Union, New Jersey -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/22/2010 -- The O.Berk Company is pleased to announce that Norbert Gaelen, immediate past president, and his family have made a donation to Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurship in celebration of O.Berk Company’s 100th anniversary. In recognition of the Gaelen family’s generous contribution, FDU’s Rothman Institute has renamed its Family Business Forum the “O.Berk Company Family Business Forum.”

The O.Berk Company was founded in 1910 by its namesake, Osias Berk. Isaac Goldstein, Norbert Gaelen’s grandfather, purchased the company in 1925 and the company is now in its fourth generation of leadership under Norbert Gaelen’s son, Marc, who is the current President and CEO.

Norbert Gaelen commented, “I talked with my son, Marc, about planning an event to celebrate our 100th anniversary, but events such as these are fleeting. I wanted to recognize O.Berk’s history and longevity in the packaging industry with something more enduring. So, I decided that a multi-year contribution to the Rothman Institute was a more meaningful way to celebrate the company that has been in my family for 85 years.”

The O.Berk Company Family Business Forum is designed to provide family businesses in the metropolitan area with a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts about proven strategies for successfully owning and operating a family business. The Gaelen family’s commitment will enable FDU’s Rothman Institute to provide enhanced services that will help more family businesses grow and prosper.

The O.Berk Company Family Business Forum plans to offer six family business seminars between March and November of this year.

Jim Barrood, Executive Director of FDU’s Rothman Institute stated, “We are pleased that Norbert has chosen to create this legacy in honor of O.Berk’s rich history in New Jersey as a family-owned business. It is a fitting tribute to this history to rename our Family Business Forum to the O.Berk Company Family Business Forum.”

ABOUT O.BERK COMPANY
O.Berk Company, with four locations on the east coast, provides complete packaging services and solutions to the pharmaceutical, healthcare, cosmetic, personal care, food and beverage, and household and commercial industries, with stock and custom plastic and glass containers, caps, pumps, sprayers, along with labeling and decorating services.