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Press ReleasesAnnouncement from within and around the Packing and Crating IndustryPlease e-mail your Press Releases directly to info@woodencrates.org |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology Recognizes Cascade TEK Front Range Test Facility for Innovative Product Testing.
Longmont, Colorado - January 9, 2012: Environmental test provider Cascade TEK’s Front Range environmental testing facility in Longmont, Colorado was recognized this month by the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT) for its innovative product testing services. The Colorado test facility began offering product reliability testing in July of 2011.
“The response to the new Front Range facility has been very positive,” said Cascade TEK Vice President Mary Babitz. “With the closing of the Oracle – APT Testing Lab to outside customers, Cascade TEK jumped on the opportunity to meet Colorado’s need for environmental testing services. Between our Hillsboro, Oregon and Longmont, Colorado laboratories, our test capabilities continue to expand.”
By mid January the Longmont, Colorado Laboratory will add:
- 2500lb capacity incline impact tester for ISTA package testing. Cascade TEK is ISTA Certified for package testing.
- 150g – 8’ arm centrifuge for crash safety tests associated with RTCA DO-160 Avionics (The 2nd centrifuge at the Colorado lab)
- 40,000lbf electro-dynamic vibration system. (The 4th vibration system to come on line)
• Free Fall Shock Tower
“Making sure we continuously expand test capabilities is crucial to the success of Front Range,” noted Babitz. “Our customer’s test requirements are ever changing. It’s our job to have the test equipment they need to help bring products to market as quickly as possible.”
It is this dedication that has made the Colorado testing facility so successful. Front Range recently acquired certification from the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA) for package testing. Cascade TEK provides a broad range of testing services for the automotive, aerospace, electronics, medical and packaging industries.
Testing services available at Cascade TEK’s Front Range (http://www.cascadetek.com/testing-services.html) include vibration, shock, temperature and humidity, thermal shock, sand and dust, UV exposure, salt-fog, altitude, rapid decompression, g-force acceleration, IP (ingress protection)and ISTA package testing. Read more about Cascade TEK’s testing services on the CAMT website (http://camt.com/content/innovative-manufacturer-cascade-tek).
About Cascade TEK: Cascade TEK is dedicated to product reliability testing, specializing in vibration testing, shock testing, package testing, and salt spray and fog testing. The company was founded in 1992 and has become the Northwest's premier environmental testing lab and recently expanded into the great Denver, Colorado area. Visit Cascade TEK (http://www.cascadetek.com) to learn more about Cascade TEK’s product testing services.
Press Contact: Kathleen Martin
Phone: (971) 533-7223 kathleen@outliersolutions.com
Brussels, October 12th - The European Federation of Wooden Pallet and Packaging manufacturers (FEFPEB) has announced a new public relations campaign to promote wood as the raw material of choice for pallets and packaging.
Entitled ‘Packaging from Nature’, the initiative will communicate the economic and environmental benefits of timber use in packaging and pallets, particularly compared with alternative materials such as plastics. It will be active across Europe, with the aim of presenting “a powerful, accurate and consistent message” about timber use in the industry, in countries represented by FEFPEB, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK. It is being funded by FEFPEB members, representing the manufacturing sector, as well as pallet pools and associate members.
The campaign will be in contact with the major industry and logistics magazines and online news sites across Europe, targeting packaging users and decision makers, as well as NGOs. FEFPEB is also encouraging its members to include the logo and website on their company websites, and to make use of the other resources to educate customers on the benefits of timber pallets and packaging.
The campaign resources are based online to give maximum accessibility throughout Europe, and have been launched in FEFPEB’s first language, English. They will be available in French, German, Italian and Spanish by the end of the 2011.Versions of the Packaging from Nature logo (above, right) will also be produced.
A website, www.packagingfromnature.com, has been set up featuring information about timber’s benefits for the environment; questions left unanswered about plastics, key facts and figures about timber use; as well as news, media resources, downloads and further useful links, including social media sites.
Information sheets about the benefits of timber, plastics, facts and figures, and the issue of biomass have been produced. These sheets are now available to download free of charge from the website.
Gil Covey, FEFPEB President, said: “The launch of a Europe-wide campaign is great news for the European timber packaging and pallets industry. Timber is the first choice in the manufacture of these essential products because it is better for the environment, is less expensive and sustains many more jobs – at least half a million in Europe alone – than any other packaging material.”
