WB Bottle Supply was founded during the Great Depression when Wilfred Wing Sr. and his partner, Ed Berger, would spend their days collecting bottles at the local dump, then cleaning and re-selling them. In 1932, WB Bottle’s operations officially began in a store outlet and warehouse on the south side of Milwaukee.
A few months later, Wilfred Wing Sr. bought Berger’s share of the business for $50, and by 1937 the business had moved to a 24,000-square-foot warehouse and office building.
Nine years later, Wilfred Wing Jr. and his brother, Jerry, took over the family business. WB Bottle began its in-house silk-screen decoration in 1954, attained their first distributorship two years later and moved operations to an 80,000-square-foot building in 1964.
The 3rd generation, James Wing (Wilfred Jr.’s son) joined WB Bottle after returning home from military service in 1972. He began as a blow molder, then joining the office staff in 1973, where he worked in all aspects of the business. He was appointed CEO and president in 1987.
Today, WB Bottle is currently in its 4th generation of leadership with Kristie Wing-Smith as CEO and President, and Kelly Meloy as Vice President. Kristie’s two daughters, Kaitlyn Smith and Kari Pulizos, are currently working in sales and learning the administrative side of the business while Gavin Meloy, Kelly’s son, has recently joined the team and is working in logistics.
WB Bottle prides itself on its culture of trust, integrity, and respect that has been ingrained in each generation. Throughout the company’s history, WB Bottle has been blessed to have many employees that have given 30, 35, and even 40 years of dedication. When those employees retire, knowledge and experience is lost. To overcome this challenge, WB has blended the recruitment of new talent with the investment of upskilling current employees.
This type of implementation will ensure that WB Bottle continues to build a staff to take it into future generations.
3400 S Clement Ave • Milwaukee, WI 53207
(414) 482-4300 • wbbottle.com
