As Kermit the Frog once sang, “It’s not easy being green.” Although he was not referring to environmental friendliness, being green is not any easier when Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is the goal.
With its four-county territory in southeastern Wisconsin incorporating special event venues such as sports arenas, concert venues and festival grounds, Beer Capitol Distributing Co. Inc., Sussex, Wis., offers enhanced service to these accounts during busy time periods, explains Aldo Madrigrano, chief executive officer of the company.
Similar to the products that are shuttled across its rollers and belts, conveyor systems are working to stay on top of the trends in material handling in order to better serve its clientele.
When Dogfish Head Craft Brewery opened its brewpub in 1995 in Rehoboth Beach, Del., Founder and President Sam Calagione brewed on a homemade machine dubbed “Sir Hops Alot.” To keep up with the restaurant’s demand, Calagione used “Sir Hops Alot” to brew two to three times a day, five to six days a week.
With the onset of so many emerging categories in the industry — kombucha, coconut water, relaxation drinks — coupled with line extensions, the number of SKUs warehouses need to accommodate continues to grow.
Being a trendsetter isn’t always ideal. You’re often the “guinea pig,” which could be a good thing or a bad thing. For Admiral Beverage Corporation, it’s a good thing. The company was one of the first bottlers in the country to install injection molding machines, it says. After introducing blow molding lines to both of its production facilities a few years ago, injection molding has enabled the business to become even more vertically integrated.