Dordan Manufacturing has 14 thermoforming lines, including two with robotics for high volume items. These robots strip plastic parts from the web after being thermoformed and die cut, allowing for consistent and efficient handling before the parts enter inspection and packaging. Dordan's engineers develop custom end-of-arm tooling for robotics in house, which integrates with the thermoform tooling, also produced in house.
A recent feature in Plastics Today explores how production environments, regulatory classifications, and process validations shape the way medical packaging is designed and manufactured. I was grateful for the opportunity to share Dordan’s perspective on how we approach quality as an ISO 13485:2016 certified medical thermoformer.
As the Midwest’s leading medtech trade show, MD&M Midwest connects medical device engineers, buyers, and manufacturers with innovations in packaging, automation, materials, and design. It’s a valuable event for healthcare professionals involved in product development, regulatory compliance, and supply chain optimization.
Yesterday our team took a break to celebrate the 4th of July with an ice cream social at our facility in Woodstock, Illinois. It was a simple way to enjoy the summer, spend a little time together, and get a sugar-fix.
We’ve included a few photos from the day—nothing fancy, just a glimpse into the people behind the thermoform packaging.
Dordan Manufacturing, a leading ISO 13485:2016 certified medical packaging manufacturer, is proud to announce its participation in MD&M Midwest 2025, taking place October 21-22 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. As the Midwest’s premier trade show for medical device design and manufacturing, MD&M connects engineers, packaging professionals, and device manufacturers focused on innovation, automation, and compliance.
Since 1962, Dordan has proudly designed and manufactured custom thermoformed packaging right here in Chicagoland. Family-owned and operated for over 62 years, our business is built on the same values that define the holiday we celebrate: freedom, resilience, and pride in American ingenuity.
From a small shop to an ISO-certified facility serving some of the most demanding markets—medical, automotive, electronics, and industrial—we’ve evolved, but never outsourced our commitment to U.S.-based manufacturing.
As an ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 13485:2016 certified thermoform packaging manufacturer, Dordan is committed to delivering quality, consistency, and compliance—especially for customers in highly regulated markets like medical devices and automotive.
To meet diverse customer requirements and project scopes, Dordan implements a tiered quality control (QC) system, offering several levels of inspection and validation protocols. These ensure that every package meets critical dimensional, functional, and regulatory benchmarks.
Dordan Manufacturing recently installed a new prototyping press—the Formech HD 1000c-T—as part of our continued investment in packaging development capabilities. This equipment upgrade enhances our ability to support customers, particularly those in the medical device industry, who often require multiple prototype iterations as part of their design and validation process.
Last week, Dordan Manufacturing had the privilege of hosting two groups of high school students for an immersive tour of our facility as part of the Manufacturing Pathways Consortium, an initiative coordinated by McHenry County College that connects students with real-world career opportunities in manufacturing.
🎥Take a behind-the-scenes look at Dordan Manufacturing’s custom thermoforming capabilities, sound on 🎵!!!
This video showcases high-speed production lines forming, trimming, and stacking custom plastic packaging solutions in real time in our standard manufacturing facility. From industrial dunnage trays to clamshells, blisters, and insert trays, our ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 9001:2015 certified facility delivers precision, performance, and quality.
Understanding what drives the cost of custom thermoformed medical packaging is essential when evaluating suppliers. While every project Dordan manufactures is custom—meaning pricing is based on specific part requirements—there are consistent cost indicators across all medical packaging quotes.
This guide provides an overview of those key factors to help medical device manufacturers and procurement professionals make informed sourcing decisions.
We believe that investing in our community is important. That’s why we were honored once again to participate in Woodstock High School’s INCubator Pitch Night — an entrepreneurial program modeled after Shark Tank that gives students real-world business experience.
At Dordan Manufacturing, we believe that family is at the heart of everything we do. As a 4th generation family-owned custom thermoforming company, our commitment to quality packaging design and manufacturing is matched only by our dedication to building a business rooted in trust, integrity, and sustainability.
Medical packaging is often made from high-quality, recyclable materials—yet much of it ends up in the trash. While all packaging is technically recyclable, most packaging is not actually recycled. That’s because in order for packaging to be recovered and reprocessed, it must be accepted by the majority of municipal recycling programs, which typically only take materials with established end markets.
Want to see what makes Dordan different? Watch 'About Dordan' for an inside look at our fourth-generation, family-owned thermoform packaging company. From our roots in Chicago, to our ISO-certified cleanroom and in-house thermoforming capabilities in Woodstock, IL, we’re proud to show how we bring precision, quality, and care to every packaging solution we create.
The cost of custom thermoformed packaging depends on your project’s unique needs, but some key factors influence every quote. These include the type and thickness of the material, package size and functionality, tooling and order quantities, quality standards, and whether production takes place in a cleanroom or a standard facility. Understanding these elements can help you plan effectively—explore how each one impacts pricing below.
We’re excited to invite you to attend the upcoming MD&M West conference and Expo in Anaheim, CA, and thrilled to offer you complimentary registration with our special exhibitor code! The event is just under two weeks away, so don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to connect with leaders in the medical packaging industry and explore the latest innovations.
PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release
Anaheim, CA, Feb. 4th-6th – Dordan Manufacturing, a leading designer and manufacturer of thermoformed medical packaging solutions, is excited to announce its participation at MD&M West, booth #1082.
At this year's event, the company will display its collection of historic bioplastics, highlighting the early innovations that paved the way for today’s sustainable packaging solutions, including biodegradable polymers, bio-based materials, and recycled/recyclable materials. By displaying its collection of these historic bioplastics, the company aims to educate trade show attendees on the evolution of these materials, their current applications, and the future potential of bioplastics in medical packaging.
