R.A Jones at 120: From Soap Advertising to Global Packaging Power

This evolution has created a portfolio that now includes both high-speed machinery to serve what have traditionally been large manufacturers and entry-level solutions to serve small, medium-sized, and growing businesses.

“We’re using innovation not just to create new technologies, but also to make our solutions more accessible,” Titterton explains. “Historically, R.A Jones was known as a high-end player, but we’re driving innovation to bring our same value and reliability to regional customers and co-packers who might not have been able to afford an R.A Jones machine in the past.”

Typically, projects are built with an eye on the future, leveraging engineering expertise and customer collaboration to drive new product developments. For example, the Alterion CL-170 is designed with scalability in mind. This machine can be easily updated with product transfer modules, allowing it to grow in response to increased production needs. The company’s adherence to PackML and OMAC standards also ensures machines are flexible, future-proof, and integration-ready.

From order to out the door

In line with lean principles, R.A. Jones utilizes modular build cells to minimize lead times and employs an advanced Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process that synchronizes build scheduling of machines to forecasts of customer delivery schedules. Once a purchase order is placed, customers are assigned a dedicated project manager who oversees each step of the process through delivery.

Each project is backed by an engineering and applications team comprising over 80 in-house engineers with an average tenure of 16 years or more, and the collective experience of over 9,000 machines installed.

“The real difference with R.A Jones is that we’re not in it for the short term,” says Titterton. “We don’t celebrate a new machine order—we celebrate that we’ve earned a customer we’ll support for the next 20 years. That long-term commitment to service and partnership is what defines us.”

In an effort to ensure extended collaboration, the company’s rigorous Factory Acceptance Testing (FAT) includes induced fault testing and extensive product and material testing schedules prior to the customer’s FAT. R.A Jones also runs a 50+ Point machine inspection/audit checklist in addition to adhering to customer-specific FAT requirements, multi-day FAT machine performance and product changeover schedules, before customer sign-off and shipping.

Customer service is a longstanding hallmark of R.A Jones, with more than 40 field service personnel in the U.S. conducting in-the-field training. In addition to training, Coesia’s North America Customer Service Hub offers machine and line audits, service agreements, OEE consulting, preventative maintenance kits, spare parts, upgrades and modernizations. Coesia’s global network of engineers, technicians, and customer service professionals also allows R.A Jones to provide native-language support as needed.

Supporting the industry, building for the future

As a longtime PMMI member, R.A Jones has taken full advantage of its membership well beyond its active participation in the PACK EXPO portfolio of trade shows. Employees throughout the company take part in PMMI programs, from emerging leaders who participate in the Young Professional Network’s Leadership Development Program all the way up to the C-suite, where Titterton is a former two-term member of the PMMI Board of Directors (2015 to 2021) and current member of the PMMI Strategic Planning Committee.

In 2019, R.A Jones hosted PMMI’s Annual Meeting and welcomed attendees into a full tour of its Covington headquarters. An avid supporter of workforce development, the organization is also an advocate for the PMMI Foundation through the PMMI U Skills Fund, which supports local high schools and students. R.A Jones field service technicians are also PMMI certified via PMMI’s Certified Trainer Workshops.

Titterton and R.A Jones take advantage of as many PMMI programs as possible, seeing the association as a true ally of the packaging and processing industry.

“We gather a lot of intelligence from PMMI [via the Annual Meeting, Executive Leadership Conference, and PMMI Business Intelligence] that we use to help guide decisions,” says Titterton. “We’ve sent several of our emerging managers through PMMI’s leadership programs, and we’re deeply invested in workforce development. It’s not just about our company’s future—it’s about bringing the next generation into manufacturing and packaging.”

As R.A Jones marks its 120th year, the company remains firmly rooted in the inventive spirit of its founder while evolving to meet the demands of a rapidly changing industry. From pioneering soap packaging to advancing automation, its legacy is built on anticipating customer needs and delivering reliable, scalable solutions.

With Coesia’s global backing, a culture of engineering excellence, and a deep commitment to workforce development, R.A Jones is not just celebrating its past—it’s shaping the future of packaging innovation for generations to come.