2012 is a big year for Dr. Shrink—we are hitting a significant milestone that calls for a celebration! It’s our 20th anniversary this year! Our company was created in April 1992 and 2012 marks twenty years in business—and we could not be more pleased about it. We wanted to take some time to recollect on the past 20 years and also divulge some interesting background information on CEO and Founder Mike Stenberg. Take a minute to see how we got to where we are today, and what the future is looking like for our customers and Dr. Shrink, Inc.
Starting in 1985, before the birth of Dr. Shrink, Mike Stenberg worked as a shrink wrap installer wrapping boats, machinery, air planes, buildings, etc. for about seven years, where he perfected the trade and acquired skills that made shrink wrapping easier and more efficient. As shrink wrapping became more prevalent and widespread, Mike saw a more pressing need for distribution of premium shrink wrap and installation supplies; thus his focus shifted to being a shrink wrap distributor instead of installer. In 1992, Mike retreated from the actual shrink wrap installation work to focus more on the selling and distributorship of shrink wrap materials—and this is when Dr. Shrink was born. Mike started Dr. Shrink as a distribution company in his home garage in Manistee, MI in 1992. His initial vision for the company was to offer expert shrink wrapping advice (which he himself had gained over the years), innovative products, premium high-quality products, and excellent service—a “one stop shop” for all things shrink wrap.
Mike states, “I started by selling to local boat owners and marinas. I believe to have a strong business foundation, you need to know exactly what your vision is. The main thing that helped me see a clear vision of what I wanted to offer my customers (other installers like myself) was that I knew the tricks of the trade of shrink wrapping and was fully aware of the common hurdles and frustrations. I wanted to develop innovative products that would make shrink wrap installation more efficient, less troublesome, and more straightforward for others. In addition to that, I wanted to build a company that would be able to offer the best shrink wrapping products, excellent service, and experienced shrink wrap application advice.”
In just one year, Mike realized the company needed more space to stock products, so he purchased the first official Dr. Shrink warehouse in 1993 which was about 2,500 square feet and stocked about 40,000 to 50,000 pounds of shrink wrap. Dr. Shrink continued to grow, and so did Mike’s vision for the company. Dr. Shrink began expanding into new markets and new areas—a big step was selling internationally and acquiring international distributors. Dr. Shrink currently supplies shrink wrap to over 80 different countries that are all using shrink wrap for a variety of different purposes and applications. This growth in our customer base meant that once again, Dr. Shrink needed more space to stock product. In order to better accommodate our customer’s shrink wrap needs and making shrink wrap ready for immediate shipment, a larger 12,000 square foot warehouse was custom built for Dr. Shrink, Inc. in 2001. Four years later with continued progression, Dr. Shrink outgrew the 12,000 square foot warehouse and purchased a 60,000 square foot facility in 2005. We are still located in this facility and currently stock over 1 million pounds of shrink wrap at all times. Construction for an expansion to our current warehouse is underway this month (March) and will be completely finished by July—gaining an additional 12,000 square feet of space to stock product.
20 years is a very significant anniversary for a business. Thousands of customers have been served in this time frame. Some new customers, some have been working with us for a few years, some have even been with us from the very start. Our customers are the most important part of Dr. Shrink, Inc. Our success is due to our loyal customers—we could not have made it to 20 years without you. Mike would like to extend a personal and heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for the opportunity to be of service as your shrink wrap supplier and colleague. It is our hope that we grow and prosper together for another 20+ years!
*** April 21, 2012 is the official date when Dr. Shrink will hit our second decade in business and we have big plans for our customers. Be sure to keep up on our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, and blog site for all our latest happenings. If you’re familiar with our social media outlets, you are aware that Dr. Shrink is no stranger to having contests and giveaways. It might be our anniversary, but be on the lookout for the presents to be bestowed upon you, our customers and friends. ***
Category: Shrink Wrap Supplies
Dr. Shrink’s Recycling Run 2012
We are thinking spring already and preparing for our annual Recycling Run for 2012. Dr. Shrink is once again teaming up with Bay Area Recycling for Charities (BARC) for the third year in a row in an effort to make sure shrink wrap is recycled properly every spring.
Shrink wrap will NOT biodegrade in a landfill, so it is important to have it recycled. Our Recycling Run program makes it simple and straightforward:
- 1.Buy Dr. Shrink REBAGS® for $3.00 each from Dr. Shrink
- 2.Stuff the REBAG® with ONLY shrink wrap (no buckles, strapping, access doors, etc.)
- 3.Request a pick-up form from Dr. Shrink to schedule a pick up
Pickup regions are all throughout Lower Michigan and we have expanded this year into Wisconsin and Illinois as well. The Wisconsin Marina Association is working to start the program in their state and BARC will be doing the pickups within all three states. Optima Colour is also participating in the effort for the second year, and will be doing pickups in Ontario, Canada (within 200 miles of Toronto).
If you are curious about removing a shrink wrap cover properly for the Recycling Run, please reference this video below.
