Julie Ackerman Montrose

Manufacturing professionals—from companies large or small—know the impact packaging has on the overall success of a product. Yet small companies are often at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to creating high-impact custom packaging because of their lower volume needs. It was this significant hurdle that Ken Colley, CEO of California nutraceutical company Aqua-Ra, was able to overcome.

Aqua-Ra’s flagship product, Statin-Ease, is a proprietary nutraceutical supplement that helps counteract muscle pains, leg cramps, weakness and fatigue often associated with cholesterol-reducing statin medications. Consumers can easily add the product, which comes in a daily unit dose stick-pack, to water or any other beverage and take it with or without food.

To package Statin-Ease, Colley required a 2,500 custom-carton run with high-quality color and graphics that could each fit 30 individual stick-packs. Setting his sights on Pack Expo Las Vegas in 2013, Colley began his search by compiling a list of potential vendors based on the company’s needs. After whittling it down to about a dozen candidates, he met all the potential suppliers on site and identified the best for his job.

“Pack Expo provides a matchless opportunity to find packaging solutions,” says Colley. “It enabled me to meet face-to-face with representatives from prospective vendors all in one location—making the process of finding a supplier that best fit our needs simpler and more efficient.”

Quality service, cost and speed

When he met with representatives from custom folding carton manufacturer Imperial Printing & Paper Box Manufacturing Co., Colley was drawn to the firm’s customer-focused approach.

In addition to its capabilities with custom-printed paper boxes and cartons, Imperial had an established reputation for high-quality packaging and excellent service—serving large and small manufacturers since 1970. These customers made a variety of products, providing Imperial considerable experience making custom pharmaceutical, medical, beverage, food and cosmetic packaging boxes.

Colley stressed Imperial’s support in providing Aqua-Ra with timely, high-quality results as an example of the firm’s superior service.

“The devil is in the details, and it was essential that we partnered with a company that understood our needs,” Colley says. “From the outset, I was happy working with Imperial. They understood all the regulations and standards our packaging needed to meet.”

With a supplier in place, Aqua-Ra was off to the races. Imperial delivered the custom 3 x 4 x 5.12-inch 4-color paperboard cartons in the necessary volumes.

Moving forward

Aqua-Ra needs to stay abreast of the latest solutions, so Colley has already made plans to attend this year’s Pack Expo Las Vegas and the co-located Pharma Expo (Las Vegas Convention Center; Sept. 28-30). Imperial will be there, too, exhibiting in The Brand Zone (Booth S-6925), the Pack Expo pavilion devoted to showcasing containers, materials, eye-catching designs and labeling applications.

“Pack Expo provides access to so much information and innovation, and it’s all under one roof,” says Colley. “We are looking forward to the technological innovations and networking opportunities, and to finding the newest solutions to help us advance in our markets.”

Julie Ackerman Montross is senior director of public relations and communications for PMMI, The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.