Category: Uncategorized

by Paige Knorek.

Welcome to the fourth installment of Women in the Workplace Series. If you’d like to read the previous articles, check out the links below!

Interview with Pat Thoen

Interview with Becky Iverson

Interview with Therese Jakes

Did you know that just over 11% of all Douglas Machine employees are female?

As the newest employee contributing to that 11% statistic at Douglas Machine, I was surprised with the opportunity to write an article on the topic “Douglas – Then & Now.” I’m still learning about Douglas now, in addition to the rich history of Douglas over the years! After considering the possibilities, however, I decided to narrow my focus to a topic I was truly curious about: the women who have been employed at Douglas since the company was first established in 1964.

In order to get a credible perspective on this topic, I interviewed seven women, including one retiree and six current employees. Their work spans every decade of Douglas’s existence—and therefore provides insight into the experiences of women in the workplace over time, the variety of work that women have contributed to Douglas, and their advice for women who are interested in working in a similar industry.

Interview with Jackie Caron

1. How long have you worked at Douglas, and in what position/s?

JACKIE: I started in 1991, so I have worked at Douglas for 27 years; Sales Administrative Assistant, Marketing Services Manager, Marketing Communications and Training Manager, R+D Services Manager, Technical Services Parts Supervisor, Replacement Parts Manager.

2. What drew you to this line of work? What specifically brought you to Douglas?

JACKIE: Microsoft Word and Excel were just coming out so I went to school to learn those programs. I was looking for a job that would allow me to grow. I need something challenging — if I don’t, I get bored. What drew me to the work I do now was the variety, the constant training, and the possibility of opportunities. When I started, the company was small enough so I could do lots of different things. It took five interviews before they finally hired me!

3. In a nutshell, what do you do?

JACKIE: I’m responsible for the replacement parts for Douglas Machine core machines and I have a wonderful team that gets it all done.

4. Were you married and/or were you raising a family when you started working at Douglas?

JACKIE: Married, yes. While I was working at Douglas Machine, we were blessed with the adoption of our daughter in 2002.

5. Was it usual for women to be working at the time when you started? Did many of your friends and female peers work?

JACKIE: Yes, they worked. That’s kind of when that transition was happening [it was becoming more common for women to work].

6. How many of the people on your team are also female? What is that like?

JACKIE: I have two people on my team that are female and I enjoy the input from them. They provide a different point-of-view. It’s good to have the women on my team to bounce ideas off of. It’s nice to have that additional variety because women do think differently.

7. In your opinion, how has the role of women in the workplace changed over time?Why do you think those changes have occurred?

JACKIE: I think that the amount of responsibility given to women has changed. When I started, there were no women in leadership roles. Even in other industries I worked in, women were in support roles, not leadership roles. Now more women are working in leadership roles. Over the years, it has been a struggle to be in a leadership role and have people actually listen to what I have to say. That is constantly evolving. I think media has had a big impact on change. I think women getting appropriate training and education on how to function in a male-dominated environment has also had an impact. I have had mentors, both men and women, who have provided support. In this company, it has been men who have recognized my abilities and been open to growth opportunities for me and other women. Society has changed, so men are looking at women differently. Women can do more than be in a support role, and we can bring value to the conversation. That openness is so important in an industry such as manufacturing.

8. If you were to guess, what percentage of Douglas employees today do you think are women?

JACKIE: 10% or 15%.

9. What advice would you give women who are considering working in this industry?

JACKIE: Keep the emotion out of it and present the facts. Remain positive and do the right thing. Seeking first to understand is huge. Once you have that, it’s important to be able to logically engage in a discussion. The last thing is to laugh and have fun. It can be very stressful if you don’t.

10. Do you have any other comments you would like to share?

JACKIE: It’s been a good journey overall. I’ve grown personally and professionally, and I’ve seen those around me grow. I hope that can continue.

Connect With Douglas Machine

Reach out to us today to learn more about Douglas Machine and our family! You can also connect with us for more details on our powerful secondary packaging solutions.

It’s an exciting time to be in the beverage industry! Yet with so many exciting products and innovations emerging, it’s also difficult to know exactly what’s in store. At Douglas Machine, we’re excited to explore new developments in the beverage sector—so here’s a list of the market and packaging trends expected to play a significant role in the beverage industry in 2019.

Beverage Market Trends

Protein Beverages

Protein beverages continue to be a popular category. Consumers are increasingly interested in health and fitness, and many beverages will focus on building wellness. The growing acceptance of protein beverages by athletes and non-athletes alike has led to increased innovation in the forms and flavors of protein beverages offered. Consumers that are not traditional athletes are more likely to be intrigued by drinks like protein coffee and protein water.