*This video was filmed in January 2011*
If you are interested in participating in the Recycling Run, please see the complete details and form Why to Join the Recycling Run 2012.pdf & Recycling Form 2012.pdf.
For Canadian recyclers, Shane McKenna with Optima Colour at 519-622-5700 or by email atshane.mckenna@optimacolour.com.
If you are in Wisconsin and would like to know more about the Wisconsin Marina Association, please clickhere!
2011- A Year in Review
So many memorable things have happened for Dr. Shrink, Inc. over the course of 2011 and we want to take the time to highlight some notable moments. Throughout the entire year, we’ve had the pleasure to assist countless customers with getting all their shrink wrap needs covered. We’ve had the privilege to work with and assist so many people; whether they are long time, loyal customers or just starting to work with Dr. Shrink, we must mention that we greatly appreciate and are extremely thankful for each and every person who we’ve worked with this past year and all years prior.
In order for Dr. Shrink to provide the highest quality service to all of our customers, it is a necessity to have an efficient and great staff to help take orders, meet new customers, prepare and ship out orders, etc. 2011 brought four new faces to the Dr. Shrink team. Over the year, we welcomed Travis Spotts into our marketing department, Nate Hogan as an additional outside sales rep, Logan Skiera to our warehouse staff, and Karen Korolenko who joined our customer service team. We have a great team who are always ready and motivated to help serve our customers in every way they can. Although we gained some new faces this year, we had to say goodbye to one as well. After 12 years of dedicated service, Mary Richmond retired from Dr. Shrink towards the end of August. Mary had worked with so many of our customers over the years and she is dearly missed by our staff, as well as our customers who had the pleasure of working with her.
There were a lot of “firsts” that happened this year for Dr. Shrink. We kicked off this spring with our first ever Recycling Run for Lower Michigan and parts of Ontario, Canada to get shrink wrap covers recycled versus being thrown into landfills. We teamed up with Bay Area Recycling in Traverse City, Michigan and Optima Colour in Ontario to pick up REBAGS® filled with shrink wrap ready to be recycled. The program was an overall success and we will be running it again this spring.
Early spring time we had a bit of a disaster happen to our own warehouse. A powerful storm that ripped through Manistee had wind gusts over 80 mph, causing multiple sections of our warehouse roof to be completely torn off. The Dr. Shrink team reacted without hesitation and brought out the shrink wrap to cover and contain what was left of the damaged roof. In the midst of the destruction, we made it a priority to still bring the same great service and prompt delivery that our customers expected from us.
Due to the increasing amount of the natural disasters that were happening all over the world in 2011, Dr. Shrink wanted to extend a hand. Fresh off the production line, Dr. Shrink donated 50 of our new Disaster Relief Shelters to the people of one of the hardest hit countries, Japan. We recognized that the people in this area didn’t have much, if any, shelter from the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck them. The people of Japan were very grateful to receive the shelters and Dr. Shrink was happy to help play a role in the relief efforts.
Dr. Shrink also achieved a very prestigious honor making the INC.Magazine’s prominent Inc. 5000 list. This list highlights the top 5000 privately owned companies in the United States. Thousands of applications are received each year and only the top 5000 make it. It is quite an honor to be recognized as a top privately owned company in the entire country!
Dr. Shrink had the chance to tap into our creative side a little bit when some of the staff created a song and corresponding music video titled “Shrink Wrap Man”. We had a great time recording the song and video and used it various times throughout the year. If you haven’t seen it already, check it out by clicking here.
This year also brought in plenty of fun times and special events. Dr. Shrink was proud to host our first annual Benefit Golf Scramble for Love INC of Manistee. A great time was had by all at the event, with a day full of golf, prizes, food, and great times with everyone who attended. For a first time event, Dr. Shrink raised nearly $3,800 for Love INC of Manistee! The event was a huge success and is the first of many more community events that we hope to host!
As many of you already know, Dr. Shrink hosts a quarterly shrink wrap training course known as ShrinkWrap U at our facility in Manistee, MI. This year, ShrinkWrap U traveled to different locations! While exhibiting at the 2011 International Boat Builder’s Show (IBEX), Dr. Shrink hosted a special SWU class exclusively for IBEX attendees in Louisville, KY. ShrinkWrap U also went international to Romania that was hosted by Mihai Tanase of Nautic Experts SRL.
Our last big highlight came near the end of the year when Dr. Shrink became a sponsor of a very incredible yacht known as “Teleport.” Chris Bray and Jess Taunton have been on an amazing journey with their yacht “Teleport”. After buying the yacht in Canada, fixing it up, and making it sail worthy, they are taking it back to Australia the long way. Their trip is a very long one and they can’t sail the world full time, so from time to time “Teleport” has to be held over for periods of time. That’s where Dr. Shrink comes into this amazing story. We were approached by Chris via email to be their shrink wrap supplier for when the “Teleport” has to be held over. Mike accepted to opportunity to be their premium shrink wrap supplier and now we are a part of the incredible journey of Chris, Jess, and the yacht “Teleport.”
