The Apple Story
Dr. Robert C. Packard
Chairman & President
Twenty nine years ago, Dr. Packard came to Texas with a simple idea. Make braces affordable. And it changed people’s lives. Sixteen years as an orthodontist in Boise, ID made him painfully aware that many families simply couldn’t afford the braces their children needed. So he started his clinics with a clear vision: charge a reasonable down payment and fee and the patients will come. And they did.
In 1987, Dr. Packard opened The Orthodontic Place with offices in Plano and Richardson. “We offered good quality work and the best products at a reasonable price,” explains Dr. Packard. “We understood the importance of straight teeth and a jaw that functions properly and we wanted to give that—along with the beautiful smile everyone wants—to as many people as possible. And we still do that at Apple Orthodontix.”
In 1993, two of his sons, Chad M. Packard and Meredith H. Packard, DDS, joined the business. Dr. Packard asked Chad to build a marketing plan to target the homes in and around his offices. Chad’s successful couponing campaign marked the beginning of orthodontic advertising in the Dallas market. Today, Chad is the president and CEO of the company.
With the help of his sons, the business grew rapidly. Between 1993 and 1995, two offices became eight, and in 1997, the business officially became known as Apple Orthodontix.
By the end of 1998, there were 13 offices. Today, with 16 convenient offices, Apple Orthodontix is still a family-owned business and is the largest provider of orthodontic care in north Texas.
When asked what it took to change the face of an industry, Dr. Packard replied that it was a sincere desire to care for people. “Those who have worked with me as employees or who have been my patients know that at Apple we really do care and are concerned for others.”
Today at Apple we still take Dr. Packard’s words very much to heart. We believe, as he did, that every Apple smile is a life changing smile with a life changing story. We know that when you work on people’s smiles, you really work on their lives. We’ve seen what a beautiful new smile can do thousands of times. It’s amazing. Life changing.
“The principles I live by are the same principles that I applied to Apple Orthodontix,” says Dr. Packard. “Be honest. Care for each other. Be positive. Work hard. Be happy.”
That’s Apple Orthodontix.