Overall, protein drinks still have a stronghold in the fitness arena. Even so, you will see that marketing has shifted to demonstrate the benefits of protein for all people, not just athletes. Corporates are beginning to embrace plant protein as well—and expansion to new products, including coffee and milk, is expected.

Nootropic Beverages

Nootropics are a type of nutrient or supplement that helps to improve brain performance and health. A popular beverage component during the past few years, continued growth in nootropics are expected with continued interest in functional food and beverage. With consumers focused on reducing caffeine and sugar intake, nootropic beverages provide an energy-boosting and mind-enhancing effect without some of the drawbacks of more traditional energy drinks.

Beverages Good For Your Digestive Health

As digestive health is seeing an increase in self-research and being a more widely-discussed wellness topic, fermented beverages, probiotic, and prebiotic beverages will likely grow even more popular. Kombucha is a fermented probiotic tea that has gained appeal in the past few years. Probiotics help to replace good bacteria in the gut. Young adults, in particular, are more likely to purchase functional food and beverages over traditional options.

Collagen

Another trend meeting the high demand for functional beverages is collagen-infused beverages. Collagen, an animal-derived protein believed to benefit skin, hair, muscles and joints, is also the main structural protein found in our skin. Collagen has long been a popular ingredient in topical beauty products and supplements, especially in the U.S. market. Collagen is ideal for incorporation into food and beverage because it’s odorless, tasteless, is stable in a solution, dissolves easily and tolerates a wide range of storage and processing temperatures and conditions.

It should be noted, however, that while the benefits of collagen are popularly accepted, there’s little actual data to support the claim that collagen supplements have a significant effect on skin, hair, or joints. Additionally, the recommended dose of collagen to see results is far too large to put into one single-serving product. It does seem as though consumers will have plenty of products to choose from in the near future. Already, collagen-infused ready-to-drink beverages and shots, coffee creamers, bone broths, and even gin, have hit American shelves—but there’s still massive room for growth.

Functional Waters

Functional waters are drinking water with added health benefits, generally derived from vitamins, minerals, herbs and fruit that are added to the water by the manufacturer. Protein water, probiotic water and collagen water are all available currently. As more consumers switch from drinks like soda that are heavy in sugar and calories to beverages that bring more health benefits, functional water is becoming increasingly common on store shelves.

Because of oversaturation of the traditional bottled water market, focus has been placed on how to make water stand out. While bottled water has been criticized for being environmentally wasteful, many still enjoy the convenience of bottled water, and increasing concerns about tap-water contamination have kept the bottled water industry strong.

Cannabis

Looking at trends in the states where cannabis sales are legal shows both promise and room for growth and evolution. From hemp beer to CBD cold brew and THC-infused soda, companies are experimenting with different uses and combinations of these compounds depending on their geography and risk tolerance.

As legalized cannabis spreads in North America, beer companies are leading the way in investing in the growing trend. The food industry has seen cannabis edibles take off over the last decade. A number of leading beer and liquor producers have begun to hedge against declines in alcohol consumption by investing in cannabis.

Beverage Packaging Trends

In the ever-changing packaging industry, new styles come and go. As consumers’ needs and desires shift and evolve, brands are on the lookout for a way to get ahead in their respective markets. This will hold true in 2019 as evidenced by the various trends on the horizon for the beverage packaging industry.

Flexibility

Flexible packaging has definitely come into its own in recent years. Much of this growth is due to material and production advancements. Today, environmentally-friendly plastics and new end-of-life recycling initiatives have allowed flexible packaging’s popularity to grow. Many flexible packages are structurally designed to be easy for the customer to use, like being resealable. A pouch’s adaptable shape often makes it easy to carry and store. It also uses less material than rigid packaging. It’s lighter weight helps reduce transportation and e-commerce costs. This source reduction lessens the overall impact on the environment.

E-commerce

It may come as no surprise that e-commerce will grow faster than ever in 2019. As e-commerce becomes more popular, brands will have to try harder to stand out. Their packaging designs will need to become more personalized. This shift means potentially splitting brand messaging between primary and secondary packaging, creating ‘unboxing’ experiences for those who want to post to social media, and packaging to handle extended supply chains.

Another factor in e-commerce packaging is the amount of packaging that brands use. The total packaging material involved in a product will need to be carefully considered. Too much packaging will give the brand a reputation for being environmentally unfriendly, while too little will make the brand seem generic or cheap. Flimsy packaging may potentially allow products to get damaged during shipping.

