New system adds final piece for complete, in-house capability for full-service automated production, fulfillment of beverage variety pack orders.

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY, UNITED STATES, May 23, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Bettaway Supply Chain Services has expanded its packaging and fulfillment services for beverage manufacturers and distributors, launching and integrating a state-of-the-art “cartoning” line which stages and assembles custom-configured cardboard cartons for bottled or canned beverage products.

The new equipment is the latest addition to a highly efficient automated processing line at Bettaway’s Piscataway warehousing and distribution center, which incorporates other complementary systems and equipment to provide a full-service beverage variety-pack line operation including fulfillment and distribution.

How it works

The cartoning system first takes flat cardboard units and folds and seals them into cartons. Those then proceed on a conveyor and are loaded with six-or eight-pack units of beverage bottles or cans. A second repack line produces tray-based open-top variety pack cases and applies branded, registered shrink wrap, which heat-seals and secures the beverage containers in the cartons.

The sealed carton-packs then are conveyed to a computer-controlled mechanical palletizer, which automatically builds precise loads of variety-packed case beverages on pallets, securely shrink-wraps the pallet, and stages them for loading on to trucks and delivery to retailers throughout the Northeast U.S.

With its expanded cartoning and variety pack lines in full operation, Bettaway has increased its production output capacity to over 3 million cases per year.

40 years of innovation

“Our new cartoning line is the latest example of investments in innovation and technology that have kept Bettaway at the forefront of our market and anticipating the needs of our customers,” noted Igor Katsman, Bettaway’s vice president of operations. The family-owned company, which this year celebrates 40 years in business, also recently added a second variety pack line, which doubled its production capacity for packaging, processing and shipping of beverage orders.

Katsman noted that having inventory storage, integrated cartoning and variety pack production lines, and distribution all under one roof was a significant advantage for customers, which include major consumer products goods (CPG) manufacturers, food and beverage brands.

“Traditionally in this industry, the beverage producer would send product out to a ‘co-packer,’ who would do the cartoning and variety pack work, and then have the packaged product trucked back to the warehouse for distribution,” he explained, all of which require more product handling, additional labor, trucking resource and cost, and delay in order fulfillment.

“With our integrated operation, we can do it all at one time in one place. We have the cartoning material on hand. We take in bottled beverages from the producer and stage the inventory in our warehouse, next to the variety pack line,” Katsman explains. “We run the cartoning, packaging and palletizing operation on site. It’s faster, more efficient and eliminates wasteful extra transportation and handling, saving the client money, and accelerating speed to market for orders.” He added that Bettaway handles fulfillment and shipping of ecommerce orders and direct to consumer shipments for customers as well.

Modern, efficient facility with ample capacity

The new cartoning line went in at Bettaway’s BevDS state-of-the-art beverage management and fulfillment facility in Piscataway, NJ. Encompassing 300,000 square feet, the warehouse has 38 dock doors, can store 35,000+ fully loaded pallets and supports over 20 customers managing beverage and other food-grade consumer packaged goods (CPG) products.

Bettaway designed its operation to be a full-cycle service, incorporating cartoning, variety-pack shrink-wrap and palletizing capabilities in an automated production line to assemble, shrink-wrap, and label cases of beverages, either bottles or cans of varying sizes, incorporating custom wrap colors, product logos and graphics. It supports various flavors, SKU configurations and mixed beverages. A typical variety case is made up of 24 bottles/cans with 3 or 4 different flavors.

“Speed to market is critical for beverage producers, grocers and other retailers,” Katsman added. “Addressing this demand requires fast, precise yet flexible production capacity, as well as proven experience employing automated material handling systems technology,” he noted. “These investments provide our customers with the most efficient and responsive fulfillment co-packing operations in the Northeast.”

Bettaway is also a leading provider of pallet services with the largest and oldest established network of depots, while pioneering pallets into the digital e-commerce age by launching PalletTrader.com.

About Bettaway Supply Chain Services and BevDS: South Plainfield, NJ-based Bettaway is an integrated material handling, transportation, and supply chain management company. Bettaway is an industry leader in pallet management solutions, delivering a managed service program built on a network of facilities and a centralized suite of pallet services. The company also provides quality transportation with its own dedicated fleets on both the east and west coasts, and national 3PL network. Value-added services include a full-scope warehouse operation with a variety-pack line, e-commerce fulfillment and distribution management for beverage and other CPG products, as well as supply chain consulting services. Visit us at www.bettaway.com.

Gary Frantz
Bettaway
+1 925-594-1434
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