Independent Can Company What’s New November 2014

What’s New- November 2014 -

The busy season is moving very quickly. The leaves are changing, the weather is turning cooler and the Holiday Season is almost upon us.

In my last What’s New article I reported that we were late on most all of our deliveries and were struggling to catch up. I must say that we are in much better shape as it relates to lead-times now then we were in August. This is the busy season and consequently certain stock items are running short or are out of stock so please allow 2-3 weeks on most orders or have a substitution item in mind when you call.

If you have a rush custom order that you would like to discuss please call and challenge us to respond. I cannot promise an immediate turnaround although we are in pretty good shape to deliver quickly.

In the printing division: Today the lead-time in the printing and coating division is 4-5 weeks on repeat jobs and 5-6 weeks on new jobs.

The long lead-time challenges this year were the result of an exceptional influx of printing volume that was much higher than forecast. We have been planning for growth for high quality printing and this is reflected in our expansion of our printing capacity in Belcamp, Maryland and the opening of the new plant in Vandalia, Ohio.

The Vandalia, Ohio printing plant began operations in June of this year and has operated as planned. The crews have 5 months experience at this point and all is running smoothly.

In Belcamp, Maryland we will be installing a new printing line which should run its first sheets by December 31, 2014. This line gives us new capabilities and will be our 3rd printing line in this plant.
With the addition of the new Ohio plant and the capacity being added in Belcamp we will have nearly doubled our printing capacity this year and increased coating capacity by 30 percent.

In the Can Plants: While the can plants are running at a very high level we are well underway with engineering plans for equipment and process improvements being designed for installation in the spring of 2015. The realignment of can line to provide cost reductions and more efficient material flow takes significant time so we are staging the changes we want to take on after the first of the year.

We will be able to discuss some of the changes as we approach the spring time.

General comments: These are exciting times in the United States for manufacturing. The low- cost nations that have challenged the United States and Western Europe for global competitiveness in manufacturing have seen very high rates of inflation in labor costs and difficulties in maintaining their supply advantages.

Through investments in automation and the development of flexible manufacturing systems, Independent Can and hundreds of other domestic manufacturers have reduced costs and lead times to respond to the needs of retailers both specialty and the mass market retailers. The consumer wants good quality, good value and they want it now. The retailers do not have the luxury of buying from halfway around the world and being able to restock the shelves in the holiday season. Having the right products on the shelves provides the consumer with their desired items and reduces stock outs and end of season closeouts which are extremely costly to the retailers.

http://www.independentcan.com
http://www.westernspecialty.com
For more info on this Blog or Independent Can Company please contact
Ryan D Huether
ryan@independentcan.com

What’s New- Independent Can Company- September 2014

What’s New- Independent Can Company- September 2014

Looking back at the last What’s New Article I did not realize that it had been a year since I wrote the last article. I apologize to everyone who reads this for the long delayed update. In this world of instant information we need to make routine updates.
The past 12 months have been extremely gratifying and challenging. The specialty can business has returned to levels not seen since 2006 and 2007. Independent Can Company (ICC) has worked hard to get ahead of the growth with some truly remarkable accomplishments and some true failures along the way.

What have we done to get ahead of the market growth.

First a commentary on “Manufacturing in America.”- Manufacturing is returning to the United States at a rapid pace and many are asking “why?” We all know or thought we knew that China was taking over all manufacturing because of America not being competitive globally. For those of us who are over 60 years old we thought that Japan was going to make everything when we were growing up. All low cost labor areas eventually develop into higher wage areas as workers learn the potential and value of their skills and abilities. China’s workers want the same benefits and material things that any developing or developed population wants. The labor wages, along with safety and environmental costs, are rising very rapidly in Asia making the goods produced there more expensive to export.
Another important factor is that China with the huge population they have and the wealth they are accumulating is becoming a consumer-driven economy. In the future China will consume more of the products being produced in country and less will be available for export.

