Jeff and Jessica Westcott are a husband and wife team with one mission in mind, to revolutionize the niche aftermarket truck accessory industry. After years of designing aftermarket parts for Toyota, this dynamic duo had the expertise, determination and vision to start out on their own. Not only to create high-quality, exceptionally designed products, but to create them for the world. Thus Westcott Designs was born.

Burn rubber. Not the bottom line.  

Before long, the company had grown to include a wide range of products, including racks, lifts, sliders, bumpers, custom welded products and more for a variety of automotive brands. They were truly taking the world by storm. The only issue was their packaging and shipping solutions weren’t keeping pace. Bulky products were difficult to ship. Inefficiency began to affect the bottom line. And the customer experience was starting to slip.

Jumpstarting the solution.

Enter Ernest. After conducting a full audit and in partnership with the Westcott team, Ernest created a variety of custom packaging solutions that were easy to assemble, durable and well-branded. By minimizing the dimensions of their boxes, they were able to optimize shipping costs. And to limit the number of box SKUs, the team created a variety of foam-in cushioning that worked across the board.

On the (road) map and beyond!

As Westcott looks to the future, the sky’s the limit. The company is hoping to upgrade its foam-in-place solutions to polyethylene foam inserts. And that’s not the only environmentally friendly step they’re making. Westcott Designs is also focusing on another niche—more fuel-efficient cars. Just another driver of customer satisfaction, which is the heart of their business.

The coop scoop. 

Carolina Coops was growing like crazy. Their packaging dilemmas followed suit. They needed help sourcing packaging materials for their products and needed to raise the bar on box format development. Folks from all over the world were starting to purchase their impeccable designs. Thanks to some out-of-the-box thinking, Ernest quickly created custom-fit boxes for the ever-so-important roost bars along with industrial hemp packaging.

When it came to shipping the entire coop to customers, that was another massive challenge. Due to the sheer size, weight and cost of basically transporting a small house across the country or even around the world. Multiple prototypes were tested for durability to protect the products throughout the shipping cycle, in addition to different formats, structures, and materials. Ultimately, the perfect combo was achieved: dimensional weight reduced + money saved.

The result? Carolina Coops founders Matt DuBoise and Gnon Choi were freed from the perils of packaging to focus on the most important part of the business—growing sales.

Egg meets eco-friendly.

Packaging peanuts aren’t for the birds. So when it came to sustainability, Ernest and Carolina Coops were on the same trajectory. An eco-friendly packaging option wasn’t a nice to have; it was a must. Ernest has always had a strong commitment to helping clients meet their sustainability goals, and this particular egg-endeavor was no different. Ernest brought a new idea to the table ExpandOS. Replacing peanuts with recycled paper cubes combined function and value to meet Matt, Gnon and the team’s unique specifications and truly exceed their expectations.

Outfox the old.

Ernest takes pride in looking for new ways to add innovative and efficient tools, products, and techniques to streamline our client’s packaging and processes. The approach with Carolina Coops was no different. Increasing efficiency was the name of the hen game.

Before Ernest, the Carolina Coops packing team was taping flat sheet boxes to make them three-dimensional. Not only was it time consuming, but the added plastic material was excessive. The Ernest team saw an opportunity to streamline the look of the package by using a glue gun for the assembly instead. Which proves that sometimes the simplest answers are the best.

In addition to streamlining the packaging, Carolina wanted the branding on the boxes to pull double duty for both e-commerce and retail. Ernest’s Retail Senior Design Specialists came through with a design that highlighted and elevated the Carolina Coops branding on a store shelf, while providing an effective direct shipment solution.

Ruling the worldwide roost.

Carolina Coops’ next challenge? To continue to ship these poultry palaces to all corners of the globe. If the Ernest/Carolina Coops past partnership is any indication of the future, success will certainly keep on hatching.

Remember the days when temperature-sensitive goods and perishables were flown around the world all degree haphazardly? You probably do because it wasn’t that long ago. Thankfully today, with the introduction of temperature control packaging, the global freight game has finally reached the 21st century.

