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So, you’re unhappy with your current bulk bag supplier but you don’t know where to start when it comes to finding a new one?

First, ask yourself, what is important to you? Where have you found value in the past? What is it you’re not getting now that you think you can get somewhere else? Are you getting the most bang for your buck? Does your sales rep have the technical knowledge to deal with a problem when one comes up? Does your rep think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions that actually help you?

Maybe all you’re searching for is a more competitive price. Perhaps, you need to cut down on lead times or find a supplier who can store your product for you. Whatever the case may be, it’s important to have goals in mind and stick to them.

As with almost any industry, you have good suppliers and poor ones. Not every company is going to be well run, have a good sales team, hire the right support staff, and communicate with you in a timely manner. At Global-Pak, we always talk about a bag being a bag, but if you aren’t getting the support you need when you need it, your bags don’t deliver on time, or you’re constantly dealing with quality issues, is that statement really accurate? 

The truth is, like many industries today, the vast majority of bulk bags used in North America are not manufactured here. Most of them are imported from countries like India, China, or Vietnam. These countries have dozens, if not hundreds of companies manufacturing bags, and all of them are different. It is important to know who you’re buying from and ask the right questions. Know their strengths and weaknesses and ensure you’re working with somebody who’s goals align with yours. Ultimately, one or more of these companies will essentially become your supplier too. 

It’s equally important that your domestic supplier has a good system in place to audit these facilities regularly and does the leg work up front, rather than just buying from whoever has the best price. 

“Price, quality, and service. Pick two, you can’t have all three!” These are words often thought of in one way or another, but rarely spoken. However, they can certainly be true! At Global-Pak, our philosophy is to work with good companies first and foremost; Companies who know who they are, their strengths and weaknesses (and don’t think they are good at everything!), have solid business and manufacturing practices, treat their employees well, have a good support staff, great quality controls, AND THEN get their pricing in line. Anybody can go out and get a good price, but what good does that do you if the product is late, has quality issues, or the supplier disappears when things go wrong? 

And how does your supplier know the industry standards are being met by the manufacturer? Do they have their own test facility in house to check these things? Do they sample before every new spec is ordered to ensure you’re happy with the product? When a problem or defect is found, do they have a good system to document these issues and are systematic corrective actions implemented to ensure the issues don’t reoccur? Do they have domestic manufacturing options to get you out of a jam? Accountability is key to a successful supplier/manufacturer relationship, and it works both ways! 

In summary, there are many factors to consider when seeking a new supplier such as price, lead times, warehousing products, technical knowledge, innovative solutions, customer service and quality assurance. Some may be more important to you then others. Asking the right questions and researching not only the supplier, but also the manufacturer is critical. Whether you decide to work with Global-Pak or anyone else, decide what’s important to you and stick to your guns! 

We hope this article is helpful, and if Global-Pak can ever be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out!