That creates the potential for facilities operating occasionally at full capacity—on the surface, seemingly a good thing. But full capacity is the bane of the seasoned procurer of co-packing services at a CPG company. The procurer always asks a co-packer about its capability to handle packaging overruns or special projects on short notice.
“At some points of the year, you have to deal with the ‘what-ifs,’” Market Resource Packaging (MRP) President Joe Jaruszewski says. “You need to always have a flexible amount of space.”
MRP allows plenty of cushion for the unknown. Jaruszewski estimates the facility typically operates at up to 70% of capacity.