Environmental Awareness

Sustainable packaging has steadily become more important to consumers. Many brands have taken this into account and have changed their packaging accordingly by replacing non-recyclable plastics in their packaging with biodegradable alternatives like paper and hemp.

Reducing or replacing materials in packaging can have a range of positive effects. Using less material will lower a product’s weight, meaning it will require less energy to be transported and by extension will have a smaller carbon footprint. Using less material also often results in lower production costs. Finally, using more non-toxic biodegradable materials is safer for people and the environment. This is positive for both ecosystem and brand reputation.

Simplicity

Stripping a package design to its bare essentials has been a popular choice partly due to minimalist styles being definitively linked with the reduction of materials. Not only does this cut production costs, but it also makes the brand image popular with environmentally aware consumers.

Minimalism’s greatest strength is its clarity. If a brand or product uses a small amount of text to explain exactly what it contains, the resulting simplicity implies transparency. This will reward the brand with increased consumer trust and loyalty. However, this means that more pressure will be placed on the remaining design elements to stand out from the competition. Effective use of color, empty space and fonts will be paramount.

Nostalgic Packaging

To keep packaging innovative and modern, brands must be constantly aware of the changing styles in the industry and looking out for up-and-coming trends. Failure to keep up with the competition will lead to packaging that comes across as dated and dreary.

Another option is to go to the other extreme—create packaging with a deliberate retro feel. This move has proven popular in recent years, particularly with food and drink products. Consumer approval of the style is rooted in nostalgia. It reminds consumers of their past and has an air of authenticity. Increased familiarity means the consumer will instinctively trust the product more than modern, unfamiliar designs.

Connected Packaging

With mobile devices and technology linking packaging to the online world, connected packaging is on the rise. Brands have a wealth of options to virtually connect with packaging, from QR codes to augmented reality. This connection is enabling brands to influence how they’re viewed online and deliver engaging content.

Private Labels

Retailers like Walmart, Target and CVS no longer just sell other brands’ products. They are heavily investing in their own private labels, squeezing out the brands that stock their shelves.

Retailers and e-commerce marketplaces can use the data they’ve gathered from selling other brands’ products over the years to design their own private labels, then design products to target the segments they see as most profitable.

Amazon alone offers over 120 private-label brands. These e-commerce retailers are well-positioned to spot gaps in the market: online marketplaces can track the products that shoppers search for but don’t find, analyze which categories have relatively less competition and find prices that could be undercut. They are also able to optimize their marketing messages to maximize impact.

Beverage Packaging with Douglas Machine

With the wide range of beverage products available and on the horizon, no one will be thirsty for innovative beverages! Douglas has a wide variety of packaging options for your beverage products. From case packing, cartoning variety packs, tray/shrink solutions and more, we offer intelligent, adaptable and economical solutions with superior efficiency and reliability. At Douglas, we ensure your brand is consistently presented with industry-leading package appearance and durability. Contact us today to learn more!

By Judd Kuehne, Project Manager.

Simply put, choosing shrink wrap as your solution for secondary packaging will save you money. The savings will be realized in tangible and, equally as important, intangible returns. These saving will be seen quickly — and they will be significant.

Significant savings include:

• Reduced material costs
• A smaller amount of warehouse space needed
• Less plant maintenance
• Reductions to trucking costs
• Additional advertising space available
• Smaller environmental footprint

Measurable Savings

You will see savings across multiple areas of your business when you choose a shrink wrap solution for your product, including:

• Savings of 50% to 75% will immediately be seen in raw material costs. The difference in shrink wrap film versus fiber-based packaging cost is huge and one of the biggest incentives for companies to choose a shrink wrap packaging option.
  
• Reductions in storage space needs and material handling requirements for your packaging raw materials can be game-changing. Fifteen pallets of corrugated cases equate to a single pallet of shrink film. Your available warehouse space will increase dramatically and your material handling team will see a reduced workload from moving pallets of un-erected cases around your plant.

A beer company converted from 12-pack carton in-tray packaging to shrink-wrapped 24-packs in a tray. The savings in paperboard were staggering:

• 40% cost savings
• 64% reduction in secondary packaging materials usage
• 73% fewer trucks delivering packaging materials

Savings in your plant maintenance may also be realized as shrink wrap film does not come with the inherent characteristics of corrugated boxes and cartons. Shrink wrap film is not susceptible to water damage, and is not dusty nor dirty. Moreover, there are no cardboard chads with shrink wrap film, and it is not affected by humidity and temperature. Less mess and less fuss, shrink wrap film is simply a better solution over wood fiber-based packaging from the viewpoint of raw material storage.

