Delivering Supply Chain Efficiency & Overall Value Across Industries

North Coast Container Helped Construction, Chemical and Food Industry Clients With Timely, Responsive Service.

As the largest independent manufacturer of steel drums in North America, North Coast Container recently helped three customers – each operating in a different industry – run their supply chains smoothly while keeping them on time and delivering overall value. As a result, these clients were able to reduce operational costs, eliminate quality issues, and meet their own customers’ needs.

The Chemical Company Client

Recently, a chemical company that had done business with North Coast Container (NCC) in the past reached out again in duress, as it had several international shipments due to customers and its existing drum supply was not able to meet these needs.

After communicating with a dedicated customer service manager and receiving a response the same day, the chemical company placed the order with NCC. The NCC team jumped into action and worked over the weekend to make the product so the customer could stratify its international needs and also break into a new market.

At NCC, we go the extra mile and focus on overall total value to our customers, not just price. This means quality, service, safety, and sustainability all are taken into account. NCC also offers purity of containers by performing a complete wash, which is unique in the industry and is particularly beneficial to chemical and food customers since it eliminates the need for additional inspection.

These factors, combined with NCC’s ability to adjust its production schedule, resulted in not only meeting this customer’s needs, but exceeding their requested lead time. The order was shipped before the Labor Day holiday and was delivered a day early.

The client said that it was refreshing to deal with NCC’s customer service again and, moving forward, rewarded NCC with more of its business. NCC has since seen a growth rate of 400% with this particular chemical customer. 

The Construction Materials Company Client

When one construction materials company was feeling the pinch of industry-wide shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, it turned to NCC for a reliable supply chain in order to stay competitive and meet customer needs.

During its 100-year history, NCC has grown from a regional supplier to a nationwide source for sustainable steel drums. This means NCC can adjust production rates at each of its locations to deliver peace of mind by offering redundancy of supply and a robust supply chain. It also means NCC has the ability to buy at scale, making the company very competitive.

These benefits, combined with its customer-first approach, enabled NCC to continue supplying this construction materials company throughout the pandemic and in the challenging years that followed. 

The Chicago-area customer remarked, “When I was in a real pinch and I absolutely needed something done, you got it done.”

The Food Processing Company Client

Earlier in 2023, a food customer found itself facing significant threats of offshore competition for its products and was looking to radically change its supply chain with a new package type that would have been 100% imported material. While this company had a 40-year relationship with NCC, management was tempted by the offshore solution, as it looked great on paper.

The company’s management team charged its supply chain team with the task of looking at the issue from all angles. During that research period, NCC supplied one of the company’s three locations with a modest amount of containers based on their specifications.

During a routine sales call, NCC learned about the competitive offering, as well as the food customer’s apprehension regarding moving from a proven, 100% domestic supply plan to an unproven, 100% import. Stories of supply chain issues during the COVID-19 pandemic concerned the customer, but the price was necessary in order for them to remain competitive.

NCC’s Packaging Supply Improvement Process (PSIP) Team then used its 9-step process to see if a solution could be found. The NCC team ended up meeting with the customer and discovered the design type that was being offered was different than what NCC had been supplying. After quickly brainstorming alternatives, supplying samples, and re-quoting pricing for the new item, the NCC solution proved to be the best choice for the company.

NCC’s solution worked so well, the customer converted to the new package design at all three of its locations, resulting in a 400% growth rate for NCC’s business with the client. The process allowed the client to avoid a significant threat to its business and source an all-domestic supply line with a trusted supplier, all while improving its product image with its own customers.

Our Process Ensures Partnership

NCC is able to meet the needs of customers across industries due to our PSIP team and 9-step process, which drives continuous improvement and eliminates inefficiencies in customer supply chains. The collaboration benefits each customer's ability to grow their business and ensures a long-term partnership, offering improvements in the areas of vendor management, SKU reduction, palletizing, delivery and ordering methods, supply chain, and more.