In 2010, Dordan began pursing sustainable materials for plastic packaging. Many materials were being introduced to the market that tried to reduce plastic waste and its carbon footprint by substituting fossil-fuel based carbon with annually renewable resources and addressing end of life management through biodegradability and recycling. "Biodegradability" is a catch all term for materials that break down in the intended disposal environment i.e. industrial composting facility and "recyclable" means that 60% of American communities have access to facilities that collect that kind of material for recycling.
Premier plastics industry publication, Plastics News, reports on Dordan welcoming the 4th generation to its ranks. Dordan is a 62-year-old and family-owned thermoforming company that specializes in designing and manufacturing high quality thermoformed packaging like medical device trays and blisters, dunnage trays, and clamshells and blisters.
Dordan is located in Woodstock, IL., where it designs packaging, makes tooling, and manufactures thermoformed packaging for the medical, automotive, electronics, and consumer markets.
In "Continuing the legacy," city-publication The Woodstock Independent reports on the first of the 4th generation to join the family thermoforming company.
Medical design and manufacturing conference and expo, MD&M West, turns 40 this year. To celebrate, they are profiling companies that celebrated meaningful anniversaries and had noteworthy accomplishments in 2024.
Dordan is exhibiting at MD&M West in Anaheim, CA., Feb. 4th-6th. MD&M West is the premier medical device and manufacturing conference and expo that brings together thought leaders from across the medical supply chain to share innovations and insights and discuss challenges and trends.
Dordan will have new custom thermoformed medical packaging on display and sales engineers on site to discuss attendee's packaging projects and challenges. Register for MD&M West for 20% off with Dordan's comp code, INVITE975316, and visit us at booth #1082.
Dordan has been awarded the cover story of the January edition of Eco-Plastics in Packaging Magazine! This publication provides essential news and insights to those in the plastics industry.
In this cover feature, advancements in Dordan's medical thermoforming capabilities are discussed, along with sustainability and industry trends.
As the year comes to a close, we’re reviewing Dordan's most popular content to see what our customers cared about in 2024. Here's a look at the highlights of what resonated this year. Happy New Year from Dordan!
Happy Holidays from Dordan Manufacturing! Much merriment was had at Dordan's Holiday Party this week. Check out the photos below!
Thank you to our employees, customers, suppliers, and industry partners for your support of our family thermoforming company this year.
Woodstock, IL—62-year-old custom thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, welcomes the 4th generation, positing the packaging thermoformer for multi-generational growth.
Julian Slavin, grandson of Dordan CEO & President Daniel Slavin, is the first of the fourth generation to join the family company. Dordan Manufacturing was founded in 1962 and is a designer and manufacturer of thermoformed packaging solutions.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dordan Manufacturing Exhibits Thermoformed Medical Packaging Solutions at MD&M WEST
When developing thermoformed assembly trays, a detailed understanding of the robotic platforms that will be handling the trays must be ascertained. These include specifics on the robotic fixtures, tray locators, pinchers, and tray orientation and loading system. If there is no existing fixture, collaboration between the equipment maker/customer/ thermoform tray supplier will determine the most efficient design to facilitate the goals of the automated parts assembly operations.
Dordan had a successful show at MD&M in Minneapolis; thank you to those who visited! The custom thermoformer shared its expertise in packaging design and manufacturing, distributing technical briefs on medical packaging design, tooling, cleanroom manufacturing, and quality control.
MD&M Minneapolis begins Wednesday, October 16th, bringing togethers innovators from across the med tech supply chain to discuss the trends, challenges, and opportunities facing the medical sector.
Dordan celebrates its golden birthday today, turning 62 and custom thermoforming since 1962.
Dordan is a full service medical thermoforming company with in house packaging design, tooling, and ISO Class 8 Cleanroom manufacturing. This integration between engineering and thermoforming allows for the development of high-quality medical packaging that meets the safety and regulatory requirements for medical device manufacturers worldwide.
MN, Minneapolis—Oct. 16-17th, 2024—Medical packaging thermoforming company Dordan Manufacturing to distribute technical medical packaging briefs at Medical Design and Manufacturing, part of the Advanced Manufacturing Conference and Expo. MD&M brings together medtech professionals across the supply chain, sharing the latest innovations and trends.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Medical Packaging Innovations to be Showcased by Dordan Manufacturing at MD&M Minneapolis
Dordan's progress in medical packaging was featured in the latest edition of Plastics News.
As a custom thermoformer, all pricing is based on specific project requirements. However, there are shared pricing indicators in all thermoformed packaging quotes. These include package size, material type and thickness, order quantity, tooling, quality requirements, and production environment.
Dordan is a custom thermoformer of medical packaging, so all pricing is based on specific project requirements. However, there are shared pricing indicators implicit in all medical packaging quotes. These are package size, material type and thickness, order quantity, tooling, quality control, and production environment.
Industry publication, Packaging Digest, pens an article about Dordan's recent ISO 13485:2016 certification.
Dordan had a great time showcasing its medical packaging at MD&M West last week in Anaheim, CA.
Dordan is featured in Plastics Today's article on developments in thermoforming, which compares the cost, trends, and applications of heavy-gauge forming, injection and blow molding, twin sheet forming, and thin gauge thermoforming.
Dordan is in Minneapolis at MD&M, a part of Advanced Manufacturing. In addition to displaying its thermoformed medical packaging, Dordan's booth is staffed by veterans in the thermoforming industry with decades of experience in package design and manufacturing.
Dordan is exhibiting its medical packaging at MD&M Minneapolis (October 10th-11th), booth #2738.
