Paying it Forward

I just read an article on the internet about a couple who left a $100 tip on a $66 bill at a restaurant.  These articles are written time to time outlining someone who is “paying it forward” to someone who may be in a tough spot in their life.  The part of the article that really stuck out was that this tip was for very poor service.

Why would anyone leave that kind of tip for poor service?  The answer was that the couple who happen to own a restaurant themselves (not the one they were in), have been in that same situation before and had to deal with unhappy customers.  They said that they realized that the restaurant was short-staffed and the poor service wasn’t the fault of their waitress.

All too often in today’s world, where business is 24/7, people treat others with little or no respect.  You can still be demanding and respectful.  Admitting that you made a mistake and that you may need someone to help you out will go a lot further than trying to make it their fault.  People know how they feel when they are treated this way and maybe should remind themselves of this when treating others in the same way.

Granted, you probably won’t receive a $100 tip, but you just may receive help that is worth a lot more.

A sharp tongue sometimes cuts its own throat. – Jim Scancarelli

Todd Trefz – Director of Operations

Gratitude at Work

Social media today is all the rage with the ALS ice bucket challenge (been there, done that) and various “Gratitude” Challenges.  As I considered what I would blog about this month, it occurred to me that we rarely see anyone say what they are grateful for at their job.  So: 

1) I’m grateful to have a sales staff that truly does mirror the Company’s and my concern and interest in our customers. Never do they just go through the motions, and they always make their customers’ priorities theirs.

2) I’m grateful for the support staff we have in customer service, production and other departments throughout the organization. Without them, we could sell all day, and still nothing would ever get done. We truly do work as a team, and despite bumps in the road, we have each others’ backs.

3) I’m grateful for ownership that tolerates each and every one of our quirks and nuances, and views them as strengths rather than weaknesses. We are encouraged to bring our unique insights to the table every time, because different perspectives sometimes uncover the best avenue to take in a given situation. Most importantly, family always comes first here.  We do what we do for them, and its encouraged not discouraged.

These are the things I’m grateful for, and these are the very reasons we are a thriving company that always tries to make our customers feel as if they are our ONLY customer.

 

Michael Treb – Sales Manager

If you don’t have a Destination, You will never get there.

Setting goals is simply the long-term version of keeping track of your time.  I have learned it is a three-step process.

·         Setting goals
·         Develop a plan to achieve those goals
·         Track your time to make sure your plan gets executed

Everybody and every business need a set of basic goals and beliefs.  Most of us are seat-of-the-pants, one day at a time operators.  Our goals get clouded and our plans to achieve them fall by the wayside.  I worked for a large corporation in a previous life and was taught that achieving the company’s goals consisted of three simple parts:  respect for the individual, whether it is a customer, employee, or supplier; pursuit of excellence, and outstanding customer service.

Goals don’t have to be elaborate, but just realistic.  Your personal plans and goals don’t even have to be that complicated.  Goals in the case of sales could be adding X accounts, Y more profit or income, or Z total sales.  I was told many years ago that a goal is a dream with a deadline.  If you don’t have a destination, you will never get there.

 

David Frass, Sales Representative 

Customers First

It seems like every company says that its customers are the most important aspect of their business. Maybe it’s the truth, or maybe it’s just PR.  But Custom Products truly is a business focused on its customers.  We not only meet current needs, but anticipate future needs and move to meet those.  Our goal is to assist our customers in their efforts toward lean manufacturing, quality, continuous improvement and cost reductions.

By understanding our customers’ corporate goals and targets, we are able to align our products/services with their overall values and focus.  Helping our customers win in the marketplace is what we are good at.  We focus on the measurable in which our customers have the most value. We take on our customers’ cost centers of packaging materials and packaging of the products, while continuously improving  the cost, speed, and quality necessary to meet these needs. 