“We estimate that €40 billion worth of product is moved on wooden packaging and pallets every year in Europe alone. In the face of increasing competition from plastics and other competing materials we need to ensure that businesses across Europe have a good understanding of the clear advantages of using wood.”
“The Packaging from Nature campaign gives us a universal message and means of communicating it in countries represented by FEFPEB, through news and contact with the European press. We are encouraging our members to make full use of this activity, and to use the logo and link to the website to make sure their customers are aware of the compelling environmental and economic reasons for using timber.”
Following the launch of the campaign this month, news releases will be issued to European media throughout the coming year. A press office based in the UK will handle all queries from European media.
FEFPEB currently represents more than 20 associations, which account for 1,000 companies.
The MEP visited last Friday the companies, FUSTEK, CATENVA and SERRAENVÁS with D. Francisco Pons, Secretary General of CONFEMADERA, and representatives of FEDEMCO.
By FEDEMCO’s invitation, MEP Andrés Perelló visited last Friday three companies of the wood packaging sector in the province of Valencia, to learn first hand their manufacturing processes.
He was accompanied by D. Francisco Pons, Secretary General of CONFEMADERA (Spanish Confederation of Wood) and D. Fernando Trénor, General Manager of FEDEMCO.
At the company FUSTEK SL, the process of peeling poplar and veneer manufacturing was explained highlighting the national origin of this important timber crop.
Then at the company CATENVA SL, Mr. Perelló met D. Juan Aquino on behalf of D. Jose Aquino, CEO and member of the Governing Board of FEDEMCO, and saw the different stages of manufacturing plywood from veneer.
As a member of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament, Mr. Perello was particularly interested in the efficient drying of veneer from the generation of heat energy in a boiler by the recovery of wood waste generated by the industry itself .
Already at SERRANVÁS SL, D. Eleuterio Donat, Manager and Executive Committee member of FEDEMCO accompanied the MEP on a tour of their facilities to show the assembly process of wooden crates. Mr. Perelló asked about the different materials used, the quality of printing marks, the high performance of the assembly line and service capability in time developed by the sector.
Finally, D. Bernardo Lorente, President of FEDEMCO, gave a dinner to Mr. Perello and his companions. In a relaxed atmosphere, the current issues of EU were discussed and especially the recent challenges in the management of food safety and consumer protection (Mr. Perello is also a member of the Food Safety Commission). Moreover, Mr. Perelló confirmed its commitment to continue to defend claims in Brussels of timber industry and packaging, especially with regard to food compliance of wooden crates for fish.
More information:
Roberto García, Marketing & Communication
rgarcia@fedemco.com
FEDEMCO
GROW INTERNATIONAL, an organization that brings together the European sector of light wood packaging in Germany, Spain, France and Portugal held last Tuesday, May 31, a briefing with members of the European Parliament and European Commission representatives and other business organizations based in Brussels.
The event whose main objectives were to raise awareness of the sector and their priorities and challenges in food safety and environment, was sponsored by Mr. Andrés Perelló, Spanish MEP and member of the parliamentary committees of the referred areas.
Mr. Perello in his welcome speech highlighted the international integration of GROW, the traditional value of wood packaging, its quality, sustainability and links with the origin of products, the positive evolution of the sector, strategic in the climate change fight, in a context of strong competition from other materials. The MEP Advocated a more active promotion of the sector within the Parliament and the European Commission, referring to the case of fish packaging.
BONPHIL office General Manager, consultant of GROW in European affairs, Bruno Guichart, presented to the members, objectives and activities of the organization, emphasizing its integration into FEFPEB, European Wood Packaging and Pallets Federation, and the latter in CEI-Bois, European Wood Industries Confederation.
The presentation on food security was provided by Fernando Trénor, General Manager of FEDEMCO / GROW (Spanish Federation of Wooden Packaging) in Spain, which also made an analysis and assessment of European legislation on hygiene and food contact materials and its interpretation, focusing his message in different arguments and scientific references about the compliance of wood industry and timber in contact with food. Trénor asked those present to strong support for the sector, especially in the defense of wood packaging for fish.
