Omega Celebrates 25 Years in the USA

Company News

May 4

Today we celebrate 25 years of excellence, a milestone achieved by only the most persistent and visionary companies in the world. Our 25th anniversary is a celebration of Omega’s legacy in Wisconsin, its long journey, who we are today and our exciting future ahead. In honor of our 25th year in business, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our past and share the history of why our anniversary is so important.

Omega Engineering was founded in 1989 by Ir. Herman J Oonk and Ir. William F Jense in the Netherlands. They started manufacturing Pillow Plates by using resistance spot welding. They used them as a major component in their Falling Film Chillers and Ice Banks. They soon began selling Heat Transfer Panels to manufacturers of storage tanks for the Food and Beverage industry.

It became clear to Omega that resistance spot and roll seam welding had drawbacks that were limiting their growth and the application of their product. They found little available welding equipment that would provide a quantum leap forward in welding technology. Being convinced that laser welding would provide what they needed, they acquired a Rofin Sinar laser and developed the first Welding System designed specifically to produce inflatable heat transfer surface.

By 1995, Omega Engineering’s business had grown to the extent that another more powerful Laser Welding System was necessary to meet production needs. They designed, manufactured and placed the new laser welder in service by early 1996.

As Omega continued to grow, they saw a great need in the USA for their laser plate heat exchangers. On May 4, 1998, Omega Thermo Products, LLC., was opened in Stratford, WI. The location in Central Wisconsin was to be centered in the middle of the large population of Dairy Farms that needed cooling tanks for their milk.

Omega Thermo Products started with a building that was 12,000 square feet and housed one laser welder. By 2010, the facility had increased in size to 36,000 square feet and housed three laser welders to meet the need for increased production. A year later, the first laser cutter was installed and allowed more in-house capabilities. In 2015, more square footage was added, and the fourth laser welder was installed. In 2021, a satellite office in Weston, WI, was opened to allow a broader talent pool for administrative staff. The office houses several engineers, sales and accounting personnel and significantly cuts down their commute time. Today, the Omega facility is 80,000 square feet, has six bays, two laser cutters and four laser welders. The newest laser cutter added in 2022 is one of the largest in North America.

Omega is constantly thriving to meet our customers’ demands and go to market in the most effective way possible. In 2021, Omega welcomed an outside sales representative force that were needing a laser welded heat exchanger line in the US and Canada. This consists of twenty seven Industrial reps, a Marine market rep as well as nine Refrigeration reps.

In 2017, a new division, Omega Metals, LLC., was established to allow more control over lead times, pricing and quality of the materials. Omega Metals houses a state-of-the-art cut-to-length de-coiling line and sheet polisher for stainless steel processing. The building is located next door to Omega Thermo Products in Stratford and allows for easy access to the laser welders and production team. Omega Metals always keeps roughly 400-500 thousand pounds of coil steel on hand to meet our customers’ needs. With this line, we can cut and polish to a precise width of 72” and 480” in length. All the material is Dual Certified and can be polished up to a #4 Dairy/Sanitary finish.

Omega USA is a third-generation family-owned company with Jordy Oonk as the president. Jordy was born and raised in the Netherlands where his grandfather, Herman, and his father, Harm-Jan, both ran Omega Engineering. Jordy moved to the US in 2008 to earn his bachelor’s degree in financial management and later took over the role as President. Omega has around 65 employees and is a proud supporter of the local Wisconsin community. Our main rule is to treat others as we would want to be treated, which applies to all our employees, reps, customers and suppliers. Our bottom line is that business associates are treated like family.

Celebrating 25 years of partnership, trust, and friendship. This is not just a corporate anniversary, it’s an anniversary of a family that grew stronger by overcoming challenges over the years. To our employees, past and present, thank you for the valuable hard work you put into each day. Your resilience, commitment and incredible talent have helped us make an important difference for our customers. Thank you to our customers who continue to select Omega as your provider of inflated laser welded heat exchangers. Thank you to our Representatives for your confidence in our team, our strategy and our future. Thank you to our vendors for supplying quality goods and services. Thank you to our local community, family and friends for supporting us through the years. We are grateful for the past, excited about the future, and humbled by the present.