american warehouse blog

Boards
Partner Spotlight: Samuel Strapping Expands West

Samuel Strapping Systems is a single source supplier for packaging and unitizing products and machinery operating in the eastern US and Canada. Their systems and equipment have applications across a broad spectrum of industries, including lumber, brick, cotton and fibre, steel, can and bottle, corrugated, newsprint, and more.

As their customer base in the Pacific NW grew, so did the need to house their products in a regional warehouse. Shipping their commercial strapping products directly to consumers from manufacturing facilities located in Ohio and South Carolina was inefficient and costly. To cut down on freight costs and lead times, Samuel Strapping made the decision to send truckloads to be housed at American Warehouse, located in Portland, OR.

Samuel Strapping got in touch with American Warehouse to test the west coast market for the lumber division specifically. Due to the central location, the warehouse gave many of Samuel Strapping’s customers the ability to pick up their order instead of having a carrier deliver it to them, saving additional freight costs. Further, it’s proximity to their large customer base in Washington means delivery times are reduced to a day or less.

“We cut our freight cost by sending truckloads of products out west versus multiple LTL shipments.”
– Art Pledger, Warehouse Manager – PSG

After choosing American Warehouse as their west coast logistics partner, they had some additional decisions to make. While moving products to a regional warehouse allowed for efficiency and cost savings, it also required advanced planning. They faced the challenge of determining the correct product mix and inventory levels to keep on-hand to satisfy customer demand while also ensuring they had the products needed for new customers.

Fortunately, American Warehouse’s add-on services solved the additional challenge. Utilizing their web-based Warehouse Management System (WMS) allows Samuel Strapping to view all inbound and outbound movements of their products. Art Pledger, Warehouse Manager, says, “We can view our on-hand inventory in their system and compare to our ERP system for accuracy and investigate should there be any discrepancies. Having the ability to do this allows us to service our customers in a timely manner because we know immediately if we have the products they need.” They’ve also found that when their customers have visibility and have trust in the low lead times, they tend to order more often.

Samuel Strapping recognized a business need and in working with a valued partner, they were able to solve a logistics challenge for their organization. Their move out west has allowed them to better serve the lumber market by lowering lead times, reducing costs and ensuring product availability. With that proven success, Samuel Strapping is looking to make the move with additional divisions to further increase their west coast footprint. Together with American Warehouse, Samuel Strapping has benefitted their business and increased value for their customers.

To learn more about how American Warehouse can help you solve your logistical challenges, contact us today!