What Is Contract Packaging?

What is Co-Packing? You’re a Contract Packager? I have heard those questions more times than I can recall, and understandably so. Even procurement managers who have been in the business for decades don’t have any idea sometimes if they have not looked into utilizing this service.

And make no mistake, it is a service. Co-packing or contract packaging can best be described as taking a customer’s product, and putting it into a finished retail or user-friendly package. But it doesn’t stop there….it can also mean doing a rework of a customer’s product, or an inspection looking for defects or blemishes, or even wrong bar code numbers. It also includes assembly of products, if the customer wishes it. We are the jack of all trades for production. We are required to provide a broad spectrum of finish packaging styles to accommodate a wide array of customers.

This includes shrink, cello wrap, flow wrap, bundling, bagging, blister, shrink banding, gluing, ink jetting, labeling, kitting, collating, assembly, rework, inspection and other forms that I’m sure I have yet to hear of despite being involved in this industry for 19 years. But rest assured, if they come up with it, we will be prepared to do it.

Co-packing can be a vital component to a company’s bottom line. By using our contract packaging services, they accomplish a number of positive things. They can focus on what they are truly in business to do, make their product. The peripheral packaging is handled by us. This allows the customer’s employees to be focused on their product, in a smaller footprint of space. Meaning less overhead, less management, and less headaches.

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It also provides a variable cost, in that if there is packaging to be done, it can be sent out and they absorb only the cost to package the product. If there is no product to be sent out, then there is no charge and they are not sitting on space, personnel and overhead that would otherwise need to be available to handle the packaging.

Certainly, to a customer, sending their product out can be stressful and concerning for them. They are entrusting a 3^rd party to take care of their product as well as they would.

Our goal is to handle it even better than they would. We are experts at doing the packaging, and we treat each and every item as if it were our very own product.

Some companies have always handled their own packaging, and that is what they prefer. We stand at the ready when their volume goes up and they can’t keep up with demand.

Or when they are at risk of meeting delivery dates, we are there to take on that overflow and help them to continue to shine with their customers.

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The same applies to mistakes or errors. These things happen when customers get too busy, and having to stop production to check for the error, or to rework a product only makes matters worse. We are there to help in those instances also. The customer can continue their production, and we will focus on the rework, making sure it is right and ready for their customer. So instead of falling behind, we help them stay up-to-date and continue to help them exceed their customers’ expectations.

So what is co-packing?? It is the service that provides peace of mind to manufacturers who need help in a multitude of ways. It is a service which provides as much or as little production assistance as each customer requires.

Rest assured, we are working hard behind the scenes to ensure our customers look good to their customers.

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