A&R Price Increase Announcement
Dear Valued Customer,  We recently received increases from our paper mills of $40 per ton on corrugated board, effective July 1st, 2024.  This latest increase is driven by higher mill operating rates. Like most businesses today, we continue to experience rising costs in labor, transportation, and real estate.  Given the rise in these input costs, box prices will increase by 6% and sheet prices will increase by 8%, effective with orders placed on or after July 22nd, 2024. On behalf of our customers, we remain focused on mitigating these increases with operational improvements so that we may...
Box prices on the rise
It's that time in the industry which we cringe at the sound of but have no control over. Two of the largest corrugated box mils in North America have announced a price increase effective later this month of 8-10%  A&R wants to help clients reduce packaging costs through supply chain and packaging solutions, and just in time services. We can help offset rising costs with board optimization, alternative sizing and test combos, and many other price lowering ways we have built on and shared withour clientele. Although we have not formally announced an increase yet, we are subject to this increase on all incoming box and sheet...
How to save money on pallet wrap
For customers who wrap pallets daily, it is a good idea to make sure the gauge of the film is optimized. 80 Gauge is the most popular stretch film, but not necessarily the ones that clients always need. Some may get by with a lower gauge and lighter film, depending on what and how they are wrapping. Â A lot of clients prefer 47 or 50 ga film and this saves them money. Â For saving money on stretch film, it is ideal to do a cost, benefit analysis on a few different sizes and gauges. Â Testing the rolls on a few...
Difference between a 32 ect vs 200# box
The difference between a 32 ECT (Edge Crush Test) box and a 200-pound test corrugated box lies primarily in how their strength is measured and the type of performance they are designed to indicate.1. **Measurement Method**: - **32 ECT Box**: The Edge Crush Test measures the box's ability to resist crushing when force is applied to its edges. It assesses the stacking strength of the box and is expressed in pounds per inch (lbs/in). A 32 ECT rating means the box can withstand 32 pounds of pressure per inch on its edges before collapsing. - **200-Pound Test Corrugated Box**: This...
- Tags: blog post, box strength, boxes
Stretch Film 101
 If you have received shipments on pallets, then you might have seen stretch wrap. Stretch wrap is a highly elastic plastic material made from low-density polyurethane. The wrap is thin, but quite strong and is designed to keep items on the pallet securely in place. You can find stretch wrap being used in several different industries, but they are mostly used by companies shipping products. There are two basic types of stretch wrap, blown and cast. Each have their advantages when used in securing items to pallets. Difference between Blown and Cast Stretch Film Blown stretch wrap uses the...