Minneapolis, MN, Oct. 10-11th, 2023-- Dordan Manufacturing, a designer and manufacturer of medical packaging like device and catheter trays, surgical/procedural kits, sub-component assembly trays, and more, to exhibit at MD&M Minneapolis, booth #2738. MD&M is the region's most comprehensive medical design and manufacturing conference, with hot topics including cardiovascular, 3D printing, and robotics.
Dordan is a full service thermoform packaging supplier of clamshells, blisters and trays with in house design, tooling, thermoforming, and cleanroom manufacturing of medical packaging. ISO 9001 certified, we have a structured and documented approach to all services, including the sales process. Here transparency and consistency allow for the development of custom thermoformed packaging that meets our customers' expectations for performance, price, and lead time. What follows are the steps taken for managing new thermoformed packaging projects at Dordan.
Thermoformed medical packaging is made by using pressure and vacuum to push malleable plastic into a CNC machined aluminum tool. While the design of the package is critical, the development of the thermoform tooling is paramount to the production of high-quality parts.
Dordan's medical tray packaging on display at MD&M in Anaheim
Thermoformed medical packaging, like medical device trays, blisters, kits, and assembly trays, can be manufactured in a cleanroom or standard production facility. The main difference is that cleanrooms are sterile, controlled environments, where airborne particulate is monitored, and bio burden agents mitigated.
The cost of cleanroom medical packaging exceeds that of standard production packaging because one is investing in quantifiable assurance that the thermoformed package will meet the requirements for medical device safety and efficacy.
In order to provide a sterile environment for manufacturing medical packaging, investments in new equipment, materials and procedures must be made; understanding these helps provide guidance when deciding which manufacturing environment is appropriate for your medical device or product.
Dordan's ISO class 8 cleanroom for thermoforming medical packaging
Dordan Manufacturing is profiled alongside other manufacturers in a promo video from the Mchenry County Economic Development Corporation. The MCEDC works to position the county, which is located about 60-miles northwest of Chicago, IL., as the ideal place to live and work.
Dordan Manufacturing is a full service packaging designer and manufacture of thermoformed packaging solutions like clamshells, dunnage trays, and medical packaging. We have in house package design, prototyping, tooling, thermoforming, and cleanroom manufacturing.
Dordan is a third generation, privately held family company based outside Chicago that has been manufacturing custom thermoformed packaging since 1962. Get a short overview of our products and services below.
Third-generation siblings and owners, Chandler (left) and Aric Slavin
Medical device trays protect and keep clean medical devices. When sealed to Tyvek lidding and sterilized, medical trays and blisters maintain the safety and efficacy of the device. Here are the main design considerations when developing medical device packaging.
Thermoformed dunnage trays protect, secure, and orient products during automated or manual part assembly, shipping, and storage. While each plastic dunnage tray is custom designed, there are shared design features. These include: Tray size/parts per tray; stack & rotate, denests, and hand access design features; automation; and material type and thickness.
The function of medical packaging is to maintain the safety and efficacy of medical devices and can come in many forms. The two most popular are thermoformed trays with Tyvek lidding and Tyvek pouches. Thermoformed packaging for medical devices offers enhanced product protection, security, organization; and, facilitates a positive end-user opening experience when compared to pouches.
Dordan is a designer and manufacturer of medical packaging like medical device trays, blisters, clamshells, and handling trays. Below are photos of our work with details on design features, application, and material type.
Register to attend Medical Design and Manufacturing (MD&M) in Anaheim, CA, Feb. 7-9th for free with Dordan's exhibitor complimentary registration code.
To register, click here, and enter our promo code, MYGUEST335.
MD&M West is the premier west coast event for the medical industry, bringing together thought leaders from across the supply chain to discuss trends, opportunities, and challenges in the medtech space.
Dordan Manufacturing designs and manufacturers thermoformed packaging for the medical industry, specializing in medical tray and blister packaging, surgical and procedural kits, and dunnage trays for shipping and/or automated assembly operations.
Please visit us at MD&M West, booth #335. We'll be displaying over 30 new medical packaging products and hope to provide insight to attendees on how to develop thermoformed medical packaging.
Anaheim, CA, February 7-9th—Dordan Manufacturing, a medical packaging designer and manufacturer, to educate MD&M West attendees on what to know when developing thermoformed medical packaging in an interactive display of over 30 new medical packaging designs, booth #335.
Dordan is a 60-years-old thermoforming company that committed to manufacturing packaging for sterile medical products and devices in 2018 with the certification of its ISO Class 8 cleanroom. Since this and while weathering COVID, Dordan was able to develop dozens of new thermoformed medical packaging solutions for an array of medical device OEM’s and their supply chain partners.
The medical packaging types to be on display at Dordan’s booth #335 include: Medical device trays for heat sealing; medical blisters and automation considerations; surgical and procedural kits; and, sub-component medical assembly trays for automated and manual handling operations.
Show attendees are encouraged to interact with Dordan’s packaging and booth staff to learn about medical packaging materials and thicknesses, critical design features, tooling and manufacturing capabilities, and quality control requirements.
Dordan President & CEO, Daniel Slavin, comments:
“We are excited to display our new medical packaging at MD&M West and hope that show attendees will take advantage of our 60 years of thermoforming experience to gain insight into how to develop thermoformed medical packaging.”
Dordan's CMO Chandler Slavin-Bond displays a medical device tray at Dordan's booth at MD&M in 2019.
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Dordan Manufacturing is a full service custom thermoformer of medical packaging with in house package design and engineering, tooling, plastics thermoforming, and cleanroom manufacturing of medical packaging. Dordan is ISO 9001:2015 Certified with Cleanrooms meeting ISO 14644 Air Cleanliness Standards.
Medical Design and Manufacturing West is a conference and expo held in Anaheim, CA, February 7-9, 2023. It works to bring together decision makers across the medical supply chain to foster collaboration and innovation.