America is becoming a nation where manufacturing can again drive economic success and a more economically advantaged middle class.
Our advantage is our creativity and technology and if we can marry this with enough skilled workers we can be a huge powerhouse and growth engine again in the global arena. Our challenge is retraining and developing a new generation that takes pride in making things
How does this tie back to Independent Can Company’s remarkable achievements and failures?
Remarkable achievements:

• Over the past 7 years we have invested between 20 and 30 million dollars on improved technology allowing for productivity improvements and flexibility in production.
• Since 2009 our annual growth has been comfortably into double digits.
• The new products we have added have been accepted remarkably well for a mature and no growth market.
• We have hired 80 plus individuals over the past 12 months (many of whom are engineers and middle managers) and opened a new manufacturing plant in Vandalia, Ohio.

Failures:

• People- We are having a very difficult time finding the depth of skills we need to fully benefit and operate the technology we have installed.
• The challenge we have, along with many of the other business owners I speak with, is having an employment population that sees a future career in manufacturing.
• As a manufacturer we need young people that want to be electricians, machinists, mechanics, line operators and middle managers that will cultivate the skills and abilities in manufacturing.

This year, 2014, has been a struggle. We have hired many people and are training them in the many disciplines mentioned above.

With that being said, we have not done a very good job of servicing our customers this year and we apologize to everyone. We have invested continuously in our people and we expect these investments will bear fruit in 2015. The manufacture of specialty tins requires not only skills in various disciplines but also intuition, creativity and experience that come only with time.

The greatest surprise this year has been the demand for flat sheet printing. Over the past 5 years we have doubled our capacity for printing and coating and this year we will again nearly double our capacity for printing. One line began producing printed sheets in June (2014) and a second line will come online in December (2014).



Our challenge today is to find and train skilled printing press operators, coater operators and shift managers who are able and willing to cultivate a culture of Safety, Quality, Respect for one another and Productivity.

As a company we will be working very hard to train the newest additions to the ICC family of employees and to develop processes that will train the can makers of the future.

The tin can is back and is in a significant growth mode again. No package has 100% recyclability, the advertising surface (permanent advertising), product protection and the integrity and perceived value that the tin can brings to market.

The Emotion of Design

The Emotion of Design

What makes a good design?  Some designs can meet all of the right criteria and still miss the mark with the buying public.  Our company experienced this a few years ago when we picked a design called “Holiday Lights”.  It was colorful and charming. It had texture, motion and interest but it was not a top seller that we expected it to be.

Perhaps the snowman is missing an expression.  Images bring about emotional reactions. If it makes you feel warmed, interested, amused, or relaxed, you will want to look at it and keep it around.  One of our new designs, “Best Friends” by renowned artist, Terry Redlin has a very visual and emotional appeal.  When we see a man and his dog, in the most beautiful of settings, the image takes us there.

"Best Friends" by Terry Redlin, courtesy of Wild Wings

Then there is the issue of color. Very similar patterns can have a different appeal if the colors clash.  Colors that are seen together in nature are generally more appealing but some consumers are excited by things that appear to deliberately violate those norms in an effort to achieve the “wow” factor.  Having red berries on green holly could be boring to some when compared with hot pink berries on metallic citrine!   Another of our new designs, “Jeweltone Ornaments” uses purple,  blue, violet and green – not exactly Christmas colors.

Independent Can is excited about our new offering for 2012.   Check out our online catalog when you have a chance.

Http://www.westernspeciatly.com

909-923-6150

Independent Can Company 

2040 South Lynx Plact

Ontario, CA. 91761

Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover? However, we all do it!

Can’t Judge a Book by its Cover?

We are not supposed to “judge a book by its cover”, but the truth is that we do. Without thinking about it, we assign a value to a product by the way that it is presented. This has lead to double and triple packaging, expensive foils, three-dimensional features and less recyclability. Some techniques are designed to catch the eye and some to make an item appear to be more substantial for the cost.

What began as food packaging during the 1800s, tins evolved to beautifully decorated commemorations. They became part of royal events in England, filled with biscuits or cakes. Even today, tins are keepsakes that remain in homes and establishments long after the original product is consumed.

Martha Stewart created a home design empire by taking ordinary, everyday items and events and making them special. Tin packaging does the same for your products. There is quite a difference between giving your loved one a paper box of chocolates and presenting a decorative tin in which to collect future love letters!

CONTACT US BY CLICKING HERE

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Whats New At Independent Can Company - Summer 2011

Whats New At Independent Can Company - Summer 2011

Steady Improvement:

We are now halfway through 2011 and our business has steadily improved; returning more to pre-recession levels. Our improvements have been driven more by new projects that began in 2010 that are now showing steady results, while our traditional customers are slowly and cautiously returning to historical levels.

