Monthly Archives: February 2016

Money Saving Tip #1: Destination Matters

By Jeff Park, President

After 40 years in the crating and packaging industry, we’ve learned a few things about – well, crating and packaging.  We’ve compiled this information into a few handy Money Saving Tips.  For instance, knowing a lot about your destination can save money:

Destination climate
Cold? Humid? Hot? Rainy? All of these factors assist in determining what materials should be used to best protect your cargo.

Destination climate is one of the determining factors in selecting the best materials to protect your project. The experts at American Crating Company know what works best in scorching heat, sub-zero cold and everything in between

 

Lumber Restrictions & Regulations         
Some countries restrict the types of lumber and regulate the size and construction of crates.  Using the wrong design or materials may result in fines.

Lumber restrictions in some destinations may limit the types, size and construction of crates.  The wrong design or materials can lead to large fines or even your shipment being stopped and held

Knowing the climate and rules of your shipping destination are critical to cost effective crating and packaging.  At American Crating, we design and build containers that ship all over the world and probably have the climate and regulation information for your destination in our system already.

We’d love the opportunity to help with your planning.  Contact us with destination information and we’ll turn a quote around for you right away, usually the same day (except maybe for unusually large, multi-phase projects with additional spec requirements).

For more Money Saving Tips on your crating and packaging, give me a call or send me an email.

Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedInand Twitter.

Thanks,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile

Every Job Is A Custom Job

By Jeff Park, President

At American Crating Company, we believe every job is a custom job.  Think about it for a moment.  Even if you’re shipping the same product day in and day out, isn’t each job at least a little bit different from the last?  Maybe today’s job has a few more items or a little more packaging.  Maybe you’re sending it to a new location or a new customer.  There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to Export Crating.

That’s why we hope you’ll bring your Export Crating projects to American Crating Company.  We’re ISPM-15 compliant and can ship to any country in the world.  We’ll put our 40+ years of experience to work for you making sure all loads are expertly measured, packaging built to spec, and compliancy issues resolved to ensure your product ships accurately and on time.

I’m proud to say one of our most reliable capabilities is meeting shipping deadlines for our customers.  We pride ourselves in never missing a boat due to crating.  We have the largest dedicated staff in the region and their expertise can turn Export Crating projects faster than anyone in the industry.  Even if a project is slightly behind schedule when it reaches us, our large workforce can often make up some of the lost time during the packaging phase even when building custom containers.

Every one of your jobs is a custom job.  American Crating Company will make sure your project gets the individual attention it deserves and we’ll guarantee it meets all packaging guidelines and regulations.

To find out more about American Crating Company and Custom Export Crating, give me a call or send me an email.

Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedInand Twitter.

Thanks,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile

Packaging Quality & Appearance

By Jeff Park, President

Christmas is just around the corner, so I thought it might be a good time to discuss packaging quality and appearance.  I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I might be the world’s worst gift wrapper.  It’s always easy to tell which gifts are from me just by glancing under the tree.  I never seem to get the wrapping paper cut to the right size, I use way too much tape and the tape is always showing; in other words, the packaging never quite fits correctly.  Needless to say, I’m a big fan of gift bags.

But as the operator of a crating company, I do know how to make export packaging look good.  Our professionals take pride in the appearance of each package we construct.  Materials must be new and clean; defective lumber goes in the scrap pile.  Metal banding should be in perfect vertical alignment.  Export marking must be straight and clearly legible.  Lifting marks, handling instructions and center of gravity marks should be carefully applied in red to the correct locations.

Export packaging design and execution makes as much of a difference in our industry as consumer goods packaging does in a customer’s perception of a product in the retail industry.  For instance, retail products that are cheaply packaged or within packaging that has been damaged are nearly always passed over for products in crisp, clean, neat packages.  In our industry, cheap, poorly constructed packaging gives customers an uneasy feeling about the products within, leading to the immediate critiquing of those products inside.

On the other hand, packaging consisting of top grade materials and quality workmanship inspires confidence in the products they’re transporting.  Customers clearly see the supplier has spent the time; effort and money necessary to ensure their products arrive in perfect condition.  It’s important to remember that the crating and packaging of your product is the first thing your customers will see when receiving your shipment; at American Crating Company, we take pride in delivering a professional package.

While it might not be a good idea for me to giftwrap your Christmas presents, I do appreciate the opportunity to handle your export packaging throughout the year.

To find out more about American Crating Company and Export Packaging, give me a call or send me an email.

Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedInand Twitter.

Merry Christmas,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile

We Specialize In Government & Military Packaging

By Jeff Park, President

The celebration of President’s Day this week has me thinking about our government and military.  First of all, if you or a family member served or is currently serving this country, all of us at American Crating Company wish to express our sincere thanks.  Freedom is one of the world’s most precious blessings and we owe ours to you.  Thank you for your service.