Dordan Manufacturing has been nominated for the McHenry County Economic Development Corporation's (MCEDC) Business Champion Awards!
The MCEDC is a private/public partnership that works to support and develop the economic vitality of McHenry County, which includes 10 cities located in the greater Northern Illinois region.
Dordan was nominated for the award by anonymous members of the local business community and has since been reviewed by an independent board of business and educational professionals. The Business Champion Award recipient will be announced at MCEDC's Annual Gala on November 1st.
When asked what makes Dordan different during the nominee screening process, President & CEO Daniel Slavin comments:
"We are a third generation family owned and privately held company. Since 1962, Dordan has made continuous investments to allow for sustainable, long-term growth. This is contrary to the plastics industry, which has witnessed market consolidation fueled by private equity, favoring short-term results over long-term growth. As a privately held company, Dordan maintains the corporate culture, values, and priorities of its founding; and, is able to focus 100% on its core capabilities of package design and custom thermoforming. This is in opposition to those entities resulting from M&As that re-prioritize and modify products and services to gain more market share, compromising quality and reputation."
On October 19th, Dordan celebrated its 60th anniversary, making 2022 a special year for the custom thermoforming company. To meet the growing demands of its customer base, Dordan hired another packaging engineer and quality control technician to support the company's engineering and quality control departments.
Looking ahead to 2023, Daniel explains that the company has committed to achieving ISO 13485 certification for medical product and component manufacturing. As an existing supplier of medical tray packaging with an ISO class 8 cleanroom, Dordan’s dedication to implementing this new quality management system reflects its adherence to long term and sustainable growth. The certification will allow for increased market penetration, further positioning the thermoformer as a premier medical packaging manufacturer.
Dordan is grateful for the opportunity to be considered as this year's Business Champion and eagerly awaits the award ceremony. Pictures to follow!
Siblings and company principals, Chandler and Aric, in front of Dordan Manufacturing
Dordan Manufacturing, a custom thermoformer of packaging, gears up this week as its 60th anniversary fast approaches. Daily games reward winners with tokens of the company's affection, like gift cards and baskets. The anniversary on October 19th and the following celebrations are timely, as all need a period of levity after this years' manufacturing challenges.
Below are some photos from the daily festivities. There are many smiling faces, so enjoy!
Quality Manager holds spinner for Tooling Technician to determine his good fortune.
Dordan GM prepares to draw the winning raffle ticket
Dordan Manufacturing is based in Woodstock, IL. Local newspaper, the Woodstock Independent, published an article that highlights the custom thermoformer's progression over the last 60-years.
The Northwest Herald, a McHenry County based publication, likewise published an article about Dordan's 60th anniversary, available here.
Dordan is a packaging design and manufacturing company that is third-generation family-owned and operated. Dordan began in Chicago, moving to Woodstock, IL, in the mid 1990s. The thermoforming company specializes in developing packaging like plastic trays, blisters, and clamshells, for the automotive, electronics, medical, and consumer end markets.
Dordan has been designing custom thermoformed packaging since 1962, manufacturing packaging for electronics, automotive, medical, and consumer products. Over the last 60 years, market demands for thermoformed packaging have evolved in response to larger economic shifts and technological advancements. As a custom thermoformer, Dordan has evolved alongside these market shifts, as shown by the images below. Enjoy your walk through thermoforming time!
Woodstock, IL—October 19th, 2022—Family-owned plastics thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, celebrates 60 years of business as a packaging designer and manufacturer.
Dordan's CEO and President, Daniel Slavin, brings nearly 50-years of experience in custom thermoforming to this interview with Plastics Today.
Thermoform tooling is the metal tool (and other machined components) that forms heated plastic into clamshells, blisters, and trays. ‘Stock’ tooling means that the tool has already been made, is owned by the thermoformer, and the parts produced are of no customization. Examples of stock packaging include simple plastic blisters and clamshells with basic dimensions and generic cavities. Stock packaging is popular in the food and retail facing markets. There is typically no cost associated with stock tooling, aside from set up charges.
Woodstock, IL-- 60-year old custom thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, hires a new packaging engineer, quality control inspector, and account executive to meet the growing demands of its customers. These new hires join some who have been at Dordan for decades, bringing new enthusiasm that marries well with the insight and experience of the legacy employees. While aging manufacturers struggle with the generational divide, 3rd-generation Dordan has found success attracting new talent by continuous investment in itself-- the people, processes, and equipment.
Plastics thermoforming seems rather straight-forward: You take heated plastic sheet, push it into and pull it over a CNC-machined tool, and then die cut the formed part from the plastic 'web'. While these fundamentals exist for all thermoformers, where they differ is in their commitment to quality.
In its most basic form, the degree to which a thermoformer strives to control the movement of the plastic throughout the conversion process demonstrates the company's commitment to quality. Be it by making a package that challenges the limitations of thermoforming, or developing complex tooling to hold tigher-than-standard tolerances, quality thermoformers strive for continuous improvement. However, it is not just equipment, technology, and talent that assists in these efforts; but also, a robust quality management system that is the blueprint off which all plans are drawn and executed.
Dordan is a custom thermoforming company that specializes in the design and manufacturer of high quality packaging, like dunnage trays for automation and medical tray packaging. With all design, tooling, manufacturing, and cleanroom thermoforming in house, Dordan is a nimble supplier that utilizes its ISO 9001: 2015 certified QMS to support its core capabilities of package design and manufacturing excellence.
Below are technical briefs on our engineering, tooling, thermoforming, and cleanroom manufacturing capabilities. You can download these tech briefs here.
