When supply dramatically increases, supply chains break. For one California-based food and beverage manufacturer, an unexpectedly large harvest season presented both an exciting opportunity and a significant logistical challenge.
This company, specializing in fruit purees for other food & beverage manufacturers, realized they had a bumper crop and would need to package and ship far more product than anticipated. In the end, they turned to North Coast Container (NCC) for a quick and reliable supply of steel drums so they could take advantage of the increased supply.
The Challenge: Managing a Bumper Crop with Limited Packaging Options
Forecasting in agriculture is notoriously difficult. Weather patterns, soil conditions, and crop yield can change drastically from one season to the next. For this customer, the year’s bumper crop meant they could increase sales and revenue, but only if they could get the product packaged and shipped before it spoiled.
Their fruit purees are shipped in food-grade steel drums to industrial food and beverage manufacturers. Normally, their standard packaging volumes and lead times worked just fine. But with the bumper crop, their existing packaging partnerships would not be able to keep up.
The customer explored importing steel drums to meet the extra demand, but quickly discovered that overseas sourcing came with long lead times and unpredictable arrival schedules. This wouldn’t work for a perishable product that would need to move quickly. On top of this, it tied up capital while they waited to receive them.
They needed a local food-grade packaging solution, and needed it fast.
The Solution: Local, Food-Grade Steel Drum Supply with Quick Turnaround
NCC stepped in to close the gap. With strategically located manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles, CA, and Portland, OR, NCC was able to supply food-grade steel drums that met the customer’s requirements for purity, safety, and durability without the delays and uncertainties of overseas imports.
The NCC team coordinated directly with the customer’s operations and logistics staff to:
- Assess the volume and timeline requirements
- Schedule production at nearby facilities for maximum speed and efficiency
- Deliver drums to the customer on a just-in-time basis to avoid warehouse congestion and keep filling lines moving
By leveraging NCC’s redundant, domestic production capabilities, the customer avoided both the long lead times of imported drums and the operational strain of managing excess inventory.
The Results: Turning a Seasonal Windfall into Revenue
With NCC’s rapid response and dependable supply of food-grade steel drums, the customer was able to turn what could have been a costly logistical challenge into a profitable opportunity. Instead of scrambling to find packaging or facing the risk of losing part of their harvest, they had a steady, local supply of containers that kept their production moving and their product protected.
As a result, the customer was able to:
- Package and ship the extra fruit puree quickly, without spoilage
- Take full advantage of the bumper crop year, increasing sales and revenue
- Avoid capital tie-up from large imported drum orders in transit
- Maintain production flow without overloading warehouse space
“NCC made it possible for us to move fast and capture the full value of this harvest. Their ability to supply the food-grade drums we needed, exactly when we needed them, turned a challenge into a win for our business.”
— Supply Chain Lead at the fruit puree company
NCC’s Commitment to Agricultural Supply Chain Success
In agriculture and food manufacturing, timing is everything. At NCC, we understand the urgency of seasonal demand and the importance of having a packaging partner that can deliver high-quality, food-grade steel drums quickly.
With our nationwide footprint and customer-first approach, we make sure our partners have what they need to capture every opportunity, whether it’s a bumper crop, seasonal spike, or new product launch.
Contact us to learn how we can help your operation move quickly, efficiently, and profitably.
