A chemical company with multiple international shipments scheduled reached out to North Coast Container after its existing steel drum supplier could not support the required delivery timeline. Missed ship dates would have delayed customer orders and limited the company’s ability to enter a new international market.
After connecting with a dedicated NCC customer service manager and receiving a response the same day, the customer placed an order. NCC adjusted its production schedule and ran manufacturing over the weekend to meet the customer’s required ship date. To support the application, the drums were prepared using NCC’s complete wash process, helping reduce inspection steps prior to shipment.
The order shipped ahead of the Labor Day holiday and arrived one day earlier than expected. Following this order, the customer increased its business with NCC as additional international shipments were planned.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a construction materials company faced tightening availability of steel drums as industry-wide shortages disrupted supply chains. With active projects underway and customer demand continuing, the company needed a supplier that could maintain consistent delivery despite ongoing uncertainty.
With manufacturing locations across the country, NCC adjusted production rates between facilities to continue supplying steel drums throughout the disruption. This redundancy allowed NCC to respond as conditions changed, rather than relying on a single production point.
The customer maintained uninterrupted supply through the pandemic and into the recovery period. As one Chicago-area contact shared, “When I was in a real pinch and absolutely needed something done, you got it done.”
In 2023, a food processing company began evaluating an offshore packaging option that appeared cost-effective but would have shifted its supply chain from a long-standing domestic model. Despite a more than 40-year relationship with NCC, the company’s management team asked its supply chain group to evaluate the alternative alongside existing solutions.
During routine communication, NCC learned about the proposed offshore design and the customer’s concerns around reliability following recent global supply chain disruptions. NCC supplied containers to one of the customer’s three locations based on the proposed specifications, allowing the customer to evaluate performance in a live operating environment.
NCC’s Packaging Supply Improvement Process (PSIP) team reviewed the alternative design, identified differences from the existing package, and worked through revised specifications and pricing. After testing samples and reviewing options, the customer selected NCC’s solution and expanded it across all three locations, maintaining a domestic supply chain while updating its packaging.
