Thermoforming giant Jack Elmer Pregont dies at age 85

Jack Elmer Pregont, founder of Prent Corporation, one the largest thermoforming companies in North America, died April 17, 2015, at age 85. According to his obituary in the Herald Tribune, Pregont's "interest in plastics started in the basement of his parents' baker where he designed and made cake decorations." His career took him to Janesville (WI) Paper Box and then to Parker Pen, where he "developed the skills to achieve his life's dream of owning his own company."

Pregont founded Prent Corporation in 1967, followed by GOEX Corp., a maker of quality custom-extruded plastic sheet in a range of materials such as PS, PETG, PP, PVC, PLA and more, for the graphic arts, electronics, medical and packaging industries.

Headquartered in Janesville, WI, Prent's innovative, entrepreneurial drive helped him build a thriving, growing thermoforming business. Today, the company's Janesville, WI, headquarters campus also houses Prent's Global Package Design Teams, its International Custom Tool Building facility, as well as the company's Worldwide Machine Building Facility. While it was common in the early days of thermoforming for companies to build their own equipment, Prent continued to build its customized machines for its facilities long after thermoforming machinery manufacturers came on the scene.

Today, Prent has thermoforming facilities in Flagstaff, AZ; Heredia, Costa Rica; Yauco, Puerto Rico; Shanghai, China; Malaysia, Denmark and Singapore, making Prent truly global in scope and scale. The company serves the medical packaging, electronics, consumer, and automation tray markets.

Pregont was active in the Society of Plastics Engineers Thermoformers Division, and in 1989, he was named Thermoformer of the Year. He was also a National Director of the Society of the Plastics Industry.  

Jack Pregont is survived by his wife of 60 years, Carol, of Sarasota, FL; children Dan (Leann Clark) Pregont, Ann (Jim) Johnson, and Joe (Tina) Pregont; as well as numerous grandchildren and great grand-children.