Discover your next big idea at PACK EXPO Las Vegas this September
Experience a breakthrough in packaging & processing and transform your business with solutions from 2,300 suppliers spanning all industries.
REGISTER NOW & SAVE

Blowing bubble-pack in-house

Brew kit marketer streamlines shipper packing operations and enhances product protection and presentation.

The bubble sheets retain air and maintain cushioning performance.
The bubble sheets retain air and maintain cushioning performance.

Northern Brewer, St. Paul, MN, produces brewing kits (including equipment, ingredients, and recipes) for beer, wine, mead, and sake. All of the recipes are created and tested in-house by the Northern Brewer team. In addition to its St. Paul headquarters, the company also operates a retail store in West Allis, WI. But today most of its business is conducted on-line (www.northernbrewer.com).


Northern Brewer wanted streamlined shipper packaging, not only to optimize production efficiencies and product protection, but also to make the packaging more attractive and convenient for its customers. The company had tried a variety of packing materials to provide void-fill and cushioning. But the result was shipper pack inconsistencies and inefficiencies because every individual packer (aka fulfillment associate) could pick and choose his/her own type and amount of cushioning per shipper pack. In addition, these operations were not particularly ergonomically friendly and also were taking up a considerable amount of plant-operations floor space and packaging materials storage space.


Subsequently, Northern Brewer partnered with Sealed Air to find an alternative to the company’s void fill and protective packaging systems. In 2009, Northern Brewer agreed to be a beta test site for Sealed Air’s NewAir I.B.® Express System.


Northern Brewer chief operations officer Jake Keeler recalls, “We were in the midst of remodeling, so the beta testing came at the perfect time. And this Sealed Air system looked promising as a potential means to meet our objectives.”


The company wanted to streamline its shipper pack operations while achieving closer quality control and enhanced product protection. To elaborate, Keeler notes, “Since the majority of our business is conducted on-line, customers have their first impression of our company when they receive the first shipment from us. Our packaging not only has to protect the fragile equipment and materials, but it has to look clean and portray the company well to ensure we keep those customers.


“While we were beta testing, it quickly became obvious that this system was the solution for us,” reports Keeler. Nothern Brewer fulfillment operations manager Josh Voeltz agrees, saying, “I placed 15 sheets of a competitor’s bubble cushioning and 15 sheets of Sealed Air’s NewAir I.B. bubble cushioning on a table and put a 20-pound jug on it. The competitor’s product was flat as a pancake, while Sealed Air’s material retained at least 70 percent of its air.”

2024 PACK EXPO Innovations Reports
Exclusive access: Packaging World editor-curated reports revealing PACK EXPO's most groundbreaking technologies across food, healthcare, and machinery sectors. Each report features truly innovative solutions selected from hundreds of exhibitors by our expert team. Transform your operations with just one click.
Access Now
2024 PACK EXPO Innovations Reports
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in packaging & processing!
At PACK EXPO Las Vegas, you’ll see machinery in action and new tech from 2,300 suppliers, collaborate with experts and explore transformative solutions. Join us this September to experience a breakthrough in packaging and processing.
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE
Break out of the ordinary: see what’s new in packaging & processing!