Intangible Impact

Choosing shrink wrap as your secondary packaging solution will have a positive impact on your company and your brand. Some of the savings may not be as obvious on the balance sheet, but the impact will be there and it will be seen over time. Using a shrink wrap solution provides:

• Product visibility – shrink film brings the benefit of the customer seeing the product inside the packaging. The ever-growing online purchase trend is most often followed by customers seeing the product with their own eyes.
  
• Brand and logo ad space – shrink wrap film is printable and allows you to showcase your brand on the packaging. This space is previously untapped advertising space compared to cardboard cases. Shrink wrap is a very cost-effective way to make your brand stand out and shine to your customers.
• Greener environmental footprint – shrink wrap has a much smaller carbon footprint versus cardboard/paperboard. Being more environmentally sustainable is not only good for our earth, but it is also very marketable for your company.

What Products Can Be Shrink Wrapped?

Depending on your product, you can choose to use a small tray, a minimal pad, or simply go with shrink film only. Using a tray will save you over 50% of your corrugated costs. Using a pad will increase that savings and add the additional benefit of not gluing the case. Using a shrink wrap film only solution will capture the most savings. All three solutions are utilized across the manufacturing industry by companies that are interested in driving out waste.

Shrink wrap is a great packaging solution for a vast range of products. If you have any questions about the viability of using shrink wrap packaging for your product, simply contact us.

Final Insights & Thoughts

The choices for secondary packaging are diverse. From available packaging materials, equipment manufacturers, technology, etc., there are many options to choose from.

Shrink wrap has the very real potential to save you a significant amount of money quickly and repeatedly. It provides the additional benefits of saving transportation and warehouse space, as well as allowing you to showcase your brand and reduce your company’s environmental impact. Shrink wrap can be used across a wide range of product dimensions and characteristics.

Douglas is here to help you determine the best solution for your packaging needs. We have over 55 years of experience and are industry leaders of all things shrink wrap. Call or email us today to learn more!

At Douglas Machine, we’re fascinated by packaging solutions that drive better consumer experiences — which is why we have become experts in flexible packaging. According to syndicated research by Future Market Insights, flexible packaging includes flexible and semi-flexible packaging formats such as bags, pouches, films, tubes, sacks, etc.

Growing demand for flexible packaging for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturers, such as food and beverage products, is expected to cause significant growth in the flexible packaging market. In fact, the Global Flexible Plastic Packaging Market is expected to exceed more than US $130.05 billion by 2022.

Why Choose Flexible Packaging?

Flexible packaging is consistently the right choice for durable, safe and convenient food and beverage packaging.

The largest growth factor in the global flexible packaging market is its lightweight properties. Due to its flexibility, durability and lightweight nature, flexible packaging is increasingly replacing rigid packaging made of plastic and non-plastic materials such as glass and metal.

Consumers have a growing focus on convenience, durability, shelf-life and, most importantly, sustainability. Traditional rigid packaging formats are replaced by innovative flexible plastic packaging options to meet customer needs. Flexible packaging also enables longer product shelf lives and more convenient user experiences for consumers.

The life cycle attributes of flexible packaging demonstrate many sustainable advantages. Flexible packaging starts with less waste in the first place, greatly reducing landfill discards. Innovation and technology have enabled flexible packaging manufacturers to use fewer natural resources in the creation of their packaging. Improvements in production processes have reduced water and energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and volatile organic compounds. Lighter-weight flexible packaging also results in less transportation-related energy, fossil fuel consumption and environmental pollution.

A few advantages of flexible packaging include:

• Lightweight and easy to open, carry, store and reseal
• Extends the shelf life of many products, especially food, and has a positive sustainability profile
• Requires less energy to manufacture and to transport—and generates smaller quantities of greenhouse gases on its way to market
• Ultimately results in less consumer waste being sent to landfills
• Widely extendable into diverse product categories
• Maintains and indicates freshness
• Offers consumer convenience
• Shelf appeal and visibility of contents

Flexible Packaging for CPG Manufacturers

Two most popular flexible packaging options for CPG manufacturers include:

1. Resealable Pouches

This flexible packaging option suits the on-the-go lifestyle of today’s consumers. Resealable pouches are an excellent way to protect and display goods, particularly for food manufacturers. This versatile packaging option extends shelf life and reduces waste.