Olivier de Lagausie, General Delegate of SIEL-GROW, Union of Industrial Light Wood Packaging in France, defended the environmental superiority of wood packaging from life cycle analysis comparison with cardboard and plastic fruit and vegetable packaging (CO2 capture, low energy and water consumption, etc.). He defended the use of this tool to question the principle of hierarchy of reuse compared to prevention and recycling of packaging waste management. Using real examples of advertising, showed how different corporations, such as Carrefour, have taken environmental positioning of wood packaging.
Finally, Uwe Groll, General Manager of the association GROW Germany and Filipa Pico, Secretary General of the association EMBAR GROW Portugal, presented the environmental benefits and cascade valuation of wood waste, showing the high degree of compliance with the European target of wood packaging recycling in different countries. They challenged the common interpretation of the legislation on packaging and packaging waste, which tends to prioritize the reuse against material recycling without sufficient justification. They also highlighted the possibilities of extending the storage effect of CO2 through recycling of waste in other products as well as the effect of replacing fossil fuels with wood residues.
The presentation concluded with a cocktail-lunch on the premises of the Europeann Parliament, decorated with attractive displays of wooden packaging and fresh produce. In this context, and in a more relaxed, MEPs, GROW members and representatives of other organizations based in Brussels, confirmed in a more relaxed atmosphere the interest and commitment of all to promote and defend the interests of the sector.
FEDEMCO
Federación Española
del Envase de Madera
www.fedemco.com
Tel.: +34 96 349 57 13
Fax: +34 96 348 56 00
Wichita Business Journal - by Daniel McCoy
Crate Tech Inc. is hiring workers and adding production space following the introduction of a new metal container fabrication business.
Dan McDonald, vice president of the Wichita-based crate manufacturer, says metal containers are more in demand among the aerospace companies he serves because of the increasing complexity and cost of the composite parts being shipped.
He also says the distances the parts have to travel in today’s globalized aviation market have placed more of an emphasis on guarding against damage.
Crate Tech will continue to make wooden shipping crates, but McDonald says the metal containers will have a big impact ...
Read more: Crate Tech expands operations to include metal containers for aerospace shipping in the Wichita Business Journal
Tejas Packing and Crating, LLC is proud to announce the grand opening of
Tejas Packing and Crating – Dallas/Ft. Worth; Proudly serving the entire DFW Metroplex.
You have come to expect great service from our Houston location. Now you can get the same excellent service in the Dallas/Ft. Worth corridor. And it is easy to get! You do not need to do anything different than you do now to book an order. Just call us at the toll free number 866-688-3527.
Sep 30, 2010
Jeff Campagna, President of FCA, recently announced a new facility in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. As the leader in custom designed industrial packaging solutions, FCA offers a broad range of custom packaging that includes wood, steel, corrugated and hybrid products. The Kingsboro-KanBan facility will manufacture skids that will house advanced manufactured engines for Cummins, a large industrial company in the region. The facility will begin operations within the next 60 days and initially employ 20 individuals with plans to expand to 40.
According to Leonard Wiggins, Chairman of the Edgecombe County Board of Commissioners, “the creation of 40 new jobs is great news for us.” “The Partnership is pleased to have assisted FCA in the location of their first North Carolina operation. We also thank the NC Department of Commerce for their assistance on this project," said Carolinas Gateway Partnership Chairman, Frank Harrison. “FCA will be providing jobs to the area workers and that is so important in these tough economic times.”
The official Press Release from Carolinas Gateway Partnership is available for more information.
Nefab, a global industrial packaging company headquartered in Sweden, today announced the acquisition of Chick Companies, the preeminent US industrial packaging company, headquartered outside of Dallas, Texas. Chick is the North American leader in industrial packaging solutions and services, with over 600 employees at 17 different locations in the US and one in Germany.
“Strategically, Chick is a key acquisition for Nefab, giving us a strong presence in the important North American market. This significantly increases our global capability in delivering complete packaging solutions worldwide to our customers. Through Chick’s expertise and excellent reputation, we can add solutions and services for a number of important customer segments including power generation, medical and telecom/electronics packaging”, commented Stefan Ekqvist, President and CEO of Nefab.
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On Thursday evening of July 23rd Craters and Freighters was honored to receive the award for The Best of Southwest Florida as the Best Crating and Logistics Company in Southwest Florida.
