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Sabee had developed a reputation throughout the paper and
related industries as an innovator. He
has been known not only for what the machines are capable of producing, but also
for their ease of operation. They
were designed to be operated by workers with a minimum of skill and training,
rather than requiring the attention of an engineer, which is not uncommon
elsewhere in the converting industry. Product innovation and machine design have gone hand in
hand for Sabee. For example, he
developed a softer, more conformable disposable diaper.
Sabee patented such a convenience product in the early 1950s.
He holds patents on many forms of disposable diaper constructions. For several years, The R. Sabee Company designed and
produced manufacturing machinery for other companies, including some of the
biggest corporations in the country. Several
companies have been licensed under Sabee patents, and the firm has a reputation
for solving manufacturing problems. Reinhardt Sabee founded The R. Sabee Company in Appleton in
1951. The company headquarters is
still located at the original 230 Linwood Avenue location. Sabee also holds patents on techniques for creating so
called spun-bonded fabrics. This is
one of the materials used in the manufacture of disposable health-care products,
which have come to form an increasingly important segment of the market.
In the early 1950s The R. Sabee Company began to take
direct advantage of its founder’s facility for design and initiated the
manufacture of products other than machinery, disposable diapers among them. The development of spun-bonded fabrics allowed the company
to expand its line of products. Today
Sabee manufactures such products as disposable hospital garments, surgical
underpads, and drape sheets. It is also a component supplier for pharmaceutical
companies, which assemble the materials into products that make up
medical-procedure kits. Sabee is also known for tackling specialty items, which
larger companies tend to avoid because of smaller volume.
In addition, it manufactures disposable napkins and towels for the
airline industry. Recent developments in the Veterinary and Dental care have
lead to additional product and equipment innovations. The company built the plant on Eighth Street in Appleton in
1951. The Appleton facility on
Highland Avenue was opened in 1952. Both
are manufacturing and production facilities. When Reinhardt Sabee opened his first office in 1951, he
had half a dozen employees. The
company now employs more than 200 persons. Reinhardt’s wife, Lois, had worked by his side from the
beginning and is familiar with all aspects of the business.
She went on to drawing details of new machines and holds many copyrights.
Her recent jobs are now taken over by their daughter Sherry Donovan-Ahlman. Even though the reins have been turned over to a new
generation, the sprit and dedication to excellence and innovation has not
diminished. New processing ideas are continually being developed in an effort to
bring our customers better products at competitive prices. The management team
is committed to being an industry leader in the development of disposable health
care products. The R. Sabee Company continues to designs and build most of
its own specialized converting machinery and converts its own products. We also
survey the world for state of the art technologies to incorporate into our
operations, but none of this would be possible without the outstanding force of
skilled machinists and mechanics and dedicated employees. |
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