Rockwell Automation recognizes Portland Bottling Company for manufacturing transformation
Portland Bottling Company doubled its monthly production volume and improved inventory accuracy after deploying the Plex Smart Manufacturing Platform, according to Rockwell Automation.
The Clackamas, Oregon-based beverage co-packer received the 2025 Plex Transformer Impact Award from Rockwell Automation, which recognizes manufacturers that achieve measurable operational improvements using Plex solutions.
Founded in 1924, Portland Bottling Company manufactures ready-to-drink beverages exclusively in aluminum cans. As demand increased, the company sought greater operational visibility and improved control across production, inventory and quality operations.
Before implementing Plex in 2020, PBC relied on nine disconnected systems and manual inventory processes that limited operational visibility and introduced data inaccuracies.
To modernize operations, PBC partnered with Revolution Group to deploy Plex Manufacturing Execution System, including Plex MES Automation and Orchestration and Plex Quality Management System.
The implementation consolidated multiple technologies into a single connected platform that provided shared real-time operational data across production, quality, inventory and maintenance teams.
According to Robert Van Blake, IT director at Portland Bottling Company, the system improved inventory tracking and reduced reliance on manual data collection processes prone to human error.
Following the deployment, PBC increased production from 900,000 to 2 million case equivalents per month. The company also achieved 99% inventory accuracy and 100% shipping accuracy. Productivity increased by 10%, while waste declined by 20% and maintenance response times improved.
Michael Hart, head of industry strategy and growth at Rockwell Automation, said the project demonstrates how connected manufacturing systems can improve coordination across quality, inventory and production operations while supporting scalable growth.
The Plex Transformer Impact Award is presented annually to three Plex Community customers recognized for operational performance and use of Plex manufacturing technology.