King Grove Organic Farm, located in Eustis, FL, is a 200-acre farm owned by Hugh and Lisa Kent. The farm, which has a rich history dating back to 1874, sounds somewhat of a wonderland with its luscious blueberry fields, wildflowers, old-growth woods, and protected wetlands. The organic blueberries are the stars of the farm—grown in fertile soil, harvested at peak ripeness, handled with meticulous care, and within hours of being picked, they are packed and refrigerated until they are sold in either 5lb boxes to retail customers or in other packaging for wholesale customers.
Blueberries have a very short season, only 10-12 weeks, so the Kents started working with a major box supplier eight months in advance to ensure they had custom boxes in time. Between the weather accelerating the season and repeated delays, they were suddenly scrambling to find a new company to provide custom boxes with a short lead time.
“We got a call from Skip who asked if he could come out the next day ... Skip was very capable, and he gave us an honest timeline. They understood we were in a hurry. When they got to production, they were able to move things faster.”
— Hugh Kent, Owner King Grove Organic Farm
On Sunday, March 28, Lisa turned to Google to look for a supplier. She filled out the request forms on five or six packaging companies’ websites in the area, but Dusobox was the first to respond Monday morning.
Lisa told them they needed custom retail boxes for the blueberries as well as shipping boxes but had a very tight timeline. The litho laminated boxes have unique branding elements and cut-outs for venting. The one-color printed shipping box was designed to hold the retail box and insulation when shipping by common carrier. She sent the ma PDF of the custom box, so they would understand what she needed. Skip Kriner, a packaging consultant at Dusobox, followed up the same day.
“We got an immediate call from Skip who asked if he could come out the next day, ”explained Hugh.“ We said, ‘absolutely!’ Skip showed up at the farm the day after speaking with the Kents with a prototype of the box.
"Skip was extremely capable, and he gave us an honest timeline. They understood we were in a hurry. When they got to production, they were able to move very quickly,” said Hugh.
On April 19, just shy of three weeks after meeting Skip, Hugh went to Dusobox to pick up the first load of boxes when they were ready. “I went to the loading dock, and the plant manager came out and shook my hand. I’m just not used to that. The guy that loaded the truck with me was wonderful–just pleasant, capable people. They do what they say they are going to do and charge you appropriately.”
The 10-12-week season for the blueberries is on a bell curve, starting with lower volume, selling from the farm, and escalating into large volumes, which are also shipped out. Because the season started earlier than anticipated, generic boxes were used for the first week. Had Dusobox not come through and met the lead time promised, the Kents wouldn’t have been able to start their shipping program.
Hugh explained, “We had insulation and gel packs designed around the custom boxes. Since the generic box is a different shape entirely, we wouldn’t have been able to use the shipping cartons.”
Lisa and Hugh Kent were elated with the service and products they received from Dusobox. “They meet or beat their deadlines with no surprises,” said Hugh. “It was such a pleasant experience. We will use them anytime we need boxes.”
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