Orchid International was originally founded in Ontario, Canada in 1988 as Orchid Automation Group by company CEO Grant Bibby. In 1989, Bibby was joined by business partner and Co-CEO Steve Gruver. Both men shared similar engineering backgrounds including experience designing quick die change systems for the automotive industry.
Orchid experienced exponential growth through their hard work and effort, which led to the opening of a U.S. sales office in Brentwood, Tennessee in 1991. Orchid’s expertise in the stamping industry soon began to open doors to new opportunities for the company as a provider of stampings and assemblies to a variety of industries. Orchid was approached by a global appliance leader to automate one of their stamping facilities. Instead, Orchid submitted a proposal to become their supplier of stamped parts, which resulted in the opening of the Mount Juliet, Tennessee facility in 1994.
Soon after, the company name was changed from Orchid Automation Group to Orchid International to coincide with the expanded offering of stamped metal products, in addition to its growing automation equipment business, serving customers throughout North America and overseas.
In 1995, Orchid was once again approached to see if any interest existed in Orchid opening a stamping facility geographically situated along the U.S. - Mexico border. Shortly thereafter, Orchid opened the McAllen, Texas facility to supply lamination stamping and die cast motor products to a number of operations located in northern Mexico.
The years 1996 to 2004 proved to be a fruitful time for Orchid as automotive industry growth resulted in the openings of two satellite assembly facilities, the Markham, Ontario facility in 1998 and the Gordonsville, Tennessee facility in 2000. Both facilities were initially focused on automotive seating sub-assemblies and were later consolidated into Orchid’s larger regional facilities located in Newmarket, Ontario and Mount Juliet, Tennessee respectively.
By the summer of 2004, Orchid International made the strategic decision to exit the automation equipment business entirely to focus solely on metal stamping and assembly. The Monroe, Wisconsin facility came into the Orchid fold that same year as a supplier of lamination stampings and die cast motor components.
In 2009 with the global challenges in the automotive industry and the downturn in general economic conditions, Orchid elected to consolidate its manufacturing operations, focusing on its facilities located in Mount Juliet, Tennessee and Monroe Wisconsin. This strategy has proven to be very successful, and has provided renewed opportunities resulting in many sizeable new business awards.
Celebrating its history of metal forming excellence, Orchid International continues to explore additional opportunities to meet the growing needs of existing and potential customers in strategic areas throughout North America.
