Handy Wacks Corp. has been producing wax paper products in Sparta, Mich., since 1935. Forty-five years later, an aggressive marketing program was implemented when specialized manufacturers’ representatives were more strongly emphasized on the sales force, and, subsequently, new marketing territories were opened. By 1980 sales had doubled, and one year later increased another 60 percent. Handy Wacks is one old dog who learned new tricks.
The company now employs 42 people, including office workers, and runs three shifts per day, five to six days per week. It services the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, and some South American markets by providing industrial paper merchants, commercial and institutional food wholesalers, and grocery wholesalers with wax paper products. While company president H.B. (Hank) Fairchild declines to give actual sales figure, there is evidence that business is good: the largest physical expansion in Handy Wacks’ history is now under construction. Two additions totaling 11,000 sq ft will expand the company’s physical parameters to approximately 44,000 sq ft. The additional space will be used mainly for warehousing. Earlier expansions totaling 10,000 sq ft were completed in 1984 and 1985.
When originally established, the company’s only product was a 12×13 1/2-in. wall carton sold predominantly to consumers. Handy Wacks also was involved for many years with interfolding foil for Reynolds Metal and later Alumax Inc. The product line ha since been expanded to include regular stock interfolded and flat wax paper items as well as many odd-size flat papers. Interfolded HDPE all-purpose wrap was introduced in 1981. Some past and current customers include Dunkin’ Donuts, Hot’ n Now restaurants, Mister Donut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and White Castle restaurants.
Capabilities expand
One of the results of Handy Wacks tremendous growth was having to come to terms with how to keep it happening. As its market share increased, the company realized that production capabilities needed some upgrading in order to sustain the sheeting operation came under scrutiny. “We had an older sheeter that was very slow,” Fairchild says. “We needed to increase our efficiency in sheeting larger volumes of roll stock.”
Handy Wacks finally selected a Maxson MSS specialty sheeter equipped with a sheet-length monitor, slitter, and jogger table. The sheet-length monitor allows the operator to reduce cut-off changeover time and eliminate set-up waste. The jogger table efficiently handles the sheeted wax paper after slitting.
Although the old sheeter is still in use, the Maxson sheeter runs at twice its speed and offers greater cut-off accuracy (approximately.02 in.) for faster, smoother production. “While our main consideration in this purchase was precision and speed of the sheeter,” explains Fairchild, “its compact size is another plus as we continue to expand.”
Printing upgrade
In addition to upgrading its sheeting operation, Handy Wacks also added a new 61-in. Wolverine flexo press with two-color capability and 24-in. repeat to its printing department. Although only 10 to 15 percent of its products are printed, “that’s our forte,” says Fairchild.
The company also has one 48-in., one-color Wolverine Model 49-1 flexo press and one 60-in., one-color Model EF-1F60 flexo press from Converters Technical Service. All have 12-in. repeats. Water-based inks from suppliers such as Sinclair and Valentine are used. The one-color presses are typically to print such products as fast food wraps for national and regional retail chains; the additional color capability offered by the new Wolverine will increase Handy Wacks’ ability to perform more complex printing jobs.
Other equipment includes two 64-in. and one 48-in. waxers for both wet and dry waxing on paper ranging from 10 ¾ to 25 lb (paper is supplied by five or six different paper mills.) The company also has two 64-in. Model 63-14 and one 42-in. interfolders from Paper Converting Machine Co.
The plant and equipment expansions implemented by Handy Wacks indicate that the business is thriving. If it really is a jungle out there, Handy Wacks is well equipped for survival.
Reprinted from Converting, September 1989
