About

OUR COMPANY

Gemstar® Manufacturing is an engineering-based solutions provider with 60 years of manufacturing experience and protective packaging knowledge. We are a family-owned business supported internally by long-term employees, and we have a firm history rooted in custom, made-to-order-manufacturing and the dedication of a customer-centric organization.

 

MISSION STATEMENT

Growth through innovation by testing the limits of plastic manufacturing to provide the best quality solution exceeding our customer’s expectations.

OUR VALUES

  • CUSTOMER COMMITMENT: Doing what it takes to provide a convenient, hassle-free experience for our customers.
  • RESPECT: A culture of transparency, integrity, and humility. Treating others as we wish to be treated ourselves.
  • STABILITY: Reliability for our customers and our people through growth and investment in people and equipment.
  • TEAMWORK: We all have a passion to win – but in the end we win or lose together.
  • STEWARDSHIP: Supporting our teammates, our industry, our local communities, and the environment.
  • DIVERSITY & BELONGING: Building stronger teams and solutions by leveraging diverse perspectives, knowledge and culture.

1963

Our founder, Jim Weinel, a NASA lamination materials engineer, purchased two vacuum formers and leased a small manufacturing space in St. Louis Park, MN. The first products manufactured were custom parts components for signs, packaging, and consumer and industrial products. Jim and his wife, Sharon, named the company Gemini after the newest NASA space program “Gemini.”

1963

1968

An electrical fire ravaged our plant, destroying equipment, raw materials, and finished products. This would have been the end, but Jim and his team started rebuilding, determined to reestablish and expand.

1968

1972

Gemini makes thermoformed cases with new machinery and technology as an extension of its custom plastic parts. Kary Kases, the first official case line, debuts, and company sales hit $1,000,000 for the first time.

1972

1974

Kary Kases are sold under the Kase/Specialty Products division of Gemini, alongside the company’s growing Letters division. Gemini builds its first manufacturing headquarters in the small town of Cannon Falls, MN. Along with the relocation is an effort to reduce reliance on external suppliers by becoming more vertically integrated. Gemini is now poised for expansion with the ability to supply custom manufacturing solutions for a growing customer base.

1974

1986

The Kary Kase line was originally a standard line of products with customization options for specific customers. Over time, more and more customers sought a custom solution, and custom cases soon outsold standard cases. Gemini further expands manufacturing capabilities with a new rotational molding process, enabling the company to serve new markets with a more rugged and robust case platform.

1986

1997

Gemini invests in injection molding equipment to replace vacuum-formed shells. This additional manufacturing capability makes creating a new line of lightweight, airtight cases possible, and the first fully injection molded case is introduced, the “Gemstar.”

1997

2003

Gemini’s Case division becomes “Gemstar” and soon becomes a separate company named Gemstar Manufacturing. Soon after, a need arises in the industry for a supplier of highly engineered, customer-centric cases. Gemstar Manufacturing takes on the challenge to manufacture cases to fill this niche.

2003

2010

Parent company Gemini continues to invest in Gemstar Manufacturing with new state-of-the-art manufacturing technology and excellent customization capabilities. Gemstar launches its three brands for its three manufacturing platforms: VersaPro®, SENTINEL®, and STRONGHOLD®.

2010

2013

To this point, the majority of our product performance validation was outsourced to local test labs. With more and more custom solutions going through the shop, there was an increased request from customers for us to assist in formal product testing. In support of our continued effort to vertically integrate our capabilities and to increase speed-to-market for not only our expanding lines of cases but also for our customer-specific case designs, we developed our own in-house test lab. Our equipment allows us to test to a wide variety of industry standards for materials and reusable packaging performance.

2013

2018

A new 40,000 square foot facility is built for Gemstar Manufacturing on the Gemini campus in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. This addition provides the company with increased space for rotational molding and the production and assembly of cases and custom plastic parts.

2018

2019

A dedicated world-class testing and resource center is created on the Gemini campus in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Testing services in the new center include drop testing, immersion, UV chamber, salt fog chamber, vibration, lateral impact, temperature, and other customized testing.

2019

2020

Gemini continues to invest in leading-edge technology with the addition of Robomold™ robotic rotational molding. Gemstar Manufacturing is now the only case manufacturer in the U.S. with four platforms to produce high-performance packaging cases. Like Rotational Molding, Robomold produces rugged double-walled cases for Gemstar’s Stronghold product line.

2020