Temperature control packaging, sometimes called cold chain, is defined as an uninterrupted series of storage and distribution activities that help products maintain a specific temperature range. As you can already begin to imagine, the need for it is vast and spans many industries. From food and perishable items to pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, temperature control packaging plays an important role in just about every part of our lives. Sure, food tastes better when it isn’t spoiled, but in some cases, pharmaceuticals can lose efficacy or even become dangerous if not kept at the correct temperature.

And no business knows that better than Ernest. We have all the temperature control products and services your business could need. We offer a diversity of both temperature control stock products and custom cold chain solutions readily available and ready to roll cold. TempEndure, our custom solution, has achieved great success in helping clients keep their temperature-sensitive products safe in the air and everywhere.

How does TempEndure® endure?

Our exclusive TempEnsure pack out solutions consist of a combination of standard and unique components to achieve the necessary temperature control for client’s packaging. And if that got you excited, just wait; there’s more. The proprietary TempEndure process ensures we use the best combination of products to reduce dimensional weight and drive lower costs for our clients’ temperature control shipping.

You really can’t go wrong; if stock isn’t an option or unique options for cold chain packaging are needed, TempEndure is absolutely the answer. When Larry French, our Senior Design Specialist, TempEndure expert, and internal celebrity, creates a customized temperature control packaging to perfectly fit client’s cold chain needs, consider it a home run.

Saving the world and its wallets. 

TempEndure is truly temperature control at its finest. Not only does it just make sense, but most TempEndure materials are reusable and recyclable. They keep clients’ products colder for longer, which in turn helps reduce waste and save on emissions as expedited shipping is reduced.

How do they achieve these seemingly magical results? Well, one way is by offering quilts. Quilts keep frozen freights frozen longer. They’re essentially insulated pieces that are placed over or around a freight. They act as a buffer for shifting temperatures and help to keep temperatures relatively constant.

Another way Ernest prioritizes clients’ sustainability needs is by offering gel packs, one of the most common types of coolants or refrigerants used for transport that is also reusable. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg (cold pun intended). We offer a variety of other environmentally friendly temperature control materials as well.

TempEndure and CFI. Partners in action.

Ernest recently collaborated with longtime client CFI to identify ways to make their temperature control packaging materials more sustainable while upholding their cold chain needs. The result? A wildly successful solution that worked incredibly well at keeping goods at a constant temperature in the air. And to combat ground radiation, an integrated system to protect pallets from heat bouncing up from the tarmac was also created.

When two determined innovators combine heads, almost nothing can stop them. Because Ernest worked directly with CFI leadership, critical tests were championed over a nine-month period to ensure the solution would work for all of their transport needs going forward. This approach to cold chain is what CFI calls their Layered Approach (aka CoolSkies Technology). It’s all about keeping things cooler longer when faced with tarmac heat and gaps in the cool chain.

The ultimate takeaway? There’s no temperature control problem Ernest can’t solve.

Learn more about Ernest’s temperature control packaging and TempEndure here.

If you’re in the business of shipping perishables to all corners of the world, it helps to have a trusted partner in your corner. That was the situation with Commodity Forwarders Inc. and Ernest. The problem? How do you keep everything from orchids to arugula to langoustine shrimp within a 10° range for upwards of 20 hours? If you get it wrong as a shipping company, you’re done. They needed to keep their goods fresh, their costs down and up their sustainability game. And we were up for the challenge.

When protective becomes defective.

Unlike Throwback Thursdays or your favorite old school movie, it was not fun taking a walk down the memory lane of packaging. So it started by taking a look at what CFI was currently using to ship their perishables. Turns out, CFI was using the same Mylar technology from back in the 1970s, which prompted their President Chris Connell to think, “After 40 years, there has to be a better way.” The old foil bubble only refracted 80% of visible and infrared energy, plus it wasn’t recyclable. Chris and CFI needed a solution that was more efficient, generated less food waste and was eco-friendly, too.

An unperishable partnership.

