RM2 Introduces New Pallet Tracking Technology
RM2 International, the vertically-integrated innovator in pallet development, management and supply is introducing a proprietary solution to monitor pallets as they move through the supply chain. ELIot (Electronic Link to the Internet of Things) is a track & trace monitoring device that enhances both pallet and supply chain security and provides actionable information.
“What separates ELIoT from other track & trace technologies is that it’s knitted into the fabric of the BLOCKPal™ and it’s completely maintenance free,” said David Simmons, Chief Technology Officer of RM2. “ELIoT can provide a standalone service or be seamlessly integrated into a customer’s operational IT systems.”
“ELIoT is entering the market at an opportune time as demand for technological solutions in the supply chain surges,” said David Kalan, VP of Marketing and Sales for RM2. “For example, in the US Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Act of 2012, there is a future mandate for the track and trace capability from raw materials to finished goods. This mandate is for both the product and pallet, until ELIoT there was no solution to satisfy this demand. ELIoT increases our client’s visibility and provides them with accurate location information throughout the supply chain.”
RM2 will introduce ELIoT at Pack Expo International and Pharma Expo in Chicago, IL from Nov. 6 – 9, 2016. RM2 will be located in the East Hall booth 6785 within the Reusable Packaging Association Pavilion.
“The strength, durability and reparability of the BLOCKPal translate into well over a hundred pallet trips. These characteristics combined with ELIoT, makes the RM2 BLOCKPal pallet an affordable and trackable solution comparable to both wood and plastic pallets,” said Kalan.
All Pack Expo attendees are invited to RM2’s Learning Center Session on “The New Pillar of a Successful Reusable Packaging Program: IoT”. The session will be on Nov. 8 from 12:00 pm – 12:45 pm Central Standard Time held on the Reusable Packaging Association Stage located in the East Hall.
J-tec Industries, Inc. Announces Exclusive International Distribution Partnership with K.Hartwall
J-tec Industries, Inc., manufacturer of the CarryMore® Mother/Daughter Tugger Cart System and other material handling solutions, based in East Peoria, Illinois, and K.Hartwall, a Finland-based logistics processes solutions provider, have announced an exclusive distribution partnership to expand sales of each company’s material handling solutions internationally, including J-tec’s CarryMore® product line. J-tec will continue its direct sales focus in North America and Canada and K.Hartwall will focus on growth in Europe and China, with additional activity in Mexico, according to J-tec officials.
J-tec was founded in 2005 in East Peoria, Illinois and made its mark in the material handling industry by designing custom returnable containers and shipping racks, primarily for the construction equipment, industrial mining, and agricultural manufacturing industries. It has since diversified its offerings and markets, largely focusing sales efforts on its own patented, totally mechanical CarryMore® Mother/Daughter Tugger Cart System. This system supports Lean processes by moving materials efficiently via tugging a train of carts throughout manufacturing facilities. Both companies currently have customers in multiple continents and look to expand into each other’s geographic base. J-tec has 166,000 square feet of manufacturing facilities in three buildings in East Peoria, Illinois.
K. Hartwall was founded in 1932 in Söderkulla, Finland. Over the years it has generated in-depth knowledge of Lean logistics processes and their financial and environmental impacts. Today they bring logistics efficiency by delivering innovative solutions, including returnable load carriers and services around them. K. Hartwall has become the preferred partner to several companies in retail, dairy, beverage, logistics and Lean manufacturing.
The move strengthens both company’s international footprint. “J-tec has been experiencing impressive sales growth since 2010 in North America, primarily,” said Jon Peterson, J-tec President, and co-founder. “That’s mostly due to the efficiency and popularity of our CarryMore® system solutions. Our innovative mechanical solution helps companies “Go Fork Free.” That is, it allows them to limit or remove fork truck activities in high traffic areas — such as using them for delivering products to the line. Fork truck accidents are the number one source of workplace injury and expense. Our CarryMore® Mother/Daughter Tugger Cart System replaces those trucks being used for that purpose,” he said.
According to Peterson, J-tec doubled its manufacturing capabilities in the past two years to prepare to meet expected demand for its CarryMore® products. And they’ve stepped up their marketing activity. “We met K. Hartwall in Atlanta in April, 2016 at MODEX when we formally introduced the CarryMore® system to the world. After many discussions comparing growth strategies, market strengths, company cultures and more, we agreed that this was a perfect partnership to help both companies grow. We now are making plans to expand our manufacturing to Europe, China, and Mexico,” Peterson said. We want to reach $40 million in sales volume by 2020. We’ll achieve that goal by producing quality products that exceed our customers’ expectations and solve their problems. K.Hartwall’s experience in Lean logistics management and international trade gets both of us into new markets as one team, providing value-added services to our customers. We are very proud of this step we are taking together,” he said.