2011 was a great year for Dr. Shrink with many exciting things that transpired. We look back on 2011 and see all that we have accomplished, while at the same time we look forward to 2012 with new goals and objectives to strive for. 2012 is the year of Dr. Shrink’s 20th anniversary and we have big plans coming up. It is important to us that we share this special time with you, so please remember to check out our Facebook, Twitter, Google+, blogs and newsletters to find out what we have cooking. One thing that won’t change with time is that we will continue to offer the best products and service to all of our customers all the while continuing to look for better ways to serve you. We are excited to share 2012 with you!
If you are interested in reading further into some of the stories we’ve mentioned above, please click on the links below to get the all the details.
Dr. Shrink Welcomes a New Employee
Dr. Shrink After the Storm
New Dr. Shrink Disaster Shelters Donated to Japan
Dr. Shrink’s Recent Accomplishments
ShrinkWrap U Goes International
Dr. Shrink Sponsors the Yacht Teleport
If you are a current blog or newsletter subscriber, then you have probably already seen these stories featured in past blogs and/or newsletters. If you are not a current subscriber and would like to be, please go to the bottom of this page and join our mailing list!
Dr. Shrink Welcomes Karan Korolenko
Dr. Shrink is proud to announce a new member has been added to our dynamic shrink wrap team! We would like to formally introduce Karan Korolenko to the Dr. Shrink staff.
Karen is from Manistee, MI and joined our Customer Service team on October 24th, 2011. She brings a great deal of experience to the table; she previously worked in customer service for five years at an international company out of Chicago.
Under the wing of Kelly Buckingham in our Accounts Receivable department, Karen is currently learning very quickly how to input online orders and use our order entry software. Karen had great remarks about her instructor saying, “Kelly has been really wonderful; she is an excellent teacher.” When asked what her favorite part about working at Dr. Shrink is so far, Karen said, “I like the people; it’s a very laid back and comfortable environment. Even though it is laid back and comfortable, it still is very efficient.”
Don’t be surprised when you soon start hearing Karen’s voice answering the phone to help take your orders. We are very happy to have her join our team. Welcome Karen, from all the Dr. Shrink staff!
“Rip the Wrap” Video Contest
If you are a current Dr. Shrink customer, you know just how strong and durable our premium shrink wrap is with varieties coming in 6 to 12 mil thick. Some of you may not have used or even felt our thickest 12 mil material, so in order to have a little fun showing off just how strong this material is, we are running a “Rip the Wrap” video contest! In order to participate in this contest, you will need to videotape yourself “ripping the wrap” from start to finish (or at least trying). Here is a complete list of all rules and requirements of the contest:
- Call our office or email sales@dr-shrink.com with your name and shipping address to request your 24″ x 24″ sample piece of 12 mil.
- Your video MUST begin with stating your name and zooming in on all four sides of the sample piece in order to ensure no slits or cuts have been made.
- Wrap must only be ripped with bare hands—use of any tools, pliers, etc. will be immediately disqualified.
- Entire length of sample piece must be ripped.
- Video must be saved in an AVI, WMV, QuickTime, MOV or MPEG4 format and emailed to sales@dr-shrink.com to enter.
- Contest runs the entire month of August– starting 8 AM EST August 1st and running to 5 PM EST August 31st (Please consider ship time of receiving the sample, videotaping, and video editing/uploading).
If you think you don’t have the technology to upload a video, think again! Most cell phones have the capability to record video footage which can be uploaded to YouTube. If you can’t email your video because the file size is too big, you can easily upload your video to YouTube and email us the link instead. We want everyone to give it a shot; fancy video camera, cell phone video, anyway you can get the footage, we want to see it!
ANY participants who enter a video TRYING to “Rip the Wrap” will win a free roll of 4″ Heat Shrink Tape and anyone who can SUCCESSFULLY “Rip the Wrap” will win a $25 credit towards any Dr. Shrink product(s). We are excited to see everyone’s efforts to RIP THE WRAP.
**By submittal of your video, you give all property rights of the video to Dr. Shrink, Inc.**
Proactive Steps to Better Warehouse Efficiency
Dr. Shrink contacted the Supply Chain Management Department at Michigan State University, the number 2 program in the nation behind MIT, to come in and audit the efficiency of our warehouse. Brad Cook, an adjunct professor, audited the SKU performance as well as the overall operation of the warehouse over several days. He was surprised at the current efficiency of Dr. Shrink’s 60,000 square foot warehouse, especially with only having three full time warehouse employees, but there is always room for improvement.
Based on his findings, a 3-phase plan was suggested. Phase 1 is immediate improvements over a short term. These improvements are almost exclusively re-arranging the current rack system and product placement. Warehouse Manager Evan Jensen states, “One slight change can make an enormous difference. Instead of organizing products by size for spacing