2010 is the twentieth year The News-Press in Fort Myers has held the event and it is also the 20th anniversary of Craters and Freighters.
Gary and Evelyn McKinley are the owners of Craters and Freighters of SW Florida located at 1136 Pine Island Road in Cape Coral, Florida.
The Southwest Florida location has specialized in art and
antique shipping since its beginning. Over the years, the
location has naturally evolved into shipping industrial equipment, medical
equipment and household goods nationally and internationally.
The Wooden Crates Organization is getting an increasing amount of notice in the transport packing industry. The development teams goal was to provide a single resource using the power of the internet, for wood crate & case manufacturers, companies that support crate manufacturers and consumers alike. This goal is coming to fruition quickly. In the future, through member support, The Wooden Crates Organization, plans to co-sponsor crating focused events throughout the US and Canada!
In February 2010, eighteen new geo-located sites were launched to promote and benefit our members. A geographically or geo-located sites means the site is hosted on servers physically located in that country or geographic region. This provides a tremendous benefit for the companies promoting their services outside of North America. Search engines are much more friendly to sites hosted in their own regions versus "foreign" servers.
These sites are targeted for consumers. All advertisers on the Wooden Crates Organization main site will see their banner ads rotate through all the geo-sites, plus sponsor ads will appear in an enhanced format on the sites that are applicable to the regions they advertise in. There are no additional fees for WCO member companies to appear on the geo-sites.
To provide some perspective on the value of the geo-sites we'll use Alexa ratings. Alexa is a common web site rating tool used to determine popularity of a website as a whole. While not the only rating tool it's easy to understand and starts scoring almost as soon as a site is launched. (Google is another common tool. Google ranks individual pages of a site instead of a site as a whole and isn't available for a period of time after a site is launched.) With Alexa, the closer to #1, the greater popularity of the site, hence, Google.com and Yahoo.com rank #1 and #2 respectively. Scores will fluctuate any given day based on a large number of factors but any site scores below one million are considered VERY good as there are currently over 60 million websites.
When the US site, Packing-and-Crating.com was launched we started see scores around 50+ million. Five days later to around 20 million to, 8 days after launch, in the 4 million range! This is ahead of where we expected to be. The non-USA sites are also moving quickly in the ratings. Keep in mind, it will still take several months for all the pages in each site to be indexed by search engines, which will improve member companies web exposure further.
How can your company get the greatest benefit?
- Make sure your company information is correct on The Wooden Crates Organization site
- Confirm you have a 2-3 sentence concise description of your products/services in the 'Summary of Services' field located in your member control panel
- Strongly consider promoting your products and services via a very inexpensive Sponsor ad or a banner ad. Sign up through your member control panel or call a representative at 1-800-577-2447 Ext 704.
The Wooden Crates Organization is YOUR organization. It's success depends on you! Please take the time to promote it among your staff, your vendors and suppliers. Our best form of advertising is YOU!
Nefab Inc., a global leader in complete packaging solutions, is introducing their LogPak pallet collars to the North American market.
LogPak is a resource-friendly alternative for packing, transporting and warehousing products. Pallet collars circulate between different companies and are used multiple times, thereby reducing the need for new packaging and the impact on natural resources. By using the proper materials, pallet collars can last up to 15 years. A worn pallet collar can also be broken down into its component parts and incinerated or melted down. Additionally the low weight and collapsibility of the collars reduces transport requirements, thus reducing fuel consumption.
Nefab pallet collars are currently available and in stock in two standard sizes. LogPak can also be made to order with options such as printing, color, and customized lengths and widths. Additionally, pallets, lids and accessories like dividers and spacers are available to meet customer requirements.
LogPak is a flexible wooden pallet collar system that has been used across Europe for many years; however in North America the awareness of pallet collars and their advantages has been somewhat limited. Originally developed by the Swedish automotive industry, pallet collars are a flexible, lightweight and environmentally friendly packing alternative.
The collars can be utilized during initial packing, in transport, in a warehouse, and for delivery to the end user. This makes for safe, efficient handling that reduces the risk of damage, injury and waste. Ideally the receiver of the pallet collars will re-use them for their own transport, or alternatively they can be collapsed and returned to the original sender. Low volume equals low-cost return freight. The basic components also make LogPak an inexpensive packing solution. Pallet collars are relatively light compared to iron cages and other types of container, and are ergonomically sound when loading and unloading, as their height adapts as required. Pallets with collars can be easily stacked, so space on trucks can be used more efficiently, and loading is also fast.
