Nov 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
Quite often, large companies will have multiple locations across the country. And even though those locations may have many of the same needs, they often use different suppliers.
Recently, a prospective customer came to us because they weren’t happy with the quality of the poly bags they had been receiving from their supplier—their bags had been arriving with black specks on them. If they weren’t able to get the high-quality bags they needed right away, there was a chance they would have to shut down production.
We hear stories like this all the time, but in this case, the prospective customer only contacted us because one of their other locations (five states away) is a satisfied customer of ours and recommended us to them. In the end, we were able to fulfill their need for high-quality bags on a schedule that allowed them to keep their production lines running.
This story is a great example of the power of word of mouth and how it can make or break a sale—if we hadn’t committed to providing the best bags and customer service possible, there’s a pretty good chance we wouldn’t have been first on that customer’s call list, or anyone else’s call list for that matter. Thank you again for allowing us to serve you.
Oct 17, 2012 | Uncategorized
When we receive a quote request from a potential customer, we often find they need custom poly bags made to precise specifications. One of the ways we can assure them from the outset that our products and services will meet their requirements is by showing them our ISO 9001:2008 certification.
Our ISO certification means we have been audited by an outside organization and meet or exceed the ISO quality management standards. There are eight quality management principles upon which those management standards are based:
1. Customer focus
2. Leadership
3. Involvement of people
4. Process approach
5. System approach to management
6. Continual improvement
7. Factual approach to decision making
8. Mutually beneficial supplier relationships
While we’re proud of our ISO 9001:2008 certification, it’s merely the starting point for a successful customer relationship—we have to prove our products and services are as great as we say they are. If you’re not yet a customer, we hope you’ll give us the opportunity to prove that to you. If you’re already one of our customers, we look forward to offering you more of the high-quality products and customer service you’re accustomed to.
If you have any questions about our ISO 9001:2008 certification, give us a call at (800) 272-2634 or send us an email on our contact page.
Oct 4, 2012 | Uncategorized
One of things we pride ourselves on at A-Pac is putting our customers first.
Recently, one of our customers asked for an update on a rather large order that had become very urgent for them. Our lead time had been a couple weeks when they placed the order, but we were able to flag their order as hot and move it up as our production schedule allowed.
Ultimately, we were able to finish their order 5 days ahead of schedule and the customer was very pleased—their exact quote was “You so made my day!” That made our day!
We know we live in a world where schedules and needs change—that’s just part of life—so we always do our best to make sure we’re prepared, responsive, and flexible when addressing our customers’ concerns. It’s the positive feedback, like the message from the customer above, that makes it all worthwhile.
Sep 18, 2012 | Uncategorized
As suspected and stated in the last blog post, it appears confirmed that September resin pricing will remain flat and the August increase of 3 to 5 cents per pound has settled in at a flat 5 cents.
There is a nomination pending for a 6-cent per pound increase for October. At this time supplies are good but there is not a ton of surplus material in warehouses. It looks like a month of normalcy with no spikes in pricing in either direction. Whether the October increase takes effect or not is, as usual, a wait-to-see matter. Our sense is that there is a good chance that at least part of the October increase will go in.
Lead times for finished product remain in the normal range. As always, our customers’ needs predominate when we set our schedules.
Sep 5, 2012 | Uncategorized
Now that hurricane Isaac has wound down, we see that many of the concerns for greater damage have not come to pass.
During the storm buildup, there was certainly some trepidation over the possibility of damage and disruption to the supply of resins for the plastics industry. At this point, the hurricane has proved to be a non-event.
As for the industry as a whole, supplies are tighter now than they were in the early summer. This has led to some strength for rising prices. Indeed, August was welcomed with a 3- to 5-cent per pound increase, and another 5-cent increase was put on the table for September 1. At this time, I’m hearing varying reports, but it looks like September may hold off and the August increase may be consolidated into a solid 5-cent increase among most suppliers. It is always tough to gauge the actual story when it is early in the month. More clarity on pricing usually manifests within a couple weeks.
For now, things are fairly stable and Isaac did not prove to cause any major issues in resin supply.