Throughout their 10-year partnership, CFI and Ernest have established a real connection. With that also comes an open and honest line of communication. Which meant Chris was able to cut to the chase with Ernest’s R&D Manager, Larry French. In short, he asked Larry to help him come up with something better. After collaborating on solutions, they arrived at the conclusion that the Mylar was actually trapping heat inside the pallets, rather than reflecting it away. So Larry set of to find a smarter, science-based solution.

Observe and refract.

There were two question at hand. 1) What material would maximize performance and minimize costs? 2) What would deliver the highest light refraction with the least physical substance? The answer was a combination of both in the form of one compound word: TempEndure®. Larry and team created a wrap coating that worked as an optical lends to block all visible light and the majority of near-infrared waves (or NIR for the all the science-y folks who are reading this). It also acts as a vapor barrier, which was another imperative for CFI to keep products fresher and clients happier across the globe.

 The flight testing and the groundwork.

The next step was to put the product to the test and fortunately for Larry, CFI was all on board on getting the new TempEndure-wrapped pallets on board the planes and testing them on the tarmac. The result? Through a process of trial and error, they found the exact material to keep good between a 1 and 10° Celsius range for up to 24 hours. To fight the searing temperatures of the tarmac, they also created an integrated system to ensure  the perishables stayed at a constant while protect against the oppressive heat. So there was just one more box to check: the recycling box.

Going green with a blue hue.

Not only was the old Mylar material clogging up the dumpsters, it was also costing CFI $186, 000 per year for disposal fees in just their Hawaii facility alone. Not to mention the environmental cost of all that waste when it came to Mother Nature. The new TempEndure solution changed all of that for the better, proving to be a wholly recyclable solution. To celebrate this fact and to express their commitment to sustainability, all TempEndure products for CFI have a signature blue hue and are branded with the international sign for recyclability.

 A sustainable alliance.

As CFI continues to makes strides for protecting perishables at all their distribution centers around the world, we’ll be right there by their side, stateside. We can’t wait to help continue to up the sustainability factor and to find even smarter ways to keep goods—and our partnership—at a constant.

At Ernest, the best part of our day is when we take a client’s problem and turn it into a triumph. We love it so much that we created a name for solving the unsolvable—Ernest to the Rescue. In this video series, you’ll see how we rise to any challenge. On any occasion. And remember: the solutions you watch can be your own.

Need a little recon at your facility? New machinery? Boost in efficiency? We’ve got you covered. When it comes to process design, we’ll help you solve it all. Packaging automation, equipment, line design, layout … you name it, we’re on it. And we don’t just create a solution, we work with you the entire time to make sure it’s what best for YOU and your company.

For starters, our automation design and implementation will make your business run smoother while giving you back precious time. It’s almost automatic—you just need our team of experts to assess your manufacturing and shipping process, pinpoint the challenge, then suggest the most efficient ways to get those necessary changes made. The solution may be complex or simple, but regardless, we’ll get it solved side by side with you.

If your headaches are coming from equipment design and implementation, we’ll handle that for you too. The simple answer: customization is key. We’ll take a look at your entire line and team up with top manufacturers to offer solutions tailor-made for your business.

And we can’t forget about our line design and layout solutions. When it comes to your facility, the setup is of the utmost importance. At Ernest, our team will provide you with one-of-a-kind line designs and layouts to boost productivity and decrease overhead—all while simplifying the packaging process.

WE TALK THE TALK AND WALK THE WALK. 

Coast Aluminum needed help improving savings and efficiencies in packaging, in addition to improving their process to support workplace safety. A challenge? Yes. Impossible? Not for our team. We stepped in with our equipment design solution and improved a key packing process—making it safer and faster. Our team designed a dispenser with casters to lift the corrugate off the ground, preventing back injury and making it easier to cut pieces as needed.

Then, there was Limitless USA. This tech company needed a way to improve the efficiency of their shipping department to keep up with the growing demand. And they needed a more protective solution when it came to shipping their products to reduce costly losses.

The solution? Our automation and line design services.