We really enjoy assisting our customers and partnering in their success.  This is why we are continually educating ourselves on packaging technology and best practices. Keeping up with not only the speed of the market place, but also technology, is a must for us so we can bring best in class ideas and performance to our customers.

To Blog or Not to Blog

There are many reasons to start a blog.  Some people just have opinions that want (i.e. NEED) to share.  Others may be promoting or marketing themselves or a business.  Ultimately, I guess that’s why the CPC blog was started.  But it’s more than that.  Our blog shows a different side to our organization.  Our sales and management team don’t want to make stuffy corporate presentations to you via blogspot.  Instead, we just want to share what’s on our minds and how it relates to you and our business relationship with you.

In Human Resources, we see blogs, and all social media for that matter, as a relatively new challenge that we must face.  It’s a minefield of potential problems forcing us to design Social Media policies that balance current labor laws with our organization’s best interests.  On the other hand, blogs can be a valuable resource to help us navigate through the ever-changing world of employment law.  My favorite blog is written by an attorney/employment law trainer.  She posts concise articles about current events and case law that provide quick reminders of best practices or new practices we should incorporate into our daily operations. 

When done right, blogs are a positive and effective tool for sharing thoughts and information.  We like the more casual nature of a blog.  That’s why we post videos too!  We figure everyone can use a chuckle now and then, so we share a couple This Day Today videos each month...they are short, informative and silly.  Just the way we think a blog should be J

So, as we continue to develop the CPC blog, we hope you will come back and check it out each month.  We promise no heavy sales pitches, just light introductions to the people and processes that make Custom Products a great Company and a great place to work.

Kristine Wincki – HR Manager

Time to Reshore?

If you have not heard, there is a positive economic wave running across the United States. It is called Reshoring. American companies are bringing manufacturing, assembly and other processes back home! The wage gap between US and foreign countries has shrunk in recent years. Long lead times in getting delivery on merchandise cause challenges managing inventory. Companies are finding benefits in keeping the supply chain closer to their customers. These companies are able to react more quickly to changes in demand. High fuel costs are increasing the cost of shipping. When these and other dynamics are combined, the incentives to export work are not as convincing as they once were.

At Custom Products, our strengths in Inventory Management, Packaging Supplies and Contract Packaging make us a unique resource for companies looking to package a product. We have seen an increase in activity as materials that were packaged overseas are being shipped to us to be transformed into finished goods on a large scale. We excel at blister packaging, kit assembly, shrink-wrapping, poly bag and skin-board packaging, and we take pride in the quality of our work. Our goal is always to work with our customers to find the lowest cost solutions that will complete their projects. Give us a call to see if we can help.

Catch the wave! Come back on shore!

Keith Shepard – Sales Representative

Doing what you love is rewarding! 

If anyone knows me at all, they will know that I LOVE shopping. One of the reasons I enjoy it is because I refuse to pay full price for almost anything and love looking for the best deal. I feel better about my purchase knowing what a great deal I got.  Who doesn’t? I almost find this to be like a competitive sport in some ways.  In finding the best price by comparing stores, quality of products and deals offered, I feel like I have won a prize.
This plays into other areas of my life as well. Knowing that I have this love for “retail therapy,” I know that I must work hard to support it.  This pushes me for success in my career and provides me with motivation to provide savings for others. 

I use this same competitive attitude in finding the best deal possible for my customers.  Bringing this aspect of what I love into my business life has helped me to also love what I do in my career.  Not only did I win the satisfaction of finding the great deal, but I have passed on the winnings to a customer. A customer who may have just been able to cut some costs not previously available to them. This is a very rewarding feeling to have helped and it also fuels more motivation.

Where can I help you save?

Shelly David

Sales Representative

Decision Making

Over the past month, my wife and I began setting aside money to purchase a new couch. As most would guess, we took two very different approaches towards choosing the couch that we wanted. My wife thought about whether it would match the paint on the walls, the design of the curtains and the overall feng shui of the room. On the other hand, I wanted the couch to be comfortable, well-made and dark in color to hide dirt, spills and dog hair. Eventually we found a couch that had everything we were looking for and we knew we would buy it before we even saw the final sale price.