When determining the appropriate material thickness for thermoformed packaging, one needs to consider the trade offs between performance and cost. Typically, the thicker the plastic, the more expensive the package. Thus, many strive to use the thinnest ‘starting gauge’—that is, the thickness of the plastic sheet before its thermoformed into a package. This approach, however, can beckon impediments to the form, fit, and function of the packaging.
It is easier to build a house from scratch then renovate an existing model. By understanding four fundamentals of the thermoforming process, packaging can be designed with a strong foundation, saving time and money.
Dordan is a custom packaging thermoformer, so all pricing is based on specific project requirements. That being said, there are shared pricing indicators implicit in all medical packaging quotes. These include package size, material type and thickness, order quantity, tooling, quality control, and production environment requirements (cleanroom vs. standard). The below content is available via PDF download.
I sat down with the Manufacturing Alliance Podcast creator and producer, Tony Demakis, to discuss sustainable packaging in an hour-long podcast that aired last month. Topics covered include life cycle analysis, the New Plastics Economy, ocean trash, and more.
Every year, I put together a 'best of' list that recognizes the content which was most interesting to our followers. Scored by opens, views, clicks, and more, below is Dordan's most popular content.
Plastics in Packaging magazine published my new article on the history of thermoform tooling in its 20th Anniversary Special Supplement. This supplement is not available online for free, but I received permission from the editor to post my article here. Continue below to learn how thermoformed packaging was manufactured before machines and computers talked to each other.
All engineers understand that designing a package is one thing, and manufacturing it is another. By enlisting a thermoformer that has in house packaging engineers, product manufacturers can share, or completely outsource, the responsibility of developing the thermoform package to those highly-skilled in design-for-manufacturing methodologies. In doing so, timelines are condensed and unforeseen costs mitigated, because thermoforming engineers are able integrate the challenges and opportunities inherent in the manufacturing process into the packaging developmental process.
On Tuesday, August 30th, Dordan joined four other women-owned or operated manufacturing companies at a round table discussion with Congress Representative, Lauren Underwood, and USTR Ambassador, Katherine Tai.
The super tall guy to my left is Julian, my NEPHEW. This picture was taken at MDM in CA a few weeks back. He just moved into sales after working in QC, prior to which, he spent a few years in the plant learning the nitty-gritty of thermoforming. It's official: I'm old (-ish). 😏
Easily digest our whole website with these bite-sized servings. The tasting menu includes:
→Company history, 1962-present
→Package design/engineering, tooling, and thermoforming capabilities
→ISO 9001:2015 certified QMS with ISO Class 8 certified cleanroom
→Facility overview and process flow
The menu is available for download here. *Vegan and Gluten-free substitutions available.
MDM West (Anaheim, CA, Aug. 10-12) is the premier medical device design and manufacturing event, bringing together leaders in medtech, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, and more.
Get 20% off attendee registration with promo code MYGUEST. Click here to register.
Anaheim, CA, August 10-12th —Dordan Manufacturing, a custom designer and manufacturer of thermoformed medical packaging, to giveaway medtech-themed, temporary tattoos at MDM West, booth #2856.
Woodstock's Chamber of Commerce's celebrated its city's retailers, manufacturers, leaders, volunteers, non-profits and more at its Annual Awards Gala at the Woodstock Opera House last week.
Dordan was nominated for manufacturer of the year by the community for manufacturing plastic face shields for healthcare workers, reported here by the Woodstock Independent. While Dordan did not win 😔, our most sincere congratulations to winner, Rush Creek Distilling, for retrofitting their operations to provide hand sanitizer to combat the spread of COVID. Fellow Nominees included:
My new Packaging Digest article discusses how to develop automation to successfully handle thermoformed dunnage trays for parts assembly.
COVID halted business travel, including trade shows and conventions. Dordan has not exhibited since 2019, but looks forward to showing off its new medical packaging at MD&M West (Anaheim, CA, August 10-12, 2021).
In the meantime, visit Dordan's digital booth, in this product photo gallery.
Step inside third-generation and family-owned custom thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, in this photo slideshow.
My long-time sustainability friend and champion, Sean Sabre, compiled a list of the most influential women in supply chains in appreciation of International Women's Day. I was honored to be among profiled. I am going to pay it forward, and recognize the women in manufacturing who I admire.
Watch this video for an introductory discussion of sterile medical packaging types, supply chain scenarios, quality considerations, and pricing structures. Video script pasted below.
The face shield that Dordan fashioned for Woodstock Willie in preparation of Groundhogs Day was featured in Plastics News, alongside other plastics manufacturers that are helping their communities during the pandemic. While Dordan's efforts pale in comparison to the others profiled in the article, we're glad that we were able to offer some humor to our community, along with the readers of Plastics News.
Here's some pop culture trivia for you:
Dordan's Woodstock, IL, is the 'Punxsutawney' of Bill Murray's 1993 classic, Groundhog Day. Every year, Woodstock celebrates this legacy by reliving the movie's events, which commence with the Groundhog's prognostication and continues through the day. Read more about Woodstock's social-distancing Groundhog Day in this Woodstock Independent article.
Dordan has celebrated nearly 60 years of Christmas together. This year, we want to celebrate the blessings of the last ten, to offer hope and inspiration for the next decade. In looking back, we recall Kierkegaard's saying that "life is lived forward, but understood backwards"; never has this rung so true as we reflect on 2020.
Medical Plastics News Magazine published my new article on how hospitals can save money, while working towards a circular economy, by recycling medical tray packaging.
Learn how clamshell packaging became recyclable in this new video. All packaging can be recycled; it just requires work, time, investment, and collaboration. Make your packaging recyclable, too, by working with all stakeholders to isolate the challenges in order to develop the solutions.
Check out my new video on plastics ocean pollution to learn where it comes from and why so we can stop the spread. Transcript with corresponding references and citations below.
