KIK honors Montfort Johnsen
for over 60 years of service
On Oct. 26, officials at contract manufacturer KIK
Custom Products, Danville, IL, held a dedication of a
bust in recognition of legendary aerosol industry veteran
Montfort “Monty” Johnsen.
The bust of Johnsen, a plant founder, sits in the plant’s visitor
entrance lobby.
“I thought I’m better looking,” Johnsen, 92, said about his
thoughts when he first saw the bust. He also joked the bust had
a good sun tan.
KIK Custom Products officials honored Montfort Johnsen, with his wife,
Marie, on Oct. 26. Johnsen was one of the founders of KIK and has more
than 60 years of service in the aerosol products industry. His bust sits in
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Bailey, Danville Commercial
Dan Mikel, KIK packaging engineer, and other KIK officials
wanted to honor Johnsen, recognizing him as a local dignitary
and authority on aerosol technology with his more than 60
years of service in the aerosol products industry. They said Johnsen
has been important to the aerosol industry and to Danville.
“I don’t think I really deserve it,” Johnsen said.
He informed the gathering about the plant’s first aerosol
product, the “first pressurized can that sprayed,” as being an
insecticide, and working early on with Colgate-Palmolive as a big
customer. His memory remains sharp, said Mikel, and Johnsen
still comes into the plant at least once a week.
Johnson has been Spray Technology & Marketing’s Technical
Editor since the 1950s, when we were known as Aerosol Age, and
continues to write for us to this day.
Johnsen has authored several books, book chapters and over
300 technical articles, and is credited as the inventor of five
34 Spray December 2017
aerosol-related patents. He holds degrees in chemistry and chemical
engineering, and served as VP of Research & Development for CCL
Custom Manufacturing Inc., now KIK, until 1987. He is now President
of Montfort A. Johnsen & Associates, Ltd. During his more
than 60 years in the aerosol industry, Johnsen has been involved
with formulation development, quality issues and numerous environmental
programs. He often appears as an expert witness in various
lawsuits within the industry.
It was in late 1953 when Johnsen joined the aerosol industry as
the group leader of research and development
for the Continental Filling Corp. in Danville.
In 1955, he became one of the founding
members of the Peterson Filling & Packaging
Co. in Danville, now known as KIK Custom
Products.
The Peterson Filling Co. was purchased in
1964 by CPC International, Inc. From 1965
to 1980, the company expanded to four filling
facilities in the U.S. and four international facilities.
This new company was then known as
Peterson/Puritan, Inc. and at that time it was
considered to be the largest aerosol contract
packager in the world.
In 1987, Hi-Port Industries Inc. was purchasing
Peterson/Puritan when Johnsen decided to
join the private sector and formed his aerosol
consulting firm. At the request of Hi-Port,
he agreed to become its part-time aerosol
consultant, retaining his office and access to
the facility in exchange for his vast experience
and knowledge. This arrangement has continued from that point
through further company acquisitions as the facility was purchased
in 1989 by CCL Industries all the way through the present owners
(2005), KIK Custom Manufacturing.
The plant has grown from about 25 people to having 550 local
employees working three shifts a day. The most senior associate has
been working at the plant for 53 years.
Johnsen served for 11 years as a board member for the Consumer
Specialty Products Association (CSPA). He was elected chair of the
Aerosol Products Division in 1974 and Chairman of the Board in
1981.
In 2003, Johnsen was honored with the CSPA’s most prestigious
honor, the “Charles Allderdice Award” for his many achievements
in the advancement of the aerosol industry. He received the “Distinguished
Service Award” from the Southern Aerosol Technical
Association (SATA) and was similarly honored by the Federation of
Latin-American Aerosol Associations (FLADA).
Johnsen’s wife, Marie, whom he met when she too was working
at the plant, said he has attended 127 mid-year and annual CSPA
meetings.