Remembering Landmark Plastics Founder Leo Merzweiler
April 29, 2009 
Leo Merzweiler, who founded Summit Plastic in 1954 and co-founded Landmark Plastic Corporation 30 years later, died last month in Naples, Fla. He was 85.
Merzweiler’s entire career was devoted to plastics and horticulture. He began his career by developing vinyl film applications for greenhouses, including sterilization covers, shade cloth, mulch and structural covers.
Merzweiler often experimented with plastic equipment that was under development or in its infancy. Among his many industry contributions in plant packaging while at Summit were:
– Developing plastic vacuum-formed open packs in the 1950s to be used in a wood flat;
–Introducing the cell pack in the 1960s; and
–Helping develop commercially viable plug trays in the 1970s.
In the early 1970s, Merzweiler merged his company with the Vaughn-Jacklin Corporation. He served as an active member of its board of directors.
His thermoformed product innovations continued with his son, Bob, and the 1984 establishment of Landmark Plastic. The development of water conservation products such as water collectors and watering trays, the refinement of plug trays to include innovative features such as new cell shapes and air flow, and numerous creative designs and sizes of plant packaging are all part of Merzweiler’s legacy.
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