More information can be found at http://www.nefab.us.
ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Wooden Crates Organization has announced a comprehensive project to provide clean, easy-to-use, free copies of government standards for wood shipping containers and transport containers of all types in a convenient online database. The project is the first of its kind from the only organization in America dedicated to the wood shipping container industry, and provides a much-needed service.
Most of the logistics and transportation specifications in the transport packaging industry were developed and refined by the U.S. government from the 1950s to the 1980s. Because of technological limitations, these documents were typewritten and had minor flaws that made them difficult to read — and often unusable — after multiple photocopies.
A newer yet similar set of standards has been available for a fee from ASTM International, but because of the fees, many packing and crating companies have opted to simply avoid following the protocol altogether.
“My experience in the industry over the past 20 years leads me to believe that more than 50 percent of the people that make wood shipping containers have never even seen the standards for them, and more than half of those that have seen them have great difficulty in understanding them," said Wooden Crates Organization founder Jeff Duck.
The database at WoodenCrates.org provides a clean, organized and more accessible version of the specs for wooden shipping crates and more. Extensive proofreading has eliminated errors that could lead to serious design flaws, and crating standards are easier to understand in their new version. Links have been added that provide further information, as well as helpful sources. The documents are simpler to find and search through than ever before, as they're named and organized logically to allow for easy, permanent access.
"The importance of streamlining military specs is tremendous," explained Paul Vieria, chief engineer at Specialized Packaging Solutions in Newark, California. "The new index will allow quicker discovery and more efficient production, which will give all companies involved greater profitability. I applaud WoodenCrates.org for taking on this time-consuming step."
However, the project is not complete. WoodenCrates.org has plans to upload, update, and refine over 100 additional documents to offer visitors a complete resource for shipping container standards and guidelines.
"We hope that our website allows manufacturers to make safer, more reliable products that meet and exceed guidelines," Duck said. "This type of free resource has been in demand for a long time, and we're happy to finally provide it."
The refined standards are available free of charge on the Wooden Crates Organization's website, www.woodencrates.org.
About The Wooden Crates Organization:
The Wooden Crates Organization (WoodenCRATES.org) was founded in 2002 to promote the use of renewable and eco-friendly wood packaging. WoodenCRATES.org is a web based industry community that provides informational and educational resources to both manufacturers and consumers of wood transport containers. WoodenCrates.org strives to fill the needs of the transport packing and crating industry by connecting all relevant parties via one established website.
The Wooden Crates Organization
Crystal Monet, 800-577-2447 x703
crystal@woodencrates.org
or
Marcel Gauthier, 800-577-2447 x704
marcel@woodencrates.org
Albany , OR– May 1, 2009
Analog Devices has presented semiconductor equipment manufacturer and service provider MEI LLC with its sixth consecutive “Supplier Excellence Award” in the Local Site Services category. The “Supplier Excellence Award” is Analog Device’s highest honor, and MEI is honored to have won the award for six consecutive years. Based on an exacting supplier-rating program, MEI was one of just 16 suppliers worldwide to receive the honor from ADI, the global leader in high-performance semiconductors for signal processing applications, chosen from among a supplier base of more than 2000 vendors. This award recognizes MEI for its consistent, outstanding performance and continuous improvement; strategic contribution to ADI’s technology and market leadership; anticipation and delivery of cost reduction initiatives; and exemplary commitment to manufacturing excellence.
“Receiving a Global Supplier Excellence Award from Analog is an honor particularly given the breadth of products and services we supply to this important customer. We know that in order to maintain this relationship and the level of business it accompanies, we have to re-earn Analog’s trust and loyalty each and every day and our employees are dedicated to that goal.” Said Dan Cappello, CEO of MEI LLC. Liam McCaffrey, Director of purchasing, Worldwide Manufacturing for Analog Devices noted, “MEI LLC is a consistent high performance supplier to ADI, providing multifaceted support as an equipment manufacturer and retrofitter together with providing technical support.”