K. Hartwall CEO, Vesa Tempakka, added, “We are very pleased with our new partnership with J-tec Industries. Their CarryMore® products are unique in the industry and give us a quality and price-point edge on the hydraulic and pneumatic systems sold in our markets today. We share similar goals to facilitate efficient, Lean solutions to improve distribution processes in manufacturing locations. We are also pleased that J-tec will assist us in growing our product offerings throughout North America with their outstanding customer base and sales expertise.”
For more information about J-tec or K.Hartwall, please visit their respective websites at: www.jtecindustries.com and www.K-Hartwall.com.
Woodruff Changes Name to Primex
Woodruff Corporation, a manufacturer of reusable, returnable and recyclable plastic shipping containers, point of purchase displays and retail packaging, and O’Neil Color & Compounding, a leading supplier of color and polymer solutions for plastics processors, have announced a change of their names to Primex Design & Fabrication and Primex Color, Compounding & Additives, respectively. Both companies are divisions of sheet extruder Primex Plastics Corporation, a subsidiary of ICC Industries.
“The new names are more indicative of who we are, what we do and our relationships with our parent company, our customers, employees, and suppliers,” said Doug Borgsdorf, Primex’s business unit director for Woodruff and O’Neil.
Though the new names don’t become official until January 1, 2017, both companies are using Pack Expo 2016 (Chicago, November 6-9) to launch what they call the “one company” concept. “We want to use this opportunity to introduce our various constituents to, not only the new names but the important changes in the way we interface with the market,” said Borgsdorf.
“The names reflect an emphasis on the synergies between Woodruff, O’Neil, and Primex in delivering total solutions to our customers, from materials through recycling,” said Primex President Mike Cramer. But it’s more than one-stop shopping. It’s involvement at the project development stage, ensuring all of Primex’s assets are employed to solve customer challenges and offer the best solutions. According to Cramer, these resources include technical development at Primex’s John J. Farber Technology and Innovation Center, centralized quality control, faster delivery and a single point of contact for the entire process. “All of our business managers will be cross trained and well versed in the entire Primex family of services and expertise, allowing them to offer our customers a more comprehensive approach to their needs,” said Tim Schultz, Primex vice president of sales and marketing.
An additional benefit to the changes includes customer access to Primex’s vast inventory and local distribution network. These encompass five U.S. locations and one in Europe, providing just-in-time (JIT) materials for manufacturers along with 24/7 technical support.
“The name changes allow our companies to approach the market with one unified brand, one that has stood for high quality, innovative products since 1965,” said Schultz.
New Shipping Sleeves Available from Primex Fabrication
Recyclable, reusable system provides durability and reduced weight
Primex Design & Fabrication (formerly Woodruff Corporation), a manufacturer of reusable, returnable and recyclable plastic shipping containers, point of purchase displays and retail packaging, has announced the release of Bubble-X® Sleeve Pak durable sleeves for shipping.
Combined with a matching pallet and cover, Sleeve Pak is the perfect lightweight, returnable, reusable and recyclable solution. Primex’s high-density bubble board delivers protective rigidity along with moisture and chemical resistance. All surfaces of the Bubble-X Sleeve Pak can be screen printed to ensure brand integrity.
Since Primex Sleeve Paks can be folded flat, they require minimal space for storage and return shipment. Bubble-X Sleeve Pak is made from 100 percent recyclable polypropylene and comes in a variety of standard sizes and colors.
Bubble X’s unique twin-sheet plastic co-extrusion creates double-walled, three-dimensional board that is 20 times stronger than corrugated paperboard construction. No other process nor material produces this exceptional strength to weight ratio. According to Primex Design & Fabrication Business Unit Director Doug Borgsdorf, “our product is the only one manufactured in North America, thus allowing us to produce custom sizes, colors, wall thicknesses and other properties for our customers and provide rapid delivery for very specific applications.”
TS Tech Americas of Reynoldsburg, Ohio purchased nearly four thousand Bubble-X Sleeve Pak systems including pallets this past June. The Sleeve Paks are used to ship automotive seat frame parts from Mexico to an assembly facility in Ohio. Corporate Manufacturing Administrator Geoffrey Gay needed a custom size and color to match existing containers used by the facility. “We needed a durable, lightweight solution to reduce shipping costs and ensure we could stack the containers three high,” said Gay.
Primex Design & Fabrication designed the perfect solution for TS Tech, printed the containers to match existing packaging and, because of U.S.-based manufacturing, was able to beat the customer’s delivery expectations. “We can now fit 90 containers in a 53-foot van. By using Bubble-X products, we can reduce the total number of trucks by nearly 40 percent,” said Gay.
The Bubble-X Sleeve Pak is part of an entire shipping solution which includes pallets, covers and customized internal components such as foam inserts and dividers. Primex Fabrication can custom-formulate the Bubble-X board to include characteristics such as UV protection, anti-static and vapor inhibitor.
Standard Sizes
40″ x 40″
40″ x 48″
44″ x 44″
44″ x 54″
45″ x 48″