Hall: 5, Stand number: 5B27
OPEX® Corporation, a global leader in Next Generation Automation providing solutions for document, mail and warehouse automation, has reached a significant milestone in 2025 as it celebrates 50 years under the ownership of the Stevens family. OPEX continues to thrive under what is now the second and third generations of Stevens family leadership, a remarkable achievement that speaks to the company’s resilience, innovative spirit, and long-term success in a highly competitive marketplace.
“We are deeply proud to have served as a trusted industry partner for five decades and counting, creating customized solutions that help our clients improve workflow, reduce costs and drive efficiencies in infrastructure,” said David Stevens, President and CEO at OPEX. “We attribute our longevity to the core values my parents established and that we live by every day―fostering innovation, maintaining a family-like company culture, and prioritizing entrepreneurial agility and long-term sustainability.”
It was in 1975 that Al and Joanna Stevens purchased OPEX. At that time, the company had fewer than 10 employees and a sole focus on mail automation. Al Stevens previously left his job at Columbia Records to become the national sales manager at OPEX. When he and Joanna were presented with an opportunity to buy the company and guide its turnaround, they mortgaged their home to do so. Today, OPEX has nearly 1,600 team members around the world and is a well-respected leader in warehouse, document and mail automation.
It was an open-minded and forward-thinking approach that enabled OPEX to leverage its expertise in sortation to expand seamlessly and deliberately from its roots in document and mail automation to become a leader in warehouse automation as well. The company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of automation is reflected in its impressive portfolio of more than 300 patents, underscoring its dedication to staying ahead of industry trends and continually reinventing its products. Nearly half of the companies listed in the Fortune 100 currently rely on OPEX to provide world-class automated solutions.
The fact that OPEX has thrived across three generations of family leadership is significant, surpassing the odds for family-owned businesses―only 13% reach the third generation, according to Business Week.
“While much has changed in the automation industry over the last five decades, the integrity with which OPEX conducts business and our innovative spirit remain the same,” said Alex Stevens, President of Warehouse Automation at OPEX. “We have always sought new and better ways for customers to transform business operations, creating increasingly more advanced solutions to automate tasks. For the past 50 years and for many more to come, we will continue to reimagine automation technology that powers the future of ecommerce.”
