Commodore is the only company in the world that manufactures polystyrene foam products as well as the machines that produce them.

Based in western New York, we are a customer-oriented business that has been owned by the Braddon family since 1981.

Why Choose Commodore?

Here's why companies from around the world have chosen to do business with us:

ONE STOP: No other company offers a one-stop shop in foam packaging and technology. We make foam products and the equipment to make foam products.

FAST: We help you cut the time to market by training your personnel in our plant before your new equipment arrives at your facility.

FLEXIBLE: Unlike larger manufacturers, we can act quickly to accommodate custom orders and ensure on-time delivery.

EXPERIENCED: We can answer any questions about your new equipment because we've been testing and improving it in our own foam plant for 25 years.

HIGH-QUALITY: Our industry-leading technology enables us to produce stronger, better-quality foam. '

OUR HISTORY

In 1981, George Braddon set out with
a clear goal in mind: to build a company that treated customers fairly and honestly and produced affordable, high-performance foam products.

Since then, Commodore has grown exponentially to become an industry-leader in technology development with customers around the world.

In the early years, Commodore produced a range of meat trays for grocery stores such as Wegmans, Tops and SM Flickinger. In an early sign of the innovation that would become our trademark, we soon began to offer the trays in a variety of colors, adding value to the product line and boosting sales.

Commodore began operations as a foam plant, but a short time after start-up we built a workshop next door where the Portco machines used in the plant could be maintained and rebuilt. One day Fred Schrafft, a Commodore sales executive, noticed the top-quality work going on in the workshop and had an idea: Why not offer those rebuilt machines for sale to customers? In 1988, a Gloucester extruder and two Portco thermoformers were sold to a customer in Puerto Rico, marking an important expansion for Commodore into the machine rebuilding market. Today Commodore remains the only company in the world that makes foam products and the equipment to produce them.

In the late 1980s, the company's foam production continued to grow. On the machine building side, Commodore began to design and build a range of thermoformers and patented tooling in addition to rebuilding machines.

In 1991 a disastrous fire destroyed the entire Commodore facility. Despite the setback, the machine rebuilding operation returned to production within a week, using rented equipment and a friendly workshop nearby. The foam plant partnered with another manufacturer to continue production during the rebuilding process, and within six months the entire facility had been rebuilt and reopened for business.

Demand for Commodore's foam products continued to rise, including a tray specially designed and produced for Mobil Chemical Co. In 1998, a second extruder and several new thermoformers were added to keep pace with the rising demand for Commodore foam products.

During the 1990s, the machine building division shifted focus away from the reconstruction of old machines to the design and construction of new thermoforming machines and molds. To that end, Commodore partnered with TEC to produce 2 ½ to 3 ½” extruders. In 1998, we formed an alliance with Berlyn to supply extruders and extruder sub-assemblies, which are then completed and commissioned by our Commodore team.

In recent years Commodore;s sales of foam products have continued to grow, now exceeding $16 million per year. Over the past 25 years, the company has built an international reputation as a supplier of affordable, high-performance foam products and foam-production machines that is second to none.

Yet the same principles on which the company was founded 25 years ago fairness, honesty, affordability and high-quality continue to guide us every day.

EXECUTIVE BIOS

GEORGE BRADDON II

Chairman

Commodore Plastics and Technology

George Braddon is the founder and chairman of Commodore Plastics and Technology. His 40 years in the plastics industry are the foundation for Commodore's success. George founded Commodore in 1981, after 15 successful years as a tooling and process engineer in Mobil's Plastics Division. Mobil was the first company to introduce polystyrene foam to the food service and food packaging industry. In the 1960s, Mobil developed the foam meat tray that replaced pulp trays. In the 1970s, Mobil developed the foam egg carton, hinged containers, plates and most of the foam food service containers that are still used today. George has continued that tradition of innovation for the last 25 years at Commodore. He holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester.

EIVIND RYNNING

Chief Executive Officer

Commodore Plastics and Technology

Eivind Rynning leads the day-to-day operations and directs the long-term vision of Commodore's Plastics and Technology divisions. As CEO, he travels extensively to visit current and potential Commodore customers. Eivind has more than 30 years of experience in operations and acquisitions for major international companies, specializing in the packaging field. He holds Masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Technical University of Norway, Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Chemical Engineering from the Rensselaer Institute of Technology. He also holds a Diploma in Contemporary Mexican Literature from the Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico. A Norwegian citizen and permanent U.S. resident, he is fluent in English, Spanish, German and the Scandinavian languages.

GEORGE (BRAD) BRADDON III

President

Commodore Technology

Brad Braddon leads Commodore's Technology Division. In that role, he oversees the company's production of foam-manufacturing equipment and works closely with its international customer base. Brad has been with Commodore since the company opened in 1981. He has worked nearly every job in the foam industry, from packing trays and running extrusion to overseeing a complete line of foam manufacturing equipment, including extrusion systems, thermoformers, grinders and tooling. Brad holds a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Rochester and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the William E. Simon School.

ROB McVEY

President

Commodore Plastics

Rob McVey leads Commodore's Plastics Division. He is responsible for the company's plastics packaging business, including sales and marketing, production and process engineering, finance and information technology. Rob is a chartered accountant with 15 years of experience in the packaging industry, including paper-based packaging (corrugated and pulp) and plastics. He has led numerous start-up ventures, acquisitions and turnarounds within the packaging industry. Rob holds a Bachelors degree in Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

JEFF BRADDON

Vice President Business Development

Commodore Plastics

Jeff Braddon oversees the network of customer and industry contacts for Commodore's Plastics Division. He has worked at Commodore since 1981, working nearly every job in the foam business, from production and maintenance to machine design and overseas installations. Jeff is the co-inventor of the A-tray, Commodore's patented absorbent tray. He holds a Bachelors degree in Engineering from the University of Rochester.