There are two standard formats for medical packaging, pouches and thermoformed trays. Thermoformed trays offer product protection and orientation, workflow organization (if a procedural kit), and ease and grace of opening. Pouches provide a sterile barrier, but do not provide the same structural protection to medical products, nor do they offer a controlled opening experience, when compared with thermoformed trays.
Dordan thermoformed ALGIX's algae plastic in 2010, as part of its sustainable plastics research. The material was comprised of 15% algae, 85% PP. The algae acted as a filler, reducing the amount of plastic needed per application.
COVID-19 presents many challenges to communities and businesses. Lack of PPE for healthcare workers became one, of many, problems facing America. Upon discovery of these inadequacies, makers, small and large, rallied to produce the critical supply:
McHenry Country web series, Stronger Together, interviews governmental leaders, business owners, community champions and more about life during COVID-19. In sharing these stories of hope, Stronger Together works to create a digital space of unity for the community.
The first half-of-a-million face shields that Dordan produced were for hospitals. During that time, we were contacted by many small businesses and manufacturers that did not need thousands of shields, but a few hundred. Because these shields were being manufactured to fill a custom order, we were unable to sell to the smaller firms looking to procure face shields for their employees returning to work.
Real Woodstock is a public relations campaign that works to generate interest in Woodstock, IL, to encourage tourism and commerce. Few know all that Woodstock has to offer and why one should live and work here, so Real Woodstock has become that mouthpiece.
Dordan Manufacturing is donating disposable plastic face shields with an adjustable plastic headband strap and foam forehead strip. Face shields act as splash guards, reducing contact with aerosol propellants of bodily fluids. Face shields are worn to protect against exposure to COVID-19.
Local newspaper, The Woodstock Independent, reports on Dordan's efforts to manufacture plastic face shields for healthcare workers fighting against the spread of COVID-19.
Chicago, IL --March 30, 2020-- Custom thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, to manufacture plastic face shields for healthcare personnel nationwide to help combat the spread of COVID-19. Collaborating with four other Chicagoland manufactures, Dordan begins production of face shield lenses early April and anticipates providing 500K/month.
Dordan is also now offering the fully assembled face shields to retailers, healthcare supply chains, and others working to combat the spread of Coronavirus.
With the completion of its in house ISO Class 8 cleanroom, custom thermoformer Dordan Manufacturing is offering medical packaging solutions. Dordan has been designing and manufacturing custom thermoformed packaging since 1962. This addition of medical packaging to its product portfolio demonstrates how the family-owned thermoforming company continues to evolve to meet the changing demands of the plastic packaging market.
Step inside Dordan’s Cleanroom for Manufacturing Medical Packaging with an Interactive Video @MD&M
Bill Murray's 1993 Groundhog Day was filmed in Woodstock, IL, which is where Dordan Manufacturing is located. Woodstock has long prided itself on being the setting of Punxsutawney, commemorating its role in the movie with week-long Groundhog Day celebrations. This year was particularly exciting, because Bill Murray HIMSELF was in Woodstock filming a Jeep commercial that aired during the Super Bowl on Sunday. You can learn more about his visit to Woodstock here.
Anaheim, CA—February 11-13, 2020—Dordan Manufacturing, a custom thermoform packaging designer and manufacturer, brings its expertise on sustainable packaging to MD&M West attendees, booth# 348.
While Dordan has made significant investment this year to provide continuous process improvements, 60-years of business has taught us that it is not just the infrastructure of a company that determines its success; its also the people.
As 2019 draws to a close, we'd like to take this opportunity to reflect on all that has happened at Dordan this year. Below are Dordan's 12 most notable developments in the last 12 months.
Packaging Digest reports on Dordan's new cleanroom in, "New cleanroom enables sterile medical packaging capabilities." Author Kate Bertrand writes:
Minneapolis, MN—October 23, 2019—Custom thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, to debut its ISO Class 8 Cleanroom for producing medical packaging in an exclusive video at MD&M, booth #2417. MD&M Minneapolis is the largest med tech event in the Midwest, bringing together experts across the supply chain for a two-day, three-track educational workshop and expo.
Industry publication, Plastics Today, visited Dordan for an exclusive look inside it's new cleanroom for the manufacture of medical packaging.
My understanding of climate change is always evolving. While fundamental changes in agriculture, transportation, energy, and consumer behavior are necessary to reduce the generation of greenhouse gases, I know little of what technologies exist, in the near future, to "turn the tide on climate change."
Enter Project Vesta, a not-for-profit that is working to accelerate Earth's natural long-term carbon cycle that removes CO2 from the atmosphere through a chemical reaction between volcanic rock, CO2, and water, with green beaches! And when I say green, I mean literally, green.
Berkeley Lab discovers a new plastic that can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its quality, thereby changing the economics of recycling.
Check out my new Packaging Digest article to learn about the discovery of PDK and how it offers a solution to pollution.
Above: Time-lapse video of PDK dissolving into original monomers
60-year old custom thermoforming company, Dordan Manufacturing, is now offering cleanroom-produced, medical packaging solutions, like device tray packaging and procedural and surgical kits.
NPR published an article this week, "Plastic Has a Big Carbon Footprint-- But That Isn't The Whole Story."
Dordan is based in Woodstock, IL-- the setting for Bill Murray's Groundhog Day; a cultural oasis for artists, musicians, and entrepreneurs alike, 50-miles outside Chicago.
The Woodstock Independent is the community newspaper, which just published an article on Dordan's move into medical packaging. Titled "Entering the Next Industrial Age," the article ties together Dordan's recent investments in cleanroom thermoforming and Industry 4.0 technologies to further extend its core capabilities of custom design and manufacturing excellence to the medical device industry.
