Installation of the line, featuring a Matrix™ Combi from Sidel, began in April 2018 and it will be able to bottle soft drinks and water, both still and carbonated, at a speed of 36,000 bottles per hour. Technology, innovation, and services support capabilities in the North American region, combined with the global expertise of the Sidel Group, were the driving factors for this premium beverage manufacturer to select Sidel as their equipment supplier.
Founded in 1996,USHydrations operates in the premium beverage category and produces over a million bottles a day. Their facility in Pittston has easy access to several major interstates and many large distribution centers. This lets the firm reach 100 million consumers in the area while allowing for reduced shipping costs to Eastern U.S. locations.
A key factor behind the success of a premium brand is its price positioning when compared to mainstream offerings. The added benefit offered by a top brand must be immediately recognized by the end consumer, be it superior taste, more attractive packaging, or simply its origins from a safe source. The last one is certainly the case for USHydrations, which leverages natural springs from the pristine mountains of Pennsylvania.
Prashant Shitut, USHydrations’ President and CEO, explains what convinced him to choose Sidel for their most recent complete PET line: “What attracted us to the Sidel Group was their reputation, innovative technology, and flexible solutions, combined with the strong service support in North America.”
To support this global contract manufacturer, the Sidel Group supplied a complete line solution as well as a data management system to measure the performance of the line and help identify causes of downtime, which will ultimately maintain or increase the uptime. The complete line offers full flexibility and is able to bottle different formats, bottle designs, and products, such as water and carbonated beverages. The Sidel Group offered an optimal and ergonomic line design with a reduced footprint adapted to USHydrations’ needs.
Prashant Shitut continues: “More and more, beverage brands are looking for extensive packaging options. They require solutions able to handle single and multi-pack configurations for greater versatility. Sidel’s complete line will clearly allow us to tackle this opportunity in a very efficient way.”
Fabien Charbonnier is the Sidel Account Manager North America, and as such handles the business relationship with this customer. He comments: “It is particularly pleasing to help the company grow and prosper in pursuit of its business ambitions. By providing the advantage of a low total cost of ownership, flexible packaging capabilities, and global expertise, our solutions are perfectly established to support USHydrations on its journey.”
The President and CEO of USHydrations concludes: “The last few years have been fantastic for the company, from a financial and operational perspective. In 2019, the plan is to produce around two million bottles a day, and Sidel will help us accomplish this mission.”