Ernest provided new packaging, developed a packing line to improve efficiency and introduced an auto-bagging system to eliminate an entire step in their process.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PROCESS.

Now the question is, what can we do to improve your business?

Our packaging automation solution can improve your workflow and free up people to focus on other tasks while our equipment design solution can keep productivity up and workplace injury way down.

We know each business is different, and so are their challenges and what they’re comfortable changing. Whatever your process problem is, we have a solution—and it’ll be one that’s totally customized to you. At Ernest, we take the time to understand your company, your employees, your headaches and your goals … and then we deliver.

Reach out to us here to learn more about our process design solutions and all the pros that come with it. And don’t forget, you can see our successful solutions (and more) by watching our Ernest to the Rescue videos.

When it comes to your business, sometimes headaches turn into challenges that seem impossible to solve. But that’s when Ernest steps in with Ernest to the Rescue. We tackle any problem. Any size. Any time.

Our number one priority is helping your company succeed. We take the time to get to know your team, your business and your product—creating a package design solution that’s unique to what you need. With Ernest on your side, your package can weather the unpredictable conditions of the shipping cycle. We rigorously test and validate each package design with your product in mind.

Not only will your package remain safe from the loading dock to the doorstep, we can help lower shipping costs, too. And after the last 18+ months of skyrocketing costs, we know full well this is top of mind for your bottom line. Our team of experts manage costs by considering the weight, size, proportion and the shipper’s air-cel requirements.

Another perk of our package design? Sustainability.

At Ernest, we all know to respect our mothers. Especially Mother Nature. That’s why we look at all aspects of your business and ask questions to get you the most sustainable solutions. Is there a quicker, more efficient way to form your packages on the production line? Do you need something that uses less material? Maybe one that’s 100% recyclable? We take the entire packaging process into account to reduce material, shipping and labor costs.

GREAT PACKAGING = GREAT PARTNERSHIPS.

Any time our clients face a challenge, it’s an opportunity to collaborate and find the perfect solution together. It’s living proof that air-tight solutions make for long-lasting partnerships.

Just ask No Toil Industries, who create cutting-edge, budget- and environmentally-friendly air filters. When demand for their product started to skyrocket, they needed a solution that would satisfy the eco-friendly requirements of their largest retailer, Amazon. To put it simply, if Amazon has to put your box into another box it’s going to cost you to the tune of $2.00 per package. Considering No Toil ships upwards of 5,000 boxes a month, this kind of fee was making a huge impact on their bottom line.

The solution? Get Ships in Own Container (SIOC) certified. It may be an Amazon requirement, but at Ernest, we know the SIOC drill well, so we created a one-panel folder box that housed the filters with a single piece of material. This singular solution checked three packaging problems off the list, by using less material, providing more warehouse space and giving better protection for the filters in transit.

See how else we helped No Toil here. 

For Leatherman Tools the problem was different. When they were ready to launch their first-ever watch, the Tread Tempo, they needed a helping hand. This new, premium product needed premium packaging to match. So, our Senior Design Specialists created a sleek design in a sturdy box with an out-of-this-world unboxing experience, complete with a magnetic closure that mimicked how the watch actually functions.

Then, there was Smart Cups. This start-up company needed smart packaging design to keep their temperature-sensitive ingredients protected against UV and moisture during shipment without adding to the weight or increasing the cost. Our team developed a packaging that incorporated five nested cups with an empty cup at the top to serve as a product seal. This solution not only helped with shelf life, but it also boosted efficiency in the packaging process.

See how we’ve tackled other temp-sensitive problems with our TempEndure technology.

TURNING HEADACHES INTO TRIUMPHS.

Our clients touch almost every industry out there and there hasn’t been a problem we haven’t solved yet. Why? Because when it comes to package design, we don’t rest until we’ve found a way to help our partners breathe easier.

So, what’s giving your business a headache? Let’s find the solution together.

Give us a call or reach out to us here to learn more how package design impact your company. Or if it’s something else you can’t seem to solve, we’re at the ready to put our heads together and figure it out.