Those that have done the best are companies that have diversified their product offerings and invested in new processes and improvements. Doing only what has worked in the past will not work in the future.

I have just returned from a global meeting of the International Packaging Association (IPA) in Italy. Independent Can Company is one of the 15 members of this organization. The IPA membership is made up of independent can makers located around the world. There were a number of reports from all showing steady economic improvement globally. The key points of discussion were as follows:

o Consumer trends

o Alternative packaging

o Sustainability

o Product safety

o Value

o Investment

The season has begun:

2011 to date has been a good year and we are looking for this trend to continue. By of May 1st each year we begin to have strong indications as to what the gift-giving season will look like. At this time the major tin users begin to place printing orders for their fall requirements. From this data we are able to judge the fall activities by the printing backlog, and this year is shaping up to be a good year.

We want to thank those who have placed orders for their initial tin requirements and ask all customers to think and plan ahead for what you might need for the season. If we are aware of a potential needs we will be able to factor in your specific requirement, inform you of scheduling information and meet your critical dates.

On the tooling side:
This has been a very active first half of the year. With our normal overhaul schedule we have made extensive improvements in a number of areas although the tapered popcorn lines have had the most attention improving quality and automation.

We have two new can lines being established that will begin operations in the next 3-6 months. One line will automate a round can assembly that was semi-automatic and the second line is a new product offering which will open an entirely new market for Independent Can.

Lithography: Coating and Printing:

Over the past several years we have focused on becoming the most effective metal decorator in the United States. Currently we are the only company operating the latest continuous grip Metalstar II lines having a 6 color and 4 color line. The 6 color has a UV coater trailing the prints allowing one pass work for up to 6 colors.

This spring we installed the latest pre-press software allowing the fastest and most accurate art and plate development available.

Currently we are preparing for the arrival of a new coating line which will be the latest coating and oven system available. This line will be rated at 120 sheets per minute and the oven is reported to operate utilizing 20- 30% less energy than the older drying ovens while providing the cleanest exhaust. Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility must run hand in hand; generating less Co2 while also using less energy is good for everyone.

The new line should start up on or about November 1, 2011.

A global observation:

As many of our customers are aware we are one of the largest specialty tin manufacturers in the United States, although you may not know we are also one of the largest importers of decorative and specialty packaging from around the world (tins, plastic packaging and glass). We want to supply the packaging that our customers need whether we make it or source it for them, while acknowledging that an increasing percentage of our customer base is consistently asking for packaging “Made in America.”

Users of tins and other packaging from Asia and other low cost countries have recognized that costs are going up rapidly due to inflation along with the cost of logistics (moving the goods from Asia). We are proud to say that products once only competitive from overseas are now being competitively made here in the United States.

Thank you to all of our customers for your loyalty and for challenging us to be as good a supplier as we possibly can be.

Rick Huether

President and CEO

If you would like any more information on topics contained in this post please contact us by clicking here

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NASFT Summer Fancy Food Show - Washington DC

Independent Can Company is getting ready for the up coming Summer NASFT Fancy Food Show in Washington DC.   We are going to be showing many of our new Stock Designs as well as some of the newest shapes and sizes of tins available today.

We will also be showing our full line of PET Jars and Bottles, Plastic Containers, Metal Closures, and much much more.   If you are looking for a new package or just looking for an alternative to your current packaging you should take a few minutes and stop by booth 1107. Just ask for Ryan, Matt, or Joyce.

Ryan D. Huether
909-923-6150
INDEPENDENT CAN WEB SITE
CONTACT US

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Independent Can Company is heading to Metpack in Germany

Once again in 2011, METPACK will be the most important event for metal packaging professionals from around the world, and Independent Can Company will be there to work with our vendors and partners to continue the process of bringing the highest quality metal packaging to the North American market. METPACK will start from May 10th and go until May 14th 2011. Products and services from the worlds top metal packaging industry suppliers will be presented.

This show will help solidify projects currently on the table and will definitely lead to ideas for future projects that we should be working on in the future.

Are you coming to Metpack?

