Posted by Katie Knight on Tue, Jul 19, 2011
DALE, IN (July 5, 2011) – Universal Package Systems recently built a custom shipping box for an automotive supply company. The one-of-a-kind plastic container is 146” long by 48” wide, by 50” tall, has four drop doors and a 2,500 lb. weight capacity. By replacing a smaller, non-collapsible container with a custom made, collapsible custom shipping container, Universal Package Systems was able to increase the customer’s return ratio from 1:1 to 2:1. This attribute alone provided the ROI needed for its customer to justify construction of custom containers.
Drop doors on each of the four sides were added to the configuration to provide easy access to its contents from any side, while custom dunnage was designed to hold product securely and safely. The custom shipping box is made of durable HDPE and features 4-way fork lift entry. Universal Package System’s advanced cut and weld techniques guarantee container integrity and durability even at extreme dimensions.
Posted by Jim Kulbeth on Mon, Dec 20, 2010
Can somebody tell me what happened to the old fashion values in business? I can remember a time when all it took was two people to make a verbal agreement, and the deal was done. Customer service lived up to its name, companies instilled good values into their employees, customers came first, and morals and ethics were a “Must” to maintain your job.
I hate calling a company, taking 10 minutes to negotiate my way through a maze to get to the extension that I want to speak with only to get another computer asking me to leave a message. In my company, I want a person to answer the phone by the second ring. The only time I want one of my customers to speak with a machine is if they prefer to leave a phone message. I can tell you that if I have a choice of doing business with a machine or a person, the person wins every time. It may cost me a few cents more but I get it back in service.
What happened to the common courtesy of calling a person and cancelling a meeting before you drive six hours to find that your meeting has been cancelled? I can think of nothing more aggravating than traveling 300 miles to meet with someone (at his or her request), only to arrive and find the person is not there, and there has been no arrangement made for you to meet with someone who has at least a crumb of information on the project. It is inconvenient, costly and time consuming.
What happened to companies with good morals and ethics? In today’s world the larger companies dictate the terms of any purchase orders or contracts with little regard to how it will affect the smaller company. They want to be paid in 30 days, but 60 to 90 days to get paid by them is the norm. They simply tell you that if you do not want do the deal, they will give it to someone who will. It never crosses their mind that someday, when times are good, they may need that small company. The old saying “What goes around comes around” is very true and pay back can be devastating.
The onus is on management to set the standards for their employees. No better example can be presented than the demise of ENRON CORPORATION. The management instilled values in the company that was mimicked all the way down through the employee chain. That company failed. Just remember: “GOOD EMPLOYEES MAKE A COMPANY, IF THE COMPANY MAKES GOOD EMPLOYEES.”
Jim Kulbeth, President
Universal Package Systems
Posted by Jim Kulbeth on Fri, May 21, 2010
Custom plastic containers, or cut and welded con
tainers, cost more per unit than a standard container that your products fit into "pretty well." So why should you pay more for a custom container? We'll give you 4 good reasons and try to make you a believer.
1. The most expensive thing you can store and ship is air. When your products fit into an off-the-shelf container "pretty well", chances are you have many air pockets that you can eliminate with a custom plastic container.
2. If you stop packing "air" into your containers, you're going to be able to pack and ship more product per cubic foot, meaning your transportation costs are going to decrease. Whether it's a sea container, train, or tractor trailer, you'll be cubing out the space with product, not with air.
3. A custom plastic container can be built to fit your product perfectly. This is going to result in less product damage during shipping.
4. Loading and unloading parts or products into a custom container is going to be much easier, and require less time since the container is built specfically for the application. Your product is 104.5 inches long....a custom plastic container can be built to hold items 104.5 inches long.
Custom, cut and welded plastic containers are not the solution to every storage and shipping application, but if you're forcing your product to fit into off-the-shelf containers it may be time to weigh the alternative.
Posted by Jim Kulbeth on Fri, Feb 05, 2010
"Going Green" can be an expensive undertaking, especially for a small business, and when this transition is not monetarily feasible you have to think outside the box to improve your environmental performance. We are currently employing activities that include waste minimization and recycling as well as modifying our products to be utilized in completely new markets.
In 2008, the price of oil skyrocketed and so did the price of plastic. As a result of this we were forced to rethink our business model. We've been buying back used bulk bins, refurbishing them and reselling back into the same markets from which they came to be used again. However, we found that a great deal of the used containers that we were buying were no longer suitable for the 
job for which they were designed, and could not cost effectively be repaired.
Typically in this situation these containers would be sent to the re-grinders to be reprocessed, or they would become plastic refuse.
What we have done to extend the life of these otherwise unusable containers, is to retrofit them with hoppers and sell them as cost effective and long-lasting grain and feed hoppers for horses and other livestock. We have also retrofitted them with slow feeder tops, and they're being used as hay feeders. Our new customers are happy that the "new" containers will withstand a significant amount of abuse from animals, and we've put the refurbished containers back into their original markert where they can be used another 5-10 years.
These are some of the new and ever-changing innovations from Universal Package Systems showing our dedication to the customer and environment.
Universal Package Systems: Custom Solutions for Packaging, Custom Solutions for the Environment.