{"id":64748,"date":"2020-10-13T15:20:58","date_gmt":"2020-10-13T19:20:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lantechweb.wpengine.com\/blog\/wondering-how-to-buy-a-stretch-wrapper-distribution-is-the-answer-says-darryl-gee\/"},"modified":"2020-10-13T15:20:58","modified_gmt":"2020-10-13T19:20:58","slug":"wondering-how-to-buy-a-stretch-wrapper-distribution-is-the-answer-says-darryl-gee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lantech.com\/r2\/blog\/wondering-how-to-buy-a-stretch-wrapper-distribution-is-the-answer-says-darryl-gee\/","title":{"rendered":"Wondering how to buy a stretch wrapper? Distribution is the answer says Darryl Gee"},"content":{"rendered":"

Packaging distributors are a key resource in purchasing stretch wrappers<\/h2>\n\"rsz_darryl_gee_portrait.png\"Darryl Gee, Lantech’s vice president of sales, was visiting a customer plant recently when he noticed workers hand \u00adwrapping pallets in the shadow of a shiny, new, but idle, pallet \u00adwrapping machine.\u00a0\u201cIt turns out about 30 percent of their loads are over sized\u00a0pallets and they didn’t fit on the machine,\u201d Gee said.<\/p>\n

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The customer, who Gee praised as a skilled and intelligent operations manager, had purchased the machine online, buying a standard machine at an attractive price only to discover the sizing wasn’t quite right.\u00a0\u201cThey’re now taking up twice the space because they’ve got the machine sitting there, and they have to have a different area to hand \u00adwrap the pallets,\u201d Gee said.\u00a0\u201cHe’s not getting what he originally bargained for.\u201d<\/p>\n

We often field questions from customers about the need for a hand-\u00adoff from manufacturer to packaging distributor when purchasing stretch \u00adwrap machines, and this story illustrates one of the reasons why.<\/p>\n

Habit…for a reason<\/h2>\n\"\"Sales of pallet wrapping machines through a packaging distributor is a long\u00adstanding system, based on the difference in packaging materials and equipment from material handling equipment like fork trucks, pallet handling and racking, according to Gee.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese packaging distributors are actually trained in packaging machinery and materials. They work with these customers every day on packaging solutions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Here are some of the main advantages Darryl suggests customers receive by\u00a0purchasing stretch \u00adwrappers through packaging distribution:<\/p>\n

Knowledge of equipment and customers<\/h3>\n

A trained packaging distributor provides local know-how\u00a0and strong relationships with customers.\u00a0This means they are\u00a0well \u00adversed in both the needs of a business and the makeup of the pallet\u00ad wrapping product, which helps avoid small oversights that can lead to major costs.<\/p>\n

In the case of the business with the stretch wrap machine that didn’t accommodate the over sized\u00a0pallets, Gee said a packaging distributor would have immediately noted the sizing needs of the new machine. \u201cThey kind of intuitively know those key points they need to be surveying to make sure they’re picking out the right options in the machine,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Although machines and materials have shown great improvement in consistency and quality over the last two decades, Gee said there are still enough discrepancies throughout the market to make the local expertise of packaging distributors pivotal for businesses.<\/p>\n

Install and training<\/h3>\n

Unlike a purchase straight from someone like an online source, a packaging\u00a0distributor can offer\u00a0installation assistance and ongoing local training.\u00a0This takes away the need for a business to have out\u00adgoing workers training new employees on the equipment.\u00a0\u201cThe unfortunate fact is ‘machine operator’ is generally a high turnover\u00a0position in many factories,\u201d Gee said. \u201cIf you’re really going to provide the right solutions and service for your customers and keep them, the good packaging distributors have ongoing training programs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The best packaging distributors consistently increase their knowledge base and keep up with the trends and new technology in the packaging realm.\u00a0\u201cThey’re most effective for their customers when they truly understand things like the principles of load containment and they can apply the right machinery to the customer’s specific needs,\u201d Gee said.\u00a0\u201cBecause not all customers need the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lower cost<\/h3>\n

Buying through a packaging distributor usually means a lower total cost, according to Gee.\u00a0The cost is particularly advantageous with the added value that a distributor brings to the purchase, like installation and ongoing training.\u00a0\u201cThe distribution model has allowed customers to pay less for more value for years and years,\u201d Gee said.\u00a0\u201cIf all of a sudden we started a direct channel model, this would result in high cost of sales, high cost of service and thus actually higher prices to an end customer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do your homework – be a better buyer<\/h2>\n

If you’re like most folks who are faced with\u00a0how to buy a stretch wrapper, though, before you invest time in meetings you probably want to do some of your own research. The internet is an incredibly powerful tool of course, and there are lots of options to consider.<\/p>\n

To help buyers and companies considering their first wrapper<\/a> purchase, or a later one<\/a>, in addition to a comprehensive view of Lantech machine options<\/a>, we also offer a variety of resources which are brand agnostic. These include:<\/p>\n