and vehicles during WWII.  Success with the military resulted in a continuation of these services during the Korean and Vietnam wars in the 1950’s and 1960’s.   

Realizing that military packaging would not remain a viable prospect for the future, the company diversified into industrial packaging.  Over the next seven years, business grew from a single 50,000 square foot plant to a total of four plants and 150,000 square feet.  In 1980, a 117,000 square foot plant was built in Itasca, Illinois to replace three of the four existing buildings for a combined new company capacity of 167,000 square feet.   

The recession of the early 1980’s hit Peacock hard as three of its largest customers experienced major cutbacks.  The company transitioned to consumer products packaging, bringing in TV Magic as Peacock’s first consumer products customer.  During the next 18 years the consumer business continued to grow so successfully that by 2000, Peacock abandoned the military/industrial market to concentrate entirely on consumer packaging.

Mike Bilder joined Peacock in 1996 as Executive Vice President. He was named President in 1997. Mike Bilder orchestrated the restructuring and expansion of Peacock’s resources and capabilities to accommodate large primary fill and secondary packaging contracts with top tier consumer product food companies by expanding and improving operations, with an internal goal/target of “operational excellence”. 

Major food industry consolidations and restructuring, coupled with Peacock’s successful transition from a mid-market provider of contract packaging services to a strategic co-manufacturing/contract packaging partner, have made “outsourcing” of primary fill and secondary packaging a cost-effective and viable solution for food manufacturers wanting to keep pace with market demands.    

Over the past four years, Peacock has invested tens of millions of dollars in equipment and facility upgrades.  With the acquisition of Production Packaging (Geneva, Illinois) in 2002, our mission is to become the “best in class” by being stronger in our packaging expertise and capabilities than the customers we service. 

Our modern facilities and extensive infrastructure (including a wide range of temperature-controlled space) enables us to handle many of the food packaging demands in both primary and secondary packaging.  

As an extension to our customer’s manufacturing arm, Peacock can reduce our customer’s costs and increase their cash flow.  Most analysts would agree that if a company can shed its assets while maintaining performance and quality control, it enjoys the best of both worlds.  That’s what contract manufacturing accomplishes when it’s done well.  That’s where Peacock Engineering Company excels.

Peacock has continued to move up each year in Crain’s Chicago Business’s annual listing of the “Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies in Illinois ”.  In 2003, we were a finalist for Ernst & Young’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.  More importantly, Peacock has received numerous “Supplier of the Year” awards from its customers.  It is these prestigious awards, awards from our client partners that solidify the strategic course we are on and drive our motivation for “operational excellence”.

Including our corporate headquarters in Geneva, Peacock has four facilities totaling well over 1,000,000 square feet with significant packaging capabilities in both primary and secondary packaging.  Our modern high-tech facilities and equipment are complimented by the 1,400(+) talented employees and professionals that are dedicated to providing our customers quality services in a cost-effective and timely manner.  

Computerized bar code inventory tracking systems, lot trace and recall, metal detection and weight control are just a sampling of the quality assurance programs that ensure the highest levels of GMPs. 

Peacock Engineering Company's senior team includes:

Michael A. Bilder, President (1996) - mbilder@peacockeng.com
Lori Gatto, CFO (2007) - lgatto@peacockeng.com
Michael F. Altman, Chief Operating Officer (2003) - maltman@peacockeng.com

Peacock Engineering Company is dedicated to exceeding our customer's expectations.  Contact us and we'll tell you how.

WE WANT TO BE YOUR PACKAGING PARTNER !