North America’s biggest packaging show is right around the corner. The 2016 Converters Expo will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin on April 13^th and 14^th at the legendary Lambeau Field. Our Sierra Coating team will be at booth #A213, ready to welcome our old colleagues and connect with new show attendees.

We are looking forward to showcasing our full array of packaging services at the upcoming event. From initial concept to full-scale production, we cover a complete range of coating and laminating services. These include our cutting edge eco-friendly and high barrier coated paper, which combines superior product protection and sustainable packaging, and our food grade packaging and made-to-order products, which fulfill our customers’ most challenging specifications.

Education, Networking, and More

The Converters Expo is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for paper, plastic, film, and non-woven packagers and converters to meet industry buyers and suppliers. Last year’s event set a new record for attendance, and this spring’s expo is promising to be bigger than ever.

Over 75 exhibitors are already enrolled for the 2016 event, and attendee registration numbers continue to grow. Event attendees will have the opportunity to see the latest and most advanced products while learning from the industry’s top professionals. All participants will gain access unparalleled educational opportunities, including discussions about the newest trends, techniques, and advancements in the industry.

The following industries represent just a few of the exhibitors planning to present at the upcoming expo:

• Coating and lamination
• Folding and finishing
• Printing
• Automation
• Packaging, warehousing, shipping, and logistics

Sierra Coatings: Contract Manufacturing On Demand

In today’s on-demand world, contract manufacturing is booming. With a full range of coating treatments and lamination adhesive services available from companies like Sierra Coatings, customers no longer need to purchase their own equipment or build additional facilities to finish their products. As highlighted in a recent LinkedIn article, companies can leave this work to a contract manufacturer, thereby lowering costs and upfront investment while reaping the benefits of increased efficiency and streamlined production processes.

At Sierra Coatings, our services are an important manufacturing step for many customers whose products require films, paper, or nonwoven materials. Customers save time and money by letting us help with product development — no new machines required. With our highly advanced equipment, we can produce in any volume our customer needs — from prototypes to large scale runs.

We Look Forward to Meeting You

Learn more about our full range of coating and lamination services while networking at the largest expo in the industry of its kind, but be sure to sign up quickly before the event is full. Click here to register for the Converters Expo, or contact us today if you would like to find out more about our capabilities at Sierra Coating.

Toll manufacturing and contract manufacturing are two relatively similar forms of supply chain management that are often misunderstood and confused. While both of these manufacturing options have distinct and clear characteristics, their most strategic advantage  is their ability to provide customers with valuable ways to save both time and capital on their product line development.

On-Demand Service

In many ways, contract and toll manufacturing are similar to other on-demand services like Uber, Seamless, and HBO Go. They allow Sierra Coating to provide laminating or coating services on demand and as needed, as part of a “sharing economy” model that is beneficial for both the customer and the manufacturer.

“Sierra has delivered us a quality product for years, on time all the time.  If there is any kind of an issue they always get right on it.”

Brian, Company is a 10-year customer

Below, we will highlight the advantages and distinctions between toll and contract manufacturing to help you make the best decision for your company.

What is Toll Manufacturing?

In toll manufacturing, one company provides raw materials (or semi-finished goods) to a third-party, who will then provide the rest of the services (manufacturing). Typically, the third-party company will already have particular equipment and organizational models in place, and they can supply subclasses of manufacturing processes for the first company for a fee – or toll.

As a toll manufacturer, Sierra Coating can provide customers with a facility and manufacturing equipment to process their raw materials or semi-finished products. Because of this, the customer only has a variable cost of manufacturing without the financial investment in equipment, facilities, and employees. With toll manufacturing, the customer is equipped with the resources to develop their own specialty coatings or papers that Sierra Coating can use in the manufacturing process. Subsequently, the customer is able to develop the exact product they envision, without the time and capital investment of building a manufacturing operation. This significantly decreases the time required to get the product to market, as lead times for ordering and installing new machinery are eliminated.

At Sierra Coating, customers are able to supply one or more of the raw materials needed for production or, if the customer prefers, the Sierra Coating team can supply the materials.

Key Differences with Contract Manufacturing

Though contract manufacturing is similar to toll manufacturing, there are some key differences between the two. Similar to toll manufacturing, contract manufacturing involves outsourcing production processes to a third-party company. In contract manufacturing, however, the third-party company hired to produce the goods is supplying the manufacturing process as well as sourcing all of the raw materials. Contract manufacturing is creating a supply chain vendor for a branded, private label or custom-made product.  The contract manufacturer is responsible for making the product to specification and meeting the delivery time requirements. This offers the customer a fast and effective method of extending their product line with minimal investment and a made-to-order supply program.