You may not know, but American Crating is one of the top export crating companies utilized by the United States government.  Not every company has the experience and the expertise to package products for the military.  For over 25 years, American Crating Company has been one of the most trusted providers of military and government specific packaging. We offer the highest levels of professional capability and security, manufacturing military specific crates and packaging for the aerospace, defense and technology industries; many involving national security interests.  Our professionals are experts at interpreting military specifications to determine the most efficient and cost effective manner to package your products.


How can this apply to your business?  With the recent growth of both domestic and international government shipping, utilizing a vendor with the unique skills required to navigate the necessary layers of protocol is critical.  Upon contacting us about the job, we’ll simply ask you to send us the military specifications involved in the project.  American Crating will do the rest, creating a custom packaging quote and timeline meeting those specs.  The process is simple, fast and accurate.

When you’re faced with the complexities of military and government shipping, you need someone with the knowledge and experience to interpret the specs and meet government guidelines.  American Crating Company has been the region’s most trusted provider of military and government specific packaging since the 1980s and we would be excited for the opportunity to quote your next project.

To find out more about American Crating Company and Military Packaging, give me a call or send me an email.

Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedInand Twitter.

Thanks,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile

If You Need It, We Can Build It

By Jeff Park, President

As you know, American Crating Company has been designing custom crating solutions for over 40 years.  What you may not know is that we can use that expertise to build all sorts of solutions for all kinds of situations.

For instance, if you or someone you know is an avid hunter, we can build custom duck blinds for the upcoming season.  Why duck blinds?  At the core, a duck blind is a rugged, dependable wooden structure able to withstand all kinds of temperatures and environmental pressures.  Sound familiar?  For years, our crating solutions have been weathering all kinds of storms.  Why not utilize that expertise in the woods?

Now, we’ve never actually built duck blinds and sold them, but I think it’s a good example of “If You Need It, We Can Build It.”  It’s difficult to predict what you might need.  Your project may require a crating solution no one has ever previously created.  We can help.  American Crating has solved all sorts of crating dilemmas with innovative designs and builds.

When your project needs to be prepped for shipping and accurately crated and packaged, contact us at American Crating Company.  We guarantee all pieces, as stated by you, will be correctly packed and ready for transport on time.  We’ll make sure your packaging meets all regulatory requirements and shipping deadlines.

To find out more about American Crating Company’s custom building capabilities, give me a call or send me an email.

Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedInand Twitter.

Thanks,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile

On-Site Has To Be Right

By Jeff Park, President

What if you have an item needing to be shipped that is too large to move prior to packaging?  Contact us at American Crating Company.  We’ll send out a team of packaging professionals to plan, prep and package your products for shipping on-site from you facility.

On-Site crating and packaging requires the right combination of experience and equipment to ensure the desired results.  Loads must be expertly measured and weighed, packaging built to spec and all compliancy issues resolved before the product leaves your facility.  The only company in the region that I can guarantee has all of th necessary capabilities is American Crating.

For nearly 40 years we’ve been sending members of our staff on-site to handle some of the industry’s toughest jobs.  Our professionals have built crates on barges docked at river ports.  We’ve been trusted to work in classified areas, prepping and packaging high security items.  We’ve even packaged products directly onto railroad cars and over-the-road trucks to speed delivery and guarantee safe transport.

No matter where your project is going o how it needs to get there, American Crating can come to your facility or job site and make the packaging process fit your needs.  We’ll manage the project from start to finish, making sure your crating meets all regulatory requirements and shipping deadlines.

To find out more about American Crating Company’s On-Site crating and packaging services, give me a call or send me an email.  You can also watch videos about American Crating Company and our services on YouTube.  Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedIn and Twitter.

Thanks,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile

Announcing Our Second Location

By Jeff Park, President

Ever worried that production of your job may run late into the evening or even over night, pushing crating and packaging to the next day?  American Crating may be able to take away some of that stress.

We’ve recently opened a second location near our headquarters, further increasing our ability to get your jobs ready to ship on deadline.  Need it done in the evening or overnight?  Our expanded full time staff of knowledgeable professionals – now at two locations – are ready to serve you.

American Crating is the largest export crating company in the area with an average of 55 team members working at our two plants or on job sites everyday.  No matter the deadline or the destination, we’ll make sure all loads are accurately measured, packaging is built to spec and compliancy issues are resolved to ensure your products ship on time.

Our second location gives us even more flexibility in meeting your needs.  Bring us a big job on a short deadline and we can instantly allocate the staff, equipment and facilities necessary to complete the job on time.  I’m proud to say one of our most reliable assets is meeting shipping deadlines for our customers.  We pride ourselves in never missing a boat, truck or airplane due to crating.

We’re excited about opening our second location and I’d like to thank all of our valued customers for making it possible.  We are truly grateful.

To find out more about American Crating Company, our second location and expanded service, give me a call or send me an email.

Or click here to find us on Facebook or LinkedInand Twitter.

From all of us at American Crating Company, have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

Thanks,
Jeff Park
American Crating Company
www.americancrating.net
(918) 425-8787 office
(918) 527-0311 mobile