For many small and medium sized manufacturers, the principles of the Fourth Industrial Revolution are abstract. Terms like interconnectivity, IoTT, customization, flexible automation, AI/machine learning, and Big Data are routinely referenced in the corresponding rhetoric. Yet, many don’t understand how these technologies can be applied to existing operations and systems to manifest the prescribed benefits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. While improving quality, increasing productivity, and reducing waste has always driven manufacturers’ business decisions, when viewed through the principals of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a more elegant approach is provided. Smart factories don’t have to be fully automated, fancy factories of the future; instead, an evolution of existing equipment and processes married with thoughtful investment in new technologies and talent.
Dordan Manufacturing has been designing custom thermoformed packaging since 1962.
In that time, we have developed a proprietary process for developing thermoform designs. Formalized within our ISO certified quality management system, Dordan's design process facilitates the production of highly-engineered and high-quality thermoforms that meet our customers' expectations in quick turnaround at competitive pricing. Gain insight into our ISO certified thermoform design process, 60-years in the making, below.
Medical Plastics News featured Dordan in its new article, "Thermoforming player expands into medical device arena."
Packaging Digest's new article, "Nike's new Green Lobster shoe box tests thermoforming limits," narrates the challenges that Dordan overcame in the design and manufacture of limited-edition packaging for the debut of Concepts x Nike SB collectable sneakers.
Thank you for your interest in Dordan Manufacturing, a custom thermoformer since 1962. Each year our digital footprint grows: Our blog, viewed by just a few-hundred people in 2009 is today seen by over 30,000. Our website traffic has increased 25% this year compared to last, bringing our unique visits to roughly 125,000. We have grown our social media following to 1,500 on Twitter and 2,000 on LinkedIn.
My grandmother and Dordan co-founder, Ellena Vivian Slavin, passed away on August 19th; she would have been 103-years-old Christmas Day.
Trade publication Plastics News reports on Dordan's move into medical packaging in a December 4th feature by Jim Johnson:
What follows is the first post in my new series on medical device design and manufacturing; this content is the result of attendance at MD&M Minneapolis (Oct 31-Nov 1).
November 13, 2018—Woodstock, IL—Dordan Manufacturing, a full-service custom thermoform designer and manufacturer, proceeds with building an onsite and fully enclosed hardwall construction ISO Class 8 Cleanroom for the production of medical device packaging solutions.
My family company, Dordan Manufacturing, has been designing and thermoforming plastic packaging and product solutions for almost 60 years. Our core capabilities, which we have refined over the years, are design and thermoforming excellence. We are not your typical mom and pop shop; we employ the highest quality and most sophisticated technologies, equipment, software, and talent, which allow us to cater to a variety of quality-critical end-markets.
After years of controlled pricing in the PET/RPET resin and sheet market, recent upsets to the global supply chain have resulted in substantial price increases. Dordan Manufacturing President & CEO Daniel Slavin shares his 45+ year of thermoforming industry experience to help contextualize this unprecedented upswing in material pricing and lead-times; and, what Dordan is doing to combat these increases:
Chicago, IL, Oct. 14-17—Dordan Manufacturing, a custom thermoformer of plastic packaging and product solutions like dunnage/WIP trays, functional components, and insert trays, clamshells, and blisters, to debut ISO Class 8 Cleanroom thermoforming capabilities at PACK EXPO International.
Plans to attend PACK EXPO International in Chicago, Oct. 14-17? Register for free with Dordan's complimentary code.
"Bio-based," "biodegradable," "compostable," "recyclable," "recycled"; what do these terms actually mean? Educate yourself with Dordan's Sustainable Packaging Summary.
Part 1: Introduction
June 2018—Woodstock, IL—Dordan Manufacturing, a custom thermoformer of plastic clamshells, blisters, trays, and components, unveils a new website Monday that offers simplicity, corporate transparency, and ease-of-use. Elegantly functional, the website is an extension of Dordan’s brand, which differentiates itself by staying true to its core capabilities of thermoform design and manufacturing excellence.
Learn how reusable packaging platform Cleanyst intends to revolutionize the health and cleaning products industries in my new article for Packaging Digest. Titled "Cleanyst: The Intersection of Sustainability and Ecommerce," this article describes how consumers can make anything from surface cleaner to shampoo at home via concentrates and a mixing appliance, reducing water weight and packaging materials throughout the supply chain.
Check out my latest article for Packaging Digest, "Regenerative Packaging Puts the Cherry on Top of Sustainability"; this describes the concept of regenerative products, which James Connelly, VP of Products and Strategy at the International Living Future Institute, describes as those products that result in a net-zero or net-positive environmental impact over their life-cycle. Connelly is to keynote sustainable packaging conference SPC Impact in San Francisco later this month, and plans to educate attendees on what's possible with sustainable packaging when viewed through the regenerative products paradigm.
Woodstock, IL—March 2018—Dordan Manufacturing, a custom thermoformer of plastic packaging, is ISO 9001:2015 certified for the design, manufacture, and distribution of thermoformed products and packaging. Building on the Quality Management System of the ISO 9001:2008 Standards, which emphasize continued process improvement through monitoring, measuring, and analyzing Dordan’s ability to satisfy its customers, the 2015 Standards incorporate risk-based thinking as a means to continuously improve the value of it’s products and services.
Dordan was featured in the Real Woodstock, a campaign dedicated to promoting Woodstock, IL, as the ideal place to visit, relocate, live, and start a business.
Check out my new article for Packaging Digest on Litterati, a crowdsource clean-up model, titled, "How Brands can Capitalize on Cleaning the Planet." Litterati Founder & CEO Jeff Kirschner to keynote sustainable packaging conference SPC Impact (San Fran, April 24-26), where yours truly will be reporting, on behalf of Packaging Digest. I hope to see you there!