Helpful Resources

Sierra Coating is a leader in coating and laminating services, with over twenty years of experience providing our customers with both toll and contract manufacturing services. To learn more about the differences between toll and contract manufacturing as well as other popular paper industry terms, download our free guide, Commonly Misused Terms within the Paper Industry.

If you have any questions about how Sierra Coating can help with your next toll and/or contract manufacturing project, contact us today.

Establishing a Distinctive Brand with Packaging

When it comes to creating and marketing a new product, brand owners must factor various considerations. Even at the rudimentary level, entrepreneurs need their product to be fully functional, serve a meaningful purpose to consumers, and help establish a distinctive brand within a heavily saturated market.

A highly effective method for establishing your brand is utilizing top-quality packaging. Many brand owners focus more on other aspects of product development, but this is a critical mistake. In addition to safeguarding products from damage, packaging entices potential customers to learn more about the product—this promotes brand recognition, which in turn leads to future sales.

Stand Out on Retail Shelves

At Sierra Coating, we understand the importance of exceptional product packaging—there’s no better way to accentuate the hard work accomplished by brand owners. To teach you the benefits of this practice, our team has created a new eBook titled Helping Brand Owners Shine: The Silver Box Advantage.

This free-to-download resource provides a detailed overview on the value of packaging, and why it should never be overlooked by any brand owner.

First impressions are vital to future product success.

According to extensive market research, 31% of consumers feel packaging influences their overall product satisfaction and 37% of consumers admitted to never trying a product due to lackluster packaging. When you choose a packaging solution from our company, we can assure that your product will turn heads.

When reading the eBook, you’ll become familiar with Sierra Coating’s innovative silver folding carton grade made with Metalized Polyester (MET-PET) film. MET-PET is a brilliantly lustrous silver film that can be laminated and permanently adhered to SBS board stock; utilizing this material will instantly elevate your brand recognition, as the glistening finish simply cannot be ignored or forgotten by consumers.

Establishing your brand can be difficult, but Sierra Coating’s MET-PET packaging film will provide a professional edge over several other brand owners. Learn more by obtaining your free copy of Helping Brand Owners Shine: The Silver Box Advantage today.

If you have questions about the silver box advantage or our other packaging solutions, contact us today.

As important as products can be to consumers and manufactures, sometimes the packaging can be just as vital. Without proper and secure packaging, products can be stolen, tampered with or contaminated before they get into the hands of consumers.

No matter what side of the market you’re on, producer or purchaser, damaged products equate to bad business. So many costs are already involved in the production and distribution of products, and consumers expect to receive functional products—why should both parties end up spending more in the long run?

There are numerous options for packaging, but blister packs many times are a superior choice for your products.

What are Blister Packs?

You might not be familiar with the name, but you’ve surely seen blister packs on store shelves. Blister packs are a type of plastic packaging commonly used for different consumer and pharmaceutical goods; a “blister” is a plastic shell that was thermoformed or plastic molded, then it is adhered to a paperboard or foil—blisters can also be bonded alone, which are called clamshell enclosures.

Blister packs protect products against varying environmental changes and shipping damage—while providing aesthetic value. Blister packs are often paired with custom designs to entice passersby.

Advantages of Blister Packs

Using blister packs offers several benefits to manufacturers and consumers, which include:

• Product protection. As mentioned, blister packs act as a barrier between your product and outside elements. The weather isn’t the only thing capable of damaging your product; before getting into the hands of consumers, products can experience all kinds of impact or possible contamination. If you’re buying medicine, be aware that the slightest impurity can make you seriously ill—blister packs can help keep you healthy.

• Evidence of tampering. Products are individually sealed in blister packs, and the packs are designed to be torn in order to reach the product inside. Some blister packaging uses tamper-proof mechanisms and due to this, blister packs can quickly and easily inform consumers if their product has been mishandled or previously opened. Thanks to blister packs, consumers know when to stay away from potentially unsafe products.

• Versatility of Use. Blister packs can also be child resistant—these packs use a paper or film layer with a peelable adhesive that must be removed before reaching a product. Some blister packs, such as those made with 15-mil polyvinyl chloride, provide another layer of protection to products; blister packs made of harder substances with bitter-tasting coatings help deter children from chewing on them.

Blister packs are designed for high-speed production and high versatility. Blister packs are useful in various applications, and are often the most cost-effective, aesthetically pleasing, and safest option to package different products.