"Receiving the Analog Devices Supplier Excellence Award for the sixth consecutive year is an honor, and caps off a great year of new products, new markets and productivity for MEI," said Cappello. "Our relationship with Analog Devices continues to evolve as their needs shift and expand. MEI’s capabilities are broad and deep. Our challenge is to constantly anticipate our customers’ needs given that the semiconductor manufacturing landscape is constantly changing”.
About MEI LLC
MEI is a diversified manufacturing and service company serving the semiconductor and high technology industries. The company’s specialties include automated and semi-automated wet process systems and services; chemical delivery systems, control automation software; industrial and process equipment moving, rigging and crating services; clean room safety, ergonomic and support equipment; as well as a variety of manufacturing services, including CNC machining, metal and plastic fabrication and powder coating. MEI has built its reputation upon a commitment to outstanding customer service since 1990. For more information about MEI, visit www.meillc.com.
About Analog Devices
Innovation, performance, and excellence are the cultural pillars on which Analog Devices has built one of the longest standing, highest growth companies within the technology sector. Acknowledged industry-wide as the world leader in data conversion and signal conditioning technology, Analog Devices serves over 60,000 customers, representing virtually all types of electronic equipment. Celebrating over 40 years as a leading global manufacturer of high-performance integrated circuits used in analog and digital signal processing applications, Analog Devices is headquartered in Norwood, Massachusetts. http://www.analog.com
Editorial contact, Dan Cappello, MEI LLC. Dan.Cappello@meillc.com (541) 704 2427
PR Contact: Katherine Cleland, Cleland Marketing ; Katherine@clelandmarketing.com 541-231-4445
New Technology Controls Moisture In Containerized Cargo.
Contact: Ken Petsch
Tel: 904-696-0010
Email: ken@buffersusa.com
New moisture control technology overcomes limitations of traditional pouch type desiccants to reduce product loss from moisture damage during shipment.
Jacksonville, Florida, Jan. 30, 2009 –
Buffers USA is the exclusive supplier of a new line of moisture control products that prevent damaging buildup of moisture in containerized shipments. The products -- based on technology developed by Swedish firm Absortech™ International AB-- remove moisture from the air and trap it in built-in collectors.
According to John Hove, President of Buffers USA, “traditional pouch type desiccants do not permanently remove moisture from inside a container but rather continually absorb moisture until they become oversaturated then release it back into the air. Eventually the pouches loose their absorbing ability and can actually leak water onto the cargo. This new technology incorporates built-in collectors that trap the moisture as it is absorbed, preventing its re-release.”
The technology is available in a variety of product designs that meet the needs of specific container load configurations and types of cargo. ABSORPOLE™ is designed for any type of crated cargo or tightly stuffed containers. ABSORBAG™ is configured for any type of cargo that allows about 4” space (100 mm) between the cargo and the sidewalls and not loaded higher than about 5’ (1500 mm) from the floor. ABSORTOP™ is the most compact unit, designed for very tight bulk or packaged cargo loads. All these products are effective with both bulk and packaged loads, for items ranging from sensitive electronics to household furnishings to agricultural commodities.
Mr. Hove observed, “When moisture damage occurs, the business loses money in two ways. First they lose the value of the spoiled cargo and the money spent on shipping that spoiled cargo. They also incur additional costs since they now have to rework or replace the damaged goods and reship them. In the past, businesses were resigned to absorbing these losses, but with today’s higher transportation costs that is no longer a viable option. Reducing moisture spoilage in the original shipment is the best way to protect revenues and profitability.”
More information about the new technology and its applications is available on the company’s moisture products website (http://www.desiccant-solutions.com) and on a CD available upon request from the company.
About Buffers USA: Buffers USA designs, manufactures and distributes products for the intermodal transportation industry including ship’s lashing and hatch cover parts, container, van trailer and chassis parts, chassis twistlocks and pinlocks, cargo control for trucks and flatbeds, moisture control technology, thermal bulkheads, anti-theft products for containers and packaging and cargo handling products for warehouse operations. It operates through a dealer and distribution network in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central and South America. It has warehouses in Florida, Michigan and California. Headquarters are located in Jacksonville, Florida.
Deploy Tech Services has just relaunched WoodenCRATES.org, the first web based community for the wood box and crate industry.
Although this community was conceived for wood box and crate makers, it is expected that more than 80% of the visitors will be from other industries such as transportation and logistics companies as well as large product manufacturers and resellers.