Dordan is a full-service thermoform designer and manufacturer of custom packaging solutions like plastic clamshells, blisters, insert trays, dunnage trays, and medical packaging. Therefore, all pricing is based on specific project requirements. There are, however, shared pricing indicators that are implicit in all thermoforming quotes. These include: material type and thickness, run quantity, part size/design, tooling, and quality control requirements.
The last few years I have had the pleasure of attending sustainable packaging conference SustPack as a writer and reporter for Packaging Digest. This year, SustPack has evolved into two different sustainable packaging conferences: SPC Impact (San Francisco), produced by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, and Sustainability in Packaging (Chicago), produced by Smithers Pira. Packaging Digest has partnered exclusively with the SPC for their spring conference, SPC Impact; so, I get to go to San Fran to report from the front lines of sustainable packaging!!!
As we approach 2018, it's time to look back on our most popular content of 2017, as demonstrated through views, clicks, likes, shares, and downloads. Thank you for your interest in Dordan this year; we look forward to continuing to engage you with content in 2018.
Dordan has been in Woodstock, IL, since the early 90s, but just became aware of it's Christmas Clearing House this year. Produced by the Woodstock Rotary Club, Christmas Clearing House is an impressive operation that delivers toys and meals to over 1,000 families, children, and elders in Woodstock and Wonder Lake. Hundreds of volunteers donate their time to the organization and execution of Christmas Clearing House, which ensures that no family goes with out a Merry Christmas.
Check out my new article for Packaging Digest, "How to expand recycling of PET thermoform packaging in Europe" for an update on thermoform recycling in the EU. It begins,
Dordan is a full-service thermoform designer and manufacturer. Because we have complete control over the design and production of thermoformed packaging, our approach to package design is collaborative, leveraging our engineering, production, and quality control expertise.
Woodstock, IL—October 25th, 2017—Custom thermoforming company Dordan Manufacturing, of Woodstock, IL, celebrates its 55th anniversary with the implementation of robotics, marking yet another milestone for this family-owned and operated business. Dordan hosts tour with the City of Woodstock to commemorate the occasion.
International PACK EXPO descended upon Las Vegas last week, where attendee interaction, virtual reality, and automation trended on the show floor. It's hard to think about my time in Las Vegas without thinking of the atrocities commited. My thoughts and prayers are with Las Vegas.
Woodstock, IL—October 3rd, 2017—Custom thermoforming company Dordan Manufacturing, in celebration of its 55th anniversary October 25th, hosts a tour with representatives from the City of Woodstock and Mayor Brian Sager. This is the first time Dordan has hosted a tour with the City of Woodstock since it moved to Woodstock from Chicago in the early 1990s.
Dear sustainable packaging friends,
Hello, my sustainable packaging friends!
Dordan Manufacturing is an engineering-based designer and manufacturer of custom thermoformed product and packaging solutions.
Hello, my sustainable packaging friends!
Hello, world!
I interviewed SUSTPACK17 keynote speaker Adam Montandon for an article I am writing on the presenter for Packaging Digest. He is a man of many trades, but his byline for the conference website lists Co-Founder of Factory of Imagination. After consulting the bios and abstracts of the various speakers lined up to present at SUSTPACK17, I had absolutely no idea what the Factory of Imagination was or why Adam was keynoting a sustainable packaging conference; hence, he became the first one on my "wish list" of interviewees. After an almost 2-hour Skype session with Adam, based in Denmark and originally from the UK, I can not WAIT to witness his presentation, which promises to be nothing like what I've seen at SUSTPACK before. Imagine strange, silly, and anything but boring.
Associate Professor of Product Design and Innovation at SDU in Denmark, Adam has given keynotes at many universities and events around the world, including: The Royal Institute of Science in London, Berkeley University in CA, Transmedial in Berlin, MipTV in Cannes, TEDxLinz in Australia, and many more.
He is a teacher, author, event organizer and producer, workshop extraordinaire and life-long advocate of how fun and business can, and should, intersect to create truly fascinating products and experiences.
Look out for the full interview in Packaging Digest, coming soon!
Above: Adam Montandon
Allysia Finley writes in "In California, 'Paper or Plastic?' Is Against the Law,"
Dordan is an engineering-centric designer and manufacturer of custom thermoformed product and packaging solutions like plastic clamshells, blisters, trays and thermoformed components.
Hello and happy 2017!
Hello, my sustainable packaging friends!
What would the impact on the environment and economy be if all plastic packaging were replaced with alternative materials, like paper?
Guys I have bummer news: We have cancelled the Sustainable Manufacturer Network Annual Conference because of low attendee registrants. Womp womp.
Good morning, my sustainable packaging peeps!
And what a GOOD morning it is! Why, you may ask?! Because we the plastics people finally got thrown a bone from environmental researchers, courtesy of a new study.
Hello my sustainable packaging friends!
Hay my sustainable packaging friends!
International Pack Expo is produced by PMMI, the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.
Hello!
Hello my sustainable packaging people!
Dordan is pleased to be included in Plastics News' Special Edition on Family Businesses!
Good morning, sustainable packaging friends!
Good morning my sustainable packaging friends!
Hello my sustainable packaging friends!
My sustainable packaging friends,
From our Dordan family to yours, Happy Holidays! Thank you for making 2015 another successful year, now 52 years experience designing and manufacturing custom thermoform product and packaging solutions.
As 2015 draws to a close, we want to take this time to reflect on highlights from the year. What was Dordan's most popular content: It's most viewed and shared blog posts, eblasts, tweets and more? What issues resonated loudest with our audience?
Whoa. Let's repeat: Dordan contributes 2 of 7 most read sustainable packaging articles for Packaging Digest in 2015?!? WHOA!!!