Take a look at our Client Stories to see more of our success.

If you have a problem that’s slowing your business down, we have the quickest solution on the books: Ernest to the Rescue. We’re on call and at the ready to solve any challenge you throw our way. Which includes taking the headache of inventory issues off your hands. How? Well, some know it as Just-In-Time (JIT)fulfillment. But here, we call it Ernest Managed Inventory, or EMI for short. It’s one of our not-so-secret supply chain management solutions at Ernest.

But it’s more than just a solution. It’s about relationships, too. Our team takes the time to get to know you, your business…and of course, any problem that arises. This helps make sure we tackle any challenge effectively and quickly through EMI.

You might have heard of this EMI phrase in our Ernest to the Rescue videos and white papers, because so many of our clients are taking advantage of it.

Why? Because the benefits of EMI are out of this world. The main goal is to help our clients reduce inventory holding costs and increase inventory turnover, aka get rid of any supply chain issues—which is amazing. It gives you a clearer picture of what you have vs. what you need, and it’s made possible thanks to our dedicated and hardworking team who are in constant contact with our clients. We do the legwork and heavy lifting to keep your core items at one of our 13 warehouses and deliver it to your storefront on an as-needed basis.

But that’s not even half of the pros.

Ernest Managed Inventory prevents overproduction, minimizes wait times, aka cuts down on transportation costs, streamlines your production, improves productivity and frees up valuable warehouse space in the process.

Our partnership with you is always at the forefront and we’re always on the lookout to find new solutions help your company succeed. EMI is one those, because it’s totally customizable to what your business needs and what works best for you. It’s all about easing the burden on your team so you can focus on the job at hand (i.e., your actual job) and not those pesky supply chain management issues.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SATISFACTION.

So, we’ve told you about the perks. Now here’s the proof. At Ernest, we’re all about creating and maintaining strong relationships with our clients. Because we understand they’re essential to our business. And we love it when the feeling’s mutual. That’s why every year, we reach out to a handful of the companies we serve and invite them to share a little screen time. We call this video series Ernest to the Rescue and it’s our way of shouting out our partners, highlighting our services and having a truckload of fun in the process.

For Coast Aluminum, our EMI solution helped this high-quality aluminum supplier keep up with their supply chain at their 10 locations.

Watch our Coast Aluminum video here

Each Coast location keeps a two-week supply on hand while Ernest has a 90-day supply ready to go at a moment’s notice. This freed up space in each warehouse and improved cash flow because Coast doesn’t have to worry about meeting the minimum order requirements. Another perk (because you know with EMI they just keep coming) is that our team delivers the next day—allowing Coast to turn orders around quickly.

When it came to Pizza Port, EMI helped them get their craft beers out to thirsty California residents after they were approached by megastore Costco with a mega opportunity.

Costco wanted 18 packs of their best-selling brew—a huge ask for a relatively small local business. Luckily, Ernest and EMI specialize in taking complicated tasks off your hands and into our corner. Our EMI solution helped Pizza Port schedule pallet delivery throughout the quarter. In addition to packing and palletizing their orders for Costco, Ernest also packed 12-can cases for Pizza Port’s other grocery customers on a biweekly basis.

Let’s keep the camera rolling and leave the supply chain issues on the cutting room floor.

Next, we have Limitless USA —a booming business selling refurbished iPads, iPhones, Macbook Pros and other smartphones. With orders ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 units a month, they were using a lot of warehouse space to house their packaging solutions—with up to 20 pallets on the floor at a time.

Now, we handle it for them.

We hold everything Limitless needs in our nearby Las Vegas facility—delivering it on demand.

For both GT Ventures and SpectraCell, we used our EMI packaging solution to optimize their space and ensure they always had the right amount of inventory. Materials are always delivered to them on time and as needed—saving space, saving costs and saving them from the grunt work.

MORE SPACE. MORE SAVINGS. FEWER HEADACHES.

Our Ernest Managed Inventory solution may be just what you need to solve your supply chain management issues, warehouse space crisis or whatever problem you’re facing. The breadth of EMI—like every solution we offer—can keep your business moving, help weather any storm and deliver real results for your bottom line.

