The Advantages of Trying Something New
KIVO successfully moves from wooden wedges to Rollguard fiber cradles
Related article: Converter Magazine featured Rollguard’s Cradle solution for KIVO Plastic Verpakkingen
Sometimes a specific request from a customer leads a company to try something they ordinarily wouldn’t consider. Such was the case for KIVO Plastic Verpakkingen of the Netherlands; one of Europe’s main producers of high-density polyethylene. The company has always used traditional wooden wedges to cradle its products. That changed when KIVO was approached by a customer to begin handling its foil lamination. The metalized film is typically used by companies producing beverage containers including liquid in a bag. Although the customer was outsourcing what had been an in-house foil lamination process, they didn’t want anything else about their process to change; including how their rolls of film are palletized. That’s when KIVO was introduced to Rollguard.
Rollguard’s Roll Cradle Solutions For KIVO
“The client wanted us to continue using what they used in every aspect of production, including what they used for product packaging, which was Rollguard’s fiber cradles,” said Sven Damsma, Procurement Manager for KIVO. Although Rollguard’s products were new to KIVO, it didn’t take long to make the transition.
“We worked closely with KIVO to ensure a seamless transition to what was, for them, a new way of packaging product,” explained Rob Swannell, General Manager of Great Northern Rollguard. “We knew what their client wanted and, in turn, we wanted to make sure KIVO was able to hit the ground running with its new business.”
That’s exactly what happened. “We really didn’t have any issues,” explained KIVO’s Damsma. “If I had questions, we got the answers quickly. They worked with us to problem solve and they continue to be a strong supplier. We have fewer problems with Rollguard and are very happy with the product.”
In addition to a smooth transition to a new way of stacking, the advantages of Rollguard’s fiber cradles quickly became apparent. “Rollguard’s fiber cradles are simple to use, lightweight, easily stackable, take up less space and take less time to use than traditional cradles,” Damsma added. “Plus, we were surprised by how durable they are. By comparison, traditional wooden cradles are heavy, they can splinter and we have to nail wood to the pallet itself, which takes a fair amount of time.”
“It’s not unusual for companies to generally stick with what they’ve always used when it comes to packaging and stacking,” Swannell said. “This is a case where a customer said to KIVO, ‘we want you to use Rollguard’ and, when they did, they found out it was a superior product. We’re always happy to help customers learn about those advantages.”
Rollguard’s fiber cradles are made and shipped from Germany, offering an innovative packaging product for all roll and cylindrical products. Is it time for you to try something new in packaging? Learn more by contacting us, or use our product configurator to determine which Rollguard product would work best for your packaging needs.