Web based communities are nothing new and some industries have hundreds of them, but they are most effective in small communities such as the packing and crating industry, and are more effective when there is only one community website in the industry.
Jeff Duck, founder of the site says “It’s surprising that in 2006 this is the only place where crate makers can come together with each other and their customers. We are an industry without a trade organization so that puts WoodenCRATES.org in a unique position of responsibility and opportunity.”
The WoodenCRATES.org community concept is based around a discussion forum where crate makers and consumers can discuss issues relating to the industry. What makes this website unique is that a visitor can locate crating companies around the world as well as support service providers such as transportation providers and other representatives.
Having your company listed on WoodenCRATES.org is free and for a small fee, you can add some text and photos to your listing; providing the benefit of a web page right on the site. The site also offers banner advertising and a classified section. WoodenCRATES.org uses these to generate the revenue required to manage the site. Other than paying to place a classified ad, use of the entire site is free for all visitors.
“It was important to us that we keep our products free for everyone” says Jeff, “Anyone who comes to our site can find other companies, read our articles, browse through our standards and diagrams, and have a discussion with crate makers or anyone else who stops by. By keeping the service free, more people will visit and will stay longer. That helps the crating industry and improves communication with everyone we do business with.”
Web communities can be difficult to get started. Most start with little or no content and depend on one person to make it grow. WoodenCRATES.org has taken a different approach. They have recruited top people from inside and outside the crating community to assist in the content expansion.
Carey Smith of Nefab said “This is just what our industry needed and we are glad to be a part of it. Nefab is dedicated to helping our industry grow and I hope my participation can make a major impact.” Jeff has even gotten other industries involved right from the start. Ashley Trewman of Legacy Transportation, a full service logistics firm said “It’s not unusual for us to need to find partners somewhere in the world on short notice. WoodenCRATES.org can provide us with the contact information we need. This is why I got involved. I have no doubt it will grow fast.”
The web site will no doubt be one to watch. Currently the crating industry is only about a $1 billion USD industry in the United States and an estimated $2 billion USD worldwide. Growth has been stagnant for many years while growth of plastic shipping containers has grown steadily. Deploy Tech Services, LLC the parent company of WoodenCRATES.org states that the wood shipping container industry in the US could become a $4 billion USD industry within 15 years and expects most of that growth to come from the plastics side. Jeff Duck feels strongly that wood engineering will improve as consumer awareness of wood recyclability increases. Jeff likes to joke about crating by saying “Wood… It’s the only thing that DOES grow on trees!”
Deploy Tech, the leading provider of technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses, announced that Jeffrey R. Duck, founder and CEO of Deploy Tech, was invited to present his recommendations and findings for the wooden crating industry at the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM International) Committee D10 on Packaging’s semi-annual meeting held on October 13-15, 2002 in Norfolk, VA. The ASTM International is a not-for-profit organization that provides a global forum for the development and publication of consensus standards for materials, products, and systems. The Committee D10 on Packaging is the lead entity that holds jurisdiction of over 135 packaging related standards published in the Annual Book of ASTM Standards.
“We are privileged to have such an esteemed colleague in Jeff Duck to present at our meeting,” said, Mr. Roger Young, Chairman of ASTM’s D10.26 Subcommittee. “Our industry has been overwhelmed with a number of issues regarding the lack of common standards and regulations that are easily accessible and transferable. Mr. Duck has offered a set of recommendations that I believe will help to alleviate many of the current issues and improve the transport packaging industry, including wood box and crating, as a whole.”
Mr. Duck is a veteran in the crate packaging industry. He has spent numerous years developing solutions that benefit manufacturers and freighters within the crating industry. His hands-on experience and research within the industry, where 75% of wood box and crate manufacturers do not use terminology set forth by both government and/or military standards, formed the basis of his recommendations to Committee D10. The presentation delivered to a group of 15 top industry professionals that form the influential D10 Committee, focused on simplifying the convoluted classifications and terminology inherited by ASTM International from archaic military specifications, by proposing a new guideline to create a common set of crate definitions. The key recommendations delivered in the presentation included:
1) Providing a new set of standards for wood boxes and crates built outside of current parameters/standards;
2) Redefining standard terminology by simplifying terms and defining acronyms;
3) Developing a common set of classifications for wood box and crate specifications; and
4) Instituting assembly method standards for container applications.