At Ernest, we’re here to help you tackle the toughest challenges. The strong partnerships we’ve built have led us to some of the greatest, most innovative solutions. That’s why we’re on standby to listen to the problem, then walk you through the steps to solve it. And we’re always just a phone call or car ride away to keep delivering the support you need.

Give us a call today or fill out our form here and let’s get your business benefiting from EMI! Or, if you’re not ready just yet, head to our Ernest to the Rescue page to see how our solutions come to life.

AI is making its way into warehouses more and more—and we’re not mad about it. We’re always looking for ways to help our customers innovate smartly. That’s what makes our partnerships unstoppable. And when you throw Robocop into the mix, it gets even more bulletproof. Because there’s an endless number of opportunities and solutions, like automated packaging.

In fact, it was automation that our longtime client Chef Shamy needed.

This artisanal butter manufacturer went from serving the family to serving the nation. Their gourmet butter can now be bought at huge stores like Costco, Sam’s Club and Walmart. But with that success came a serious question for Chef Shamy: How do we keep up with demand?

FEWER COOKS IN THE KITCHEN. BUT MORE MACHINES.

 Equipment design and implementation isn’t new for Ernest. We’ve used this solution to help other customers thrive, including Boston restaurant Spyce with their automated robot pal named Flippy. We also helped Boman Kemp keep things running smoothly with their ring-shaped stretch-wrapping machine. So, we knew automation would be a great opportunity for Chef Shamy. And after a lot of research, vetting and collaboration, we realized that simplifying the packaging process with automated equipment was key.

Chef Shamy’s existing packaging system only allowed the company to run its production line at 40-50% capacity, with each packaging line requiring 4-6 people at the backend to hand-pack the butter into boxes and put them on rotating tables.

Simply put, there were too many cooks in the kitchen. But there was room for a machine—a Combi machine.

MORE BUTTER = MORE HAPPY STOMACHS.

Despite being rolled out during the midst of Covid-19, the Combi machine proved successful—partly due to both the Combi and Ernest teams being on hand for installation and training, in addition to answering questions.

Since the installation, the Chef Shamy team has doubled its production capacity with room to grow. Compared to previous run rates of 40-50% capacity, production now ranges from 75-80%. When you couple that with a 61% increase in overall productivity, it’s easy to see the effect this humble but hardworking robot brought to the table.

While the majority of the Chef Shamy team runs other aspects of the business, it only takes one team member per line to monitor the Combi machine as it forms the boxes, fills them with butter tubs and adds stickers and seals the lids.

Read more about our solution for Chef Shamy here.

PRETTY TASTY NEWS.

The good news with automation doesn’t seem to end…which is perfect for us (and you) because who likes bad news? (Answer: no one).

With automation, productivity improves. By assessing your line design and layout, you can discover what’s causing the inefficiencies and production delays. Then, by implementing the right machine or machines, you can keep up with the increased demand without increasing the size of your team.

Another pro? A stellar reputation. Automation allows businesses to gain a deeper understanding of their operations—which can lead to stronger market strategies. Not to mention a leg up (or automated arm) on the competition.

Here’s one more perk for good measure…fewer mistakes are made. Robots are more precise than humans, especially when it comes to the, well, robotic work. These tasks can be carried out more accurately and faster, without the risk of repetitive injury or unnecessary fatigue for your team.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get talking! If you’d like to learn more about how automation can help your business grow, head to ernestpackaging.com/contact to speak with an Ernest Packaging representative.

Space is money — Let Ernest optimize yours.

Ernest approaches your space issues with an open mind to find the best possible solutions to fit your business. We take steps other packaging partners won’t, no matter how much heavy lifting is required. When Edelbrock became trapped in a supply chain that left their wallets light and their warehouse packed to the gills, that commitment paid dividends:

“Ernest has saved us a tremendous amount of money, but there’s more to it than that,” says Bob Hutchens, Edelbrock’s engineer and buyer.

