Growers nationwide now have an affordable alternative to Metal racks and corrugated containers. The PlantPack Shipping Tower (TM) by Saypack Co. Inc. is a new solution to the age-old problem of lost metal racks and costly corrugated shipping methods. Shipping Towers are made specifically for Plug trays and Flats and are designed for "one-way" shipments although testing in the field has shown these tower units to be rugged enough for reuse. After 18 months of design and testing, the Shipping towers are now available for growers throughout the U.S. and Canada.

• Eliminates handling issues associated with metal racks
• No more lost or damaged racks
  Never get caught in short supply, unable to ship orders
• Reduce overall shipping costs
  Ship MORE product in a trailer or straight truck with denser packed product
• Towers are handled as a palletized unit Damage and set-up costs associated with the use of corrugated containers is eliminated
• Environmentally friendly and Recyclable, it's Paper!
• Laminated material has Water Resistant Over-Wrap, holds up well in the trenches
• Disposable yet durable enough to reuse if desired
• Printable with your special message
  

 
   It has happened to just about everyone who has shipped or received plugs. A box arriving from a common carrier like Federal Express (FEDEX) or United Parcel Service (UPS) in perfect condition contains damaged plugs dislodged from their trays. Growers are taking matters into their own hands, talking to ground carrier representatives, designing new packaging, or finding more reliable transport systems.
    "Our plug shipments last winter were severely damaged in the box, " Bill Smith of Beds & Borders, Laurel, NY, says. Smith explains FedEx and other carriers have disclaimers stating the company isn't responsible for concealed damage. These companies will honor credit claims against them only if the outside of the box is damaged. "It's the customer's responsibility to make sure the box and its contents are packaged in a way that is damage proof," Smith adds.
      Ester Ohlrich, ornamentals sales and marketing manager for Plants of Ruskin, Ruskin, FL, says their plugs are dislodged and damaged despite large green arrows pointing upward. "I'm not sure but maybe it happens because these companies are so big and they have to handle every box the same regardless," she says.

 What's The Problem?

       Off the record, a few growers speculated why carriers like FedEx are notorious for delivering jumbled product. Some growers even related what they've heard from the delivery personnel themselves.
      According to reports, carrier employees who transfer boxes from trucks to conveyor belts don't have time to look at "This End Up" symbols because the belts are moving too quickly. Also, required to move a certain number of boxes per hour or shift, employees don't have time to retrieve fallen boxes or make sure they are right side up. Once a box is on the belt, that's how it's transported, regardless of which way the arrows are pointing.

      A KEY feature of PlantPack Shipping Towers (tm) is how product is always shipped upright. Since the Tower is fastened to a pallet, the shipment always ships upright without concern for tumbled or jumbled plants. There is no concealment either since the Tower lets you see "at-a-glance" what plants are contained.

                                                                        Airborne Plugs

      Ester Ohlrich and Steve Porter, distribution manager for D.S. Cole, Loudon, NH, say they've had better luck shipping with airlines. They've experienced less handling damage to the plants, although Porter says plugs shipped via airlines sometime arrive with freeze damage. He's lowered freezing claims by increasing foam thickness inserts.

A CASE STUDY - Plainview's Shipping Solution

     Top 10 plug grower Arie VanVugt, owner of Plainview Growers, Pompton Plains, NJ, has tried for several years to develop the perfect design for a One-Way plug shipping system and has succeeded with the services of SayPack Co., Inc. of Butler, NJ 07405 (www.saypack.com). This past winter Plainview put the SayPack patented PlantPack Shipping Towers(tm) into use.
     The shipping tower is constructed of laminated paperboard over wrapped with moisture resistant paper, protecting it from plug tray moisture. Trays slide into right-angled boards riveted to an upright U-channel structure. The stacked tower is mounted to a standard pallet, allowing growers to move it around the greenhouse with a fork lift or pallet jack. Up to 240 plug trays fit on one PlantPack Shipping Tower(tm). "Our initial testing phase was this spring. It's totally new on the market," VanVugt says. "It has a very simple construction and can be assembled in 10 minutes." VanVugt adds the tower is a safe, effective way of shipping, and he's had no damage claims.
     Plainview ships the towers by JEVIC, a common carrier. This company offers heated service, and its three-day service takes Plainview plugs all the way to Minneapolis. The plugs hold up well on the shipping tower, even after a three day journey; VanVugt says. Customers receiving towers have been pleased with the tower's performance.
      "We've expanded our plug business to the point where we're not staying within our region," VanVugt says. "We're now shipping to Iowa and Minneapolis, and with our own trucks the freight rates were killing us." He adds the one-way shipping tower and the JEVIC service opened up new markets for his growing plug business.

      The Model 150-64 is the perfect tower for AIR SHIPMENTS. With a 64 inch height plus pallet, it fits in FEDEX and other carriers. ThermalPouch(tm) is a unique thermal barrier pouch designed to protect plugs in transit.