“Jeff’s presentation is a good start in further refining the standards in the packaging industry,” said Elmer Kuhlman, founder of the American Wood Packaging Association. “The D10’s role is to develop and define standards that benefit the industry and I believe Jeff’s hands-on experience provides solid insight for the future. Jeff has always been a visionary in developing new solutions to improve our industry.”
“I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to present my recommendations to the Committee,” said Jeffrey R. Duck, CEO and founder of Deploy Tech. “My presentation was developed based on my research work and experience with manufacturers and freighters, where efficient processes and quality construction is key. My proposal is focused on simplifying manufacturing standards and developing a common ground to ensure the container industry is ‘speaking the same language.’ There are so many different classifications and definitions that the current regulations and standards are rarely instituted in the manufacturing process. I believe my recommendations will be a solid foundation to further strengthening the wood box and crating industries.”
Deploy Tech, the leading provider of technology solutions to small and medium-sized businesses, announced the availability of its much-anticipated Crate Pro 4.0, a product that enables manufacturers, shippers, and freight forwarders to seamlessly design and build custom commercial crates and boxes effectively and consistent with government and/or military specifications. The product, which began shipping earlier this month, addresses one of the most cost-intensive and oft-ignored problems in crate and box building, the lack of industry standardization among specifications to ensure structurally sound constructions. Crate Pro 4.0 replaces the widely adopted group of industry proven software from Deploy Tech including, Crate Generator, Crate Designer and Easy Crate.
“We are very excited about the Crate Pro solution,” said, Mr. Jeff Knapp, president of Industrial Craters and Packers. “By replacing our existing ‘hodge-podge’ system, and installing Crate Pro, we can effectively monitor past job history and customer contact data all in one place. This solution will make an immediate impact in our ability to provide better customer service and improve our quality control quite a bit. Deploy Tech’s 10 year tenure in the crating industry was a huge plus; we really wanted a solution provider with a proven record in our industry.”
“After rigorously testing the product with live data and cut-sheets, I believe Crate Pro can truly help craters build better crates,” said Paul Vieira, Packaging Engineer, Specialized Packaging Solutions, Inc. “The software produced a bill of materials with the essential data we require for designing and building custom crates - in a matter of minutes - something that would have taken us hours or days to develop to ensure structural integrity.”
New Approach Yields Greater Benefits
Deploy Tech’s Crate Pro 4.0 represents the culmination of many years of research and development effort to help effectively improve the current solutions and processes available to crate and box builders. It is the first stand alone product that offers tools and modules that enable single and/or multiple users to manage and maintain a multitude of functions inherent in a crate building business, including material and style control, accurate computer-generated cutting instructions, clear communication and design data history, electronic marketing tools such as email campaigns, and customer collaboration services.
Companies employing Crate Pro 4.0 can benefit in several ways:
- Manufacturers can gain competitive advantage by shortening their development cycles and speeding the transition of a new crate into manufacturing, while improving profitability by cutting design costs.
- Companies can more easily and successfully bid business from a broader set of customers; more efficiently develop custom crates and boxes within government and military standards; and reduce overall inefficiencies within the company.
- Shippers and manufacturers can create crates and boxes through computer generated guides to deliver structurally sound products and improve freight packing and transporting.
- Newly formed companies can more quickly move into crate and box production through a simple and accurate process and optimize relationships with customers and suppliers.
“The release of our Crate Pro 4.0 product is a clear indication of our commitment to the crating industry,” said Mr. Jeffrey Duck, founder of Deploy Tech. “From our initial entry of Easy Crate, 10 years ago, to our most recent addition of Crate Pro 4.0, we are focused on delivering cost-effective solutions that impact the bottom-line for craters, shippers and freight forwarders alike.”
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When we were looking for a way to introduce our new Scrail fastener product to the crate manufacturing community, we were very pleased to find WoodenCRATES.org. We see it as being an excellent venue for bringing suppliers together with manufacturers in a way that will increase the strength of the market via education and relevant information about crating. We can directly see who's who in the industry, and introduce them to our extended line of pneumatic tools and collated fasteners specifically designed for crating applications. No other media gave us this type of access to get our message across like WoodenCRATES.org.
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