Perforated shrink film, perfected
It may not sound like a lot, but a quarter of a millimeter is a significant competitive advantage in the world of shrink film.
That’s why here at Haremar, we’re “green” with excitement over our latest innovation: a micro-perforated shrink film with a gauge of .45 mm — the lowest-gauge film we’ve ever produced.
The shrink film was developed specifically for cucumbers, one of the produce aisle’s most popular commodities and one of only a handful of vegetables shrink-wrapped for retail sale.
Targeted by Haremar Plastics as a good fit for our film and manufacturing capabilities, developing the perforated shrink film was no easy feat.
The shrink film had two distinct requirements: one, that it beat the current industry standard of a .5 mm or .6 mm gauge. And secondly, that new lower gauge had to be successfully, and consistently, perforated for breathability.
That’s where Haremar’s excellent business relationships came into play.
Once a test film had been developed, we took it to an operator with the flexibility to set up a test line. They set up a perforator and allowed us to run several rolls of film we could take to our client and its customers for review.
Our client told us its customers wanted even higher gloss and industry-beating gauge — and we’re proud to say we delivered.
We worked with our resin suppliers to create the lowest-gauge film Haremar has ever produced — an industry-leading .45 mm. And through our testing process, we developed a glossier, thinner and stronger film that ran on the line with reduced tail length to give the producer growers more cucumbers per pound of film.
The initiative has been a huge success. Our first order of 5,000 lbs was flawless and was quickly followed by a 20,000-lb order and a 75,000-lb order after that.
All of the reports back from our customers and their customers are of a tough low-gauge film with high consistency and even higher gloss.
The best part? We went from concept to full-size orders in about six months.
Special thanks to our hardworking team here at Haremar, as well as our dedicated suppliers and our collaborative customers. None of this would be possible without their vision and dedication.
The Seven C's of Success
By Mark Lichtblau, Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd.
I sometimes get the feeling that business styles and philosophies change quicker and more dramatically than retail store windows in the mall. It seems like every possible TLA (three-letter acronym) combination has been used by one business or another — so much so that some management and strategy gurus are resorting to four-letter acronums, which are really just TLAs preceded by an "I", "E", or "X", making for a perceived modern edge to the term.
In reality, strategy and tactics are more than just fads or a means to sell books. They're critical tools needed for the success of any business, including yours; indeed, the dissemination implementation and execution of a strategic plan can be more important than the actual plan itself.
There are two schools of thought here. The first says that the plan is definitely more important than the implementation, and the second maintains — of course — the exact opposite, that implementation is more crucial. I've always been a firm believer in the second philosophy, and am critical of poor strategies and ill-devised plans or under-developed plans; if you haven't mastered the implementation and execution of a strategy, the potential success and impact of the plan will probably be lost.
The company I work for, Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd., recently implemented and rolled out a new organizational strategy, nicknamed "The Seven C's of Success".
- COMPETENCE: The need to maintain a high level of training and development to ensure a highly-skilled workforce and safe environment.
- CONFIDENCE: All employees must share passion and enthusiasm for the company, its products and its customers.
- COMMITMENT: You need to be committed to your customers' success.
- CREATIVITY: The need for a supportive, creative and open environment where every employee can constructively share his or her ideas.
- COMPETITIVE EDGE: Understand what characteristics of your business differentiate your company from the competition, and how these differences add value for your customers.
- COMMUNICATION: All levels of staff must communicate clearly and often to ensure a timely and effective flow of information.
- CONTINUITY: Everyone needs to be reading from the same business script.
We prominently display and reference these seven C's in high-traffic areas throughout the Haremar facility, as well as in presentations and on printed materials. I believe that the consistent and clear communication of these ideas enables our employees to "buy in" and "tie in" at various levels of strategies and actions.
In the end, having a successful implementation plan and communications strategy ensures that all our workers can understand and embrace our goals. It can work for you too.
Mark Lichtblau is the corporate vice president of Haremar Plastic Manufacturing Ltd., a Toronto-based mono and co-extruded film supplier.
Haremar needs YOU!
We are pleased to share that Haremar’s compostable ASTM D6400–04-standard film is a part of BASF Biodegradable Polymers group’s revolutionary new high-barrier, 100% compostable multilayer food packaging structure.
This innovative packaging has been honoured with inclusion in the International Plastics Design Competition at NPE 2012, in the People’s Choice division.
We need your vote to help us win! Find out more about the People’s Choice division here and vote online for the compostable multilayer packaging here.
