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 The company's story began long before they were born, in 1895, in Chapel Hill, N.C. Back then, it was a mail order house that introduced home canning in tin cans with home pressure cooking. The company had a few different owners over the next few years, but the name and management has remained for 118 years, adapting to market changes and developing new products.
In 1934, the University of Georgia started a community canning project. Dixie saw the opportunity for a partnership and relocated to Athens, Georgia. During World War II the U.S. government used UGA's model to develop a War Food Program. At one point, there were 2,000 local canneries across the country. Dixie Canner was the only company that specialized in the equipment for the project. After the war, the United Nations Relief Administration bought and repurposed equipment for foreign relief efforts.
W.T. Stapleton went to work for Dixie in 1951. By 1961, he was President and majority stockholder. A true innovator, Chris, Ty & Parrish's grandfather saw the national trend toward a more industrial, less agrarian economy. W.T. sought out new markets and developed new equipment for those markets. But, savvy businessman that he was, he continued to develop and improve the low-volume, economical canning equipment.
 Dixie equipment is used in production facilities that will not accommodate higher-speed packaging lines, or the packaging and production process does not allow for high-speed application, or for which the cost of such equipment is not economically feasible. Dixie uses double-seam technology to hermetically seal products such as oil filters, electrical capacitors, riot grenades or food and beverage containers. The equipment is also used for specialized packaging and product development. Dixie Canner's equipment is operated in laboratories, pilot plants and production facilities, serving industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical, and petro and chemicals all over the world. W.T. Stapleton kept up his fresh approach to serving a wide variety of industries. He left in place a team of long-term, loyal employees who know the company inside and out. His son, Terry Stapleton, ensured Dixie's management team maintained its position in the industry. When Terry retired in 2011, the brothers came together to use skills honed in careers in other industries to bring Dixie Canner into the 21st century. Parrish focuses on marketing and sales. Chris has worked every job in the business, and is concentrating on operations. Ty is advising on the company's corporate identity. In keeping with Dixie's rich history of breaking new ground, the company's facilities will undergo a major upgrade by the end of 2013. That and other innovations underscore Dixie Canner's commitment to remaining the leader in quality products and resources to the packaging industry. |