Thinking blister pack packaging might be the appropriate solution for your product? Sierra Coating Technologies can help. We have years of experience formulating and applying heat seal and heat activated adhesive coatings, many used in the blister pack process. Learn more about our adhesive coating services on our made to order page, and please feel free to contact us anytime.

It’s that time of year again! Actually, holiday gift buying season starts earlier every year, but by now the odds are good that you have already picked up gifts either in the store or online. The odds are also extremely good that most of the products going under the tree are packaged in heat sealed blister packs, laminated or labeled.

At Sierra Coating, our adhesive coating capabilities play a major role in packaging many of the products you will buy or receive this season. Thanks to 20 years of experience in coating and laminating, we offer our customers the best in a long list of adhesive coating services and products including:

Adhesives

• Heat-activated adhesives
• Pressure sensitive adhesives
• Cold seal or Cohesive adhesives
• Laminating adhesives for similar and dissimilar substrates with wet or dry laminations

Labels

• Pressure sensitive
• Water activated
• Permanent
• Repositionable
• Weather resistant

One the main advantages of relying on Sierra Coatings is our ability to customize our adhesive coatings to your unique needs. We take into account every variable, such as the activation temperature of your packaging equipment and dwell time to determine the perfect coating for your application. The same custom and comprehensive approach goes into our lamination capabilities.

If your current adhesive coating and laminating services are putting a lump of coal in your stocking, then visit our website, or contact the adhesive coating and laminating experts at Sierra Coating today!

The reshoring of America is underway and gaining momentum. According to a survey from the Boston Consulting Group, 38% of the American manufacturing executives they polled are in the process of moving production back or at least considering the move to the U.S.A.

It was not too long ago that most manufacturers were touting the virtues of moving out of America to places like China and Central America.  So why the change of heart? Why have companies joined Sierra Coating in embracing the “Made in America” movement? While patriotism does play a role in the decision, in the end, business is business and profitability is king. No matter what continent you make your products, if you cannot keep your costs down, the odds of remaining competitive are low. 

At Sierra Coating, we believe a variety of factors play a role in the rebirth of American manufacturing. They include:

• Less Shipping

The farther away you manufacture or convert your goods, the longer the shipping routes and times. Shorter trip equals lower costs, it is that simple.

• Automation

For years, countries like China and Vietnam could claim lower labor costs. However, thanks to innovations in manufacturing automation, it is possible to make high quality products in America with less labor, faster, and more accurately.

• Regulations

While the U.S has always had tough and often costly environmental regulations, it is only recently that other countries have begun to catch up. The cost saving from less regulation overseas is starting to shrink.

• Pride

It is hard to replace the pride you get from actually seeing a product come to life. We think that it is this sense of accomplishment has been missing from America for far too long. Reshoring means having pride in your work, your products, your people, and best of all, your country.

• Natural Gas
  At Sierra, we have become more competitive because of less reliance on foreign energy.  There is a wealth of natural gas and energy to be used which provides a financial advantage.

While there are other more complex reasons for America’s manufacturing renaissance, these five get at the core of the movement. The Sierra Coating family is excited about the future of manufacturing in the U.S., and we could not be more proud to be leading the charge towards a better America.

We’ve all reached into a bag, purse, or cabinet to grab a cleaning wipe. Whether you are taking make-up off, sanitizing your hands, or just cleaning up around the house, wipes come in all shapes and sizes and can be quite handy. Of course, if you use wipes, especially wet wipes, you are never quite sure if that wipe is going to be fresh or dried out.

When using wet wipes, this will always been a chance you have to take. Now imagine if you could do all of the tasks above, and never again have to worry about a bunch of expensive dried-out pieces of paper?

That is when nonwoven dry wipes can save the day. At Sierra Coating, we are experts when it comes to the world of dry wipes.  Dry wipes are the same as nonwoven and added cleaning agent, just without the water and alcohol.  In most situations water available.  By removing the water during manufacturing and adding it back at point of use the dry wipe has some real advantages.

So why exactly should you choose nonwoven dry wipes? There are a number of innovative and cost effective reasons.

• No water means  less expensive packaging
• Alcohol-based wipes have a tendency to dry out with exposure or over time
• A dry wipe  that is ready to wet  is lighter and easier to ship
• You can put greater amounts of soap or cleaning  agent  in a controlled amount.
• Consumers love them  as a convenient quick cleaning product.e
• The dry wipe can be carried  anywhere.

For all of these reasons and many more, everyone at Sierra Coating firmly believes that nonwoven dry wipes are the future of the personal and industrial cleaning wipes industry.  If you want to learn more about how and why dry is better than wet in the world of wipes, please visit our website or contact one of our experts today.