Ryan D. Huether
CONTACT US
Independent Can Company
http://www.Independentcan.com

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Decorative Snap Covers For Hermetic Cans!!

Ryan D. Huether
Independent Can Company
Http://www.westernspecialty.com
CONTACT US

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ShopIndependentCan.com

Shop Independent Can

ShopIndependentCan.com is your one stop shop for small orders (Under $350) of Stock Printed and Solid Color Tins. Whether you are looking for some cookie tins for a bake sale or tins to make gift baskets ShopIndependentCan.com has what you need.

Independent Can Company has the largest stock tin program in the world bringing you the variety you need.

If you do not see what you are looking for or you need assistance please call 909-923-6150 or Contact Us by Clicking Here

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Http://wwww.westernspecialty.com

NEW - PET Side Wall Pails in stock now

Independent Can Company is happy to announce that we are now stocking our popular PET Side Wall Pails in Metallic Red, Metallic Green, and Platinum Color. These pails are in stock now with the new easy open plug. No longer do you or your customers need a tool to pry open the top. Just pop open the plug and enjoy.

Our stock size not right for you? No problem we have the capability to adjust the height of this pail to meet your internal capacity (minimum order apply). We also have tooling for additional sizes available on a custom order basis.

The side walls are made from PET which is FDA approved for Food Contact. The top and bottom of the pails are Steel, the worlds most recycled and sustainable packaging material.

For more information or a sample just give us a call at 909-923-6150 or Contact Us by Clicking Here

Ryan D. Huether
Independent Can Company
http://www.westernspecialty.com
http://westernspecialty.com/onlinecatalog/viewdetails.asp?id=20081716

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Independent Can Company - South Pack Trade Show

Independent Can Company - South Pack Trade Show

Independent Can Company will be attending the West Pack Trade Show, Booth 1453. Please do come by and see out full line of Tins, PET, Closures (Metal & Plastic), Tubes, and more.

RSVP for South Pack by Clicking Here

http://www.canontradeshows.com/expo/spack11/

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Ryan D. Huether
Independent Can Company

Independent Can Company's Facebook Page - Are you our friend?

Like most companies today Independent Can Company has started a Facebook page to allow us to keep in touch with our customers more rapidly. This will allow us to communicate Specials, Discount Coupons for our E-Commerce Site, Trade Show Info, New product info, and so much more.

By Clicking Here You will be taken to our Facebook Page. Click Like and start following the latest news.





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National Popcorn Day

NATIONAL POPCORN DAY! Sounds like a perfect excuse to order yourself some gourmet popcorn. And what better then a 2 gallon , 3.5 gallon , or 6.5 gallon can of three flavor popcorn.

Comment below and tell us who your favorite gourmet popcorn maker is.


"National Popcorn Day


National Popcorn Day is celebrated at the end of January, although its exact date is a matter of debate. Various sources report it as January 19; others claim it takes place on whatever day the Super Bowl falls on. The Popcorn Board is often asked about the origins of this day; unfortunately, we do not know how or when this celebration began. Some other individual or organization (with obvious good taste) began this tradition.

The connection to the Super Bowl seems natural enough. It’s a highly regarded annual sporting competition pitting the top two national football teams against each other. Millions of viewers from around the globe hunker down with bowls of their favorite snack—popcorn—in heated anticipation of who will win the battle.

If you know of the origins of National Popcorn Day, please email us at: edu@popcorn.org "
Quoted from http://www.popcorn.org

Independent Can Company is a specialist in the manufacturing of Gourmet Popcorn Tins. Click Here to see some of Independent Can Company's newest 3.5 Gallon Designs.
If you would like more information on Independent Can Company or our Gourmet Popcorn Tins Call us at 909-923-6150 or Contact Us By Clicking Here

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Independent Can Company Manufactures New Pocket Tin for Wonka Fruit Marvels

In 2010 Independent Can Company produced the 302 x 013 Slip Cover pocket tin for Wonka Fruit Marvels. You can view this package as well as other information related to Wonka Fruit Marvels at Candy Blog

This tin utilizes the reflective nature of the tin by printing the artwork directly over the tin plate with no white undercoat. This gives the design a reflective / metallic look.

For information on how Independent Can Company can help design a tin for your specific packaging needs please call 909-923-6150 or Contact Us by Clicking Here


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