“They’ve given us the comfort of knowing someone’s got our back.”

Optimizing your warehouse is always a change for the better. Ernest Packaging Solutions specializes in process optimization and inventory management to keep things running smoothly before and after stock reaches your shelves. With over 70 years in the business, our warehouse expertise runs deep.

Download Ernest Packaging and Edelbrock Auto Parts: A Partnership Built on Performance, and see how Ernest’s innovative solution helped a specialty auto part maker streamline their supply chain.

Frameworks Assa Abloy, a Houston-based interior aluminum window and door frame manufacturer and an Assa Abloy company, needed to improve its logistical efficiency. Packaging large construction materials for shipping across the country was slow and tedious work, impacting the bottom line, worker safety and employee morale.

“We had one employee who was getting fed up with blisters caused by the manual wrapping of large windows,” Ted Owczarzak, Profit Center Manager for Frameworks Assa Abloy, said. “We knew we had a problem, but didn’t know all of our options available to fix it.”

Justin Cherry, Ernest Packaging’s Client Relationship Manager for Frameworks Assa Abloy, recalled how the process started, “Ted came to me with specific goals for improvements. He needed changes in the overall packaging program and asked for us to help identify the areas for improvement that could ultimately increase company profitability.”

Justin brought in Tim Tisher, Automation and Food Packaging Design Specialist with Ernest Packaging, to identify new opportunities for the product line to increase ROI.

The Ernest Solution

“The processes are pretty similar to others that we’ve implemented for over ten years at Ernest,” said Tisher. “We look at what they’re currently doing, find ways to reduce material use, listen to the workers’ needs and then take what we know about packaging automation and put it to use.”

Ernest was well-positioned to observe the operational process and make recommendations based on the long-standing relationship with Frameworks Assa Abloy. After studying the particular setup and operations of the packaging assembly line, initial recommendations were delivered to company executives. Plans were finalized, and the process was begun.

“We wanted to give Ernest as much information and access to our operations as we could,” said Owczarzak. “It’s a very contextual process, and we trusted Ernest to find the right solution.”

The three-phase approach tackled the largest losses of effort and time. The redesign portion focused on improving worker safety (and getting rid of those darn blisters!). The labor-intensive manual packaging and wrapping process became automated, and the worker stations were repositioned for maximum efficiency. Additionally, less wasted effort led to fewer workers suffering from fatigue—a dangerous issue in factories with heavy machinery and moving parts.

Results

Using existing machinery when possible and installing new automated processes where needed, created a new, streamlined process. This led to the efficient use of space and labor. Vacuum lifts meant that two workers were no longer lifting 100-lb boxes, but instead applying a single pound of pressure to the machine.

“The amount of exhaustive labor we have saved Frameworks Assa Abloy’s workers is outstanding and many of those employees are being repositioned for better use in the factory,” says Owczarzak.

Daniel, the operator, says because of the vacuum lift he no longer has nagging back pain from picking up to 300 boxes every day. He also no longer gets blisters because the strapping machine takes the place of the filament taping he used to perform.

The cost-savings are expected to be realized within eight months of complete implementation, which is expected to take about one year. Also, worker safety and morale have improved, creating a happier and more profitable place to work.

“One benefit we didn’t plan on enjoying as much as we are is the increased professionalism of our packaging,” Owczarzak said. “We have more consistency in our presentation with no more loose straps and tape. It looks more professional than before, and our President is quite happy about that.” He said that Frameworks Assa Abloy will be looking to add this process to other facilities in the near future. “I can’t thank Ernest Packaging enough for the work they’ve done, and continue to do, for our operations.”

Justin Cherry states that Ernest’s work isn’t done, “We’re always thinking about ways to help them become a faster, safer, more profitable company. We’re committed to helping them for years to come.”

Are you in need of a new piece of packaging equipment or an entire overhaul of operations to find efficiency? Either way, our team stands ready to help identify areas for safety and profitability improvements. Contact Ernest Packaging Solutions to evaluate your packaging operations today.