Avoid supply-chain pitfalls by using a resourceful high-quality printer

​These days, consumers know more than average about logistics and supply chains. And not for a happy reason either -- there have been shortages of products and supplies of all types since the beginning of the pandemic, and it could be months before the market begins to loosen up. The paper and print industry is no exception.
 
But we're not here to give our customers the bad news -- we're here to offer solutions and strategies for both short- and long-term success in print marketing and packaging.

But we're not here to give our customers the bad news -- we're here to offer solutions and strategies for both short- and long-term success in print marketing and packaging.
 
Great relationships pave the way to productivity. Printers are in the paper business -- but we don't produce or control the manufacture of it. Paper mills are consolidating and closing; in many cases, they are transitioning from printing and writing papers to packaging products. Worker shortages may continue to slow production lines, and inventories are low. The average business that needs marketing collateral, mailers or packaging has little control over paper inventory -- but a reputable printer will.
 
Carlson Print Group orders paper from multiple suppliers and we keep great relationships with them so, when a customer has a special request, we can go straight to our suppliers with it.
We also do our best to provide proactive customer service and learn about our customers' future projects and promotions to get in the queue for the needed supplies well in advance of the target deadline.
 
A focus on quality allows companies to be flexible and nimble. Who knew paperboard could be such a hot topic? The demand for paperboard—widely used in food, beverage, cosmetic and luxury product packaging—went down at the beginning of the pandemic as fewer goods were being manufactured and shipped. Then, prices went up as consumer demand escalated online shopping and shipping, while there was a decrease in the supply of the waste paper used to make paperboard. Today, paperboard remains in demand as the market seeks equilibrium. 

Again, great relationships with multiple paperboard suppliers can ease the stress of long wait times and higher prices. And a high-quality printer can help customers make sensible swaps from virgin paperboard—which may not be available—to recycled boards or even environmentally friendly plastics. In the hands of a highly skilled print crew working with quality inks, thicker substrates and dazzling finishes, beautiful boxes can be designed and printed to match earlier runs, even on a substitute product.

Get ahead of deadlines. With trucks in short supply and containers piled up at ports across the country, freight can be a real challenge when sourcing paper and printing supplies in a hurry. Logistics, coupled with a decades-long trend toward Just-In-Time manufacturing, which keeps inventories low, can leave businesses in the lurch when it comes to printing on a short deadline.
 
Centralizing your print, paper buying and fulfillment to a single metropolitan area is one way to get out of the traffic jam. Short-distance deliveries can add days of cushion to a project, ensuring you can meet time-sensitive deadlines.
 
Not every business can do this, but planning ahead, especially for seasonal upswings in activity, can save heartache and even valuable client relationships. Pre-planning or pre-ordering even 30 days to help prepare for the needed stock can help reduce the risk of running into availability issues. If your company relies on regular seasonal printing activity —plan ahead now and get those projects in motion.
 
Carlson Print Group delivers quality and dependability. Always. (Even these days!) Call 952-886-3411 or click today to get your project on the way.