BOTTLING
more conversations with the customer and installation team than we normally would have,” says Adam Gores, regional sales manager for Krones Machinery. “The ErgoBloc installation team comes from our Guatemala division, so it was a challenge to keep the project on task.” Fortunately, Ice River had a lot of prior experience working with Krones Machinery on the installation of this type of equipment. “IRSS has its own installation team, who felt that with Krones’ support they had the background and enough experience to get these machines uncrated and on the ground to start laying them out mechanically,” Gores says. “We started with that, and after we understood how to bring in colleagues from other parts of the world, we were able to bring in more technicians to help. “We were still able to achieve the production runs when needed. “It was a big collaboration,” Gores recalls. “Hats off to their installation team, because they really know how to take on a problem and find solutions. “Not completing something is not an option to them,” Gores states. “It’s nice to work with people like that. “It was quite an interesting installation.” Running a business supplying one of the most price-sensitive commodities in 30 CANADIANPACKAGING · January/February 2021
The robots of the Modulpal Pro series palletizer provide a wide array of options for loading and unloading of pallets, including returnable crates, cartons, filmwrapped packs and multipacks, with a maximum output of 650 layers per hour.
the world is not an easy way to make a living, according to Howe. “It’s a very competitive market and water is a commodity product,” she points out. “People rely on it, and being a low-margin business requires that production costs must be controlled,” she says. “Moving to 100-percent recycled content meant we had to be even more efficient in order for our product to compete in price against companies who use virgin PET. “If it was easy to switch,” Howe states, “everyone would do it. “We were told we would never achieve a 100-percent recycled-content bottle,” she points out, “but we did it within a year.” Howe adds that being a family-run operation allows the company to be agile and adapt to any challenges that come its way in with timely response. “That’s the nice thing about having a family-run business,” she extols. “We don’t have a ‘corporate feel’ here, and we don’t have a board of directors or shareholders to answer to. “We just need to agree as an executive team to make a change,” she says, “and then we do it.” As Howe relates, Ice River’s supply chain wasn’t really affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, since recycling
operations that the company depends on were deemed essential, remaining active throughout Ontario’s municipalities. To help out during the pandemic, Ice River also repurposed some of its bottle production output to supply bottles to breweries, distilleries, and cosmetic companies who began producing hand sanitizer. “Some companies were trying to supply hand sanitizer for front line workers but weren’t able to get bottles because of international supply issues,” recalls Howe. “We were able to step in and to supply recycled PET bottles to those companies right here at home in Ontario, and even one in Nova Scotia,” Howe says. “We were also able to help by donating bottled water to shelters and organizations feeding the homeless across Canada,” says Howe, stressing the family-owned company feels very proud about being able to combine its environmentally responsible production practices with genuine social conscience. As Howe sums up, “We are Canadian through and through, and our team felt good knowing we could help our communities, while continuing to lead the way in responsible manufacturing.”
SUPPLIERS Krones Machinery, Inc. CANADIANPACKAGING.COM