Sometimes it seems like price is king and that the lowest price always wins in business. While cutting costs and finding savings is important, we can all remember making poor purchasing decisions solely related to price (like those pants from the sale rack that turned into high waters). It’s easy to see that price isn’t all that matters.

Good decision makers are most concerned with one thing. Can you guess what that is? Marc Miller, local author of bestselling book “A Seat at the Table”, wrote that “today, the only thing your customer cares about is VALUE.”

It’s hard to pinpoint one thing that Custom Products has done in order to grow and develop into the company that it is today. If I had to choose one thing, I would say that CPC fervently chased opportunities to provide more VALUE to customers. Whether you’re buying a new couch or choosing the right packaging, VALUE is the lynchpin of making the right decision.

Matt Simmonds, Sales Representative

So much more than packaging -- Custom Products labeling products.

Custom Products has been a supplier of marking systems for over 30 years. Our labeling products span a broad array of purposes including product identification, marketing, UL, CSA and AGA recognized marking systems, serial number labels, data plates, hospital forms and thermal & thermal transfer labels & ribbons.

Substrates and adhesives are chosen for the specific application including a variety of specialty adhesives for specific conditions and purposes. For example, high temperature, low temperature, the ability to remove and reapply a label repeatedly, destructible materials, autoclavable material ink combinations, UV varnishes and over laminations, consecutive numbering and label form combinations - - all supported by our Label Design Department that can help you design your label graphics, substrate adhesive and inks!

Custom Products also employs multiple printing methods to achieve the most economical and effective label. Our label manufacturing processes include flexographic printing, silk screen, offset, and digital.

For more information regarding Custom Products' label capabilities, please contact your Custom Products Sales or Client Services representative.

Bringing solutions to your packaging needs.

Custom Products has been in business for nearly 40 years. This would make you think that we probably do one thing and have done that one thing very well for a long time. Nothing could be further from the truth. Custom Products has been evolving constantly over the years, always improving and adapting to our customers wants and needs. As 2014 kicks off, we are once again looking at evolving to better serve our customers. We hope to be ISO certified the first half of 2014, and we are looking at AIB certification in that same timeframe. A huge software update is in the works, and other new ventures are on the horizon. Growth typically means change, and Custom Products is agile enough to adapt to these changes every day, and still maintain the highest level of service to our customers.

As Director of New Business Development, my role is to find new opportunities, and turn them into customers.  Sales Rep Matt Simmonds and I recently spent 3 days at a sales event where we met and networked with companies who all have a national presence and global markets.  We offer services that these huge companies find invaluable, and they were impressed by what we offer.  Overall, their interest brought us new leads and contacts…just the sort of prospects that make Custom Products thrive.

 

What better way to maintain a high level of service than to always be striving for excellence and overcoming new challenges.  Custom Products is ready for the opportunities that 2014 will bring. Can we help you succeed?

Michael Treb

Introduction

Welcome to the Custom Products Corporation blog. This monthly blog is a supplement to the Company's website at www.customproducts.net, providing monthly articles, videos and links for those who partner with our organization. Each month (or more often when we just can't wait to share something new with you), we will share a post about our services, industry news or just a fun story that may be of interest to our readers.

Make sure to bookmark this page so you can come back month after month. The mobile version of the blog is available by clicking the QR code on the Custom Products calendar using your smartphone or other mobile device. You can view the blog from any device by going to cpcpackaging.blogspot.com.

Thanks for reading!

Custom Products was established in 1975 and has grown to offer a family of services to support effective business growth.

Owners Bill Stepanek Jr, John Stepanek and Tim Stepanek are proud to work with the finest manufacturers in Ohio and continue to develop new relationships with companies dedicated to serving the community and providing local jobs.