Douglas’ compact TriVex^® RL & TriVex RLi offer automated robotic case and tray packing solutions to accommodate the unique demands associated with handling bags, pouches, cartons, trays, tubs, cups, cans, bottles and overwrapped products. Maximized flexibility provides efficient loading of products into almost any style of pre-erected top load case or tray.

The TriVex RLi offers the unique ability to seamlessly erect, load and seal top load cases with one compact machine. Innovative design features, advanced servo technology and simple menu-driven changeovers combine to accommodate a wide variety of product types with less product handling and maintenance. It’s the optimum solution for the high demands associated with 3-shift production, frequent format changes and high efficiencies.

The versatile and innovative solutions of the TriVex^® SL & TriVex SLi are ideal for the demands of the growing retail ready market. This robotic top load case packer meets market needs for lines requiring products to be packed vertical in the case and lines requiring both vertical and flat pack product orientations. Vertical pack configurations produce retail ready display cases with 1 or 2 product facings. With a quick and simple changeover it packs pouches and flat bottom bags laying flat in the case with 2 or 3 products per layer. A dual SCARA robotic solution is used to uniquely combine the functionality of a product infeed, pack pattern collation and case loading functions into one mechanism.

2. Bags

Bags are used by many CPG manufacturers for their flexible packaging needs. There are several formats to choose from including doy-style, pirouette, block, easypack, corner creased, quad seal, gusseted, flat bottom, brick, pillow and expander bags. Bags are used for many applications from coffee grounds to Individual Quick Frozen products.

The TriVex^® CLi case packer is ideal for Individual Quick Frozen (IQF) products such as non-free flowing frozen potatoes and vegetables, as well as pillow and gusseted bag product applications requiring flat and vertical bag orientations. The integrated case erector, upright and flat pack flexibility and large size range meet market demand for case packing both retail and food service bags. The convertible cassette pivots to easily reposition to horizontal or vertical mode which reduces parts and changeover time.

Harness Flexible Packaging with Douglas Machine

The Douglas TriVex solutions streamline flexible packaging operations and deliver meaningful business value. Douglas can offer all of the support and expertise you need to understand and leverage flexible packaging to support your manufacturing Operations. Contact us for more information on our machines or flexible packaging in general. We look forward to hearing from you!

by Paige Knorek.

Welcome to the third installment of Women in the Workplace Series. If you’d like to read the previous articles, check out the links below!

Interview with Pat Thoen

Interview with Becky Iverson

As the newest employee contributing to that 11% statistic at Douglas Machine, I was surprised with the opportunity to write an article on the topic “Douglas – Then & Now.” I’m still learning about Douglas now, in addition to the rich history of Douglas over the years! After considering the possibilities, however, I decided to narrow my focus to a topic I was truly curious about: the women who have been employed at Douglas since the company was first established in 1964.

In order to get a credible perspective on this topic, I interviewed seven women, including one retiree and six current employees. Their work spans every decade of Douglas’s existence—and therefore provides insight into the experiences of women in the workplace over time, the variety of work that women have contributed to Douglas, and their advice for women who are interested in working in a similar industry.

Interview with Therese Jakes

1. How long have you worked at Douglas, and in what position/s?

THERESE: 29 years; Computer Operator, Computer Operator/Programmer, Systems Administrator.

2. What drew you to this line of work? What specifically brought you to Douglas?

THERESE: I went to school for Mainframe Programming. I like programming and the sense of accomplishment when your program helps others or improves processes. I applied for the open Computer Operator position at Douglas and was accepted. My position has changed over the years as technology has changed.

3. In a nutshell, what do you do?

THERESE: I create UserIDs, secure network files, administer the mail servers and program.

4. Were you married and/or were you raising a family when you started working at Douglas?

THERESE: Single.

5. Was it usual for women to be working at the time when you started? Did many of your friends and female peers work?

THERESE: Yes, they worked—a lot of them did.

6. How many of the people on your team are also female? What is that like?

THERESE: There are just two other females in our department. It’s nice to have a variety of male and female coworkers with different skill sets.           

7. In your opinion, how has the role of women in the workplace changed over time?Why do you think those changes have occurred?

THERESE: The role of women in the workplace has changed over time with more women working to contribute to the family income — and also women are going into all variety of job positions.

8. If you were to guess, what percentage of Douglas employees today do you think are women?

THERESE: Maybe 5%? 10%?

9. What advice would you give women who are considering working in this industry?

THERESE: My advice is to go into a profession that interests you and that you have a passion for.

Connect With Douglas Machine

Reach out to us today to learn more about Douglas Machine and our family! You can also connect with us for more details on our powerful secondary packaging solutions.