2010 has been a much better year than we had expected it to be; although the markets do remain fragile and everyone is cautious as we approach the busiest gift giving time of the year.
I am writing this update to the What’s New about 1 week before Thanksgiving and I must say that we are very busy fulfilling orders for stock tins. Business has been good although everyone is waiting until the very last minute to place their orders. We have been able to handle most all of the rush orders with very few substitutions. We want to thank everyone for their patience and cooperation as we all know the Holidays can be very stressful.
The new added capacity in the printing department has really been a life saver. This is the first year in my career where our lead time in season has not extended beyond 2 to 3 weeks. Repeat orders have gone very smoothly.
As the fall begins to wind down and you are working on a cleanup order you may want to think about adding a few Easter and spring tins to your last order. By doing this you may be able to reduce the freight cost by combining seasonal volumes and achieve better price level on the price list, and beat an anticipated price increase that is expected in the first quarter of 2011.
Custom tin and packaging buyers: As you consider packaging for the next year or two you should look closer at TINS Made in America. Over the past few years there has been silent inflation building in the goods coming from the (believed to be) low cost countries. In addition to the subtle increases the logistic costs and Home Land Security issues have posed some challenges. While the costs of buying from overseas has been increasing, we have been investing in more productive equipment and systems to respond to your needs more quickly, accurately and more cost effectively.
New product development: In addition to improved productivity we have a number of new products under development. The first to arrive will be a new heart tin (See Below) just in time for Valentine’s day. Please check with your sales representative about other new additions to our product lines.
The tin can is one of the GREENEST packages in the market place and one of the only packages you can use that gets reused over and over and over again. When the tin begins to look a little beat up it many end up being sold in antique markets or ultimately recycled. The tin can is 100% recyclable and will be reused as a tin can again or one of the hundreds of applications that steel is used for from buildings to ships to bridges and you know what; steel never loses its exceptional properties of strength and durability.
We all must think globally and act locally to make sure our strategies are relevant long term.
Activities to think about and respond to:
Ø Customers want their products now, not in 8 weeks.
Ø Customers want answers today not tomorrow.
Ø Quality is assumed and built into the product.
Ø As a supplier you must be knowledgeable about the global market.
Ø You must be aware of the strength of your supply chain.
Our Mission Statement:
To Be the Best - Not the Biggest
We thank you for your continued support and please do not hesitate to call and challenge us to respond to new projects and ways of thinking.
From all of your friends at Independent Can we want to wish everyone a wonderful Holiday season.
Sincerely,
Rick Huether
Visit us at http://www.westernspecialty.com to preview of our new items for 2011!
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| Independent Can Company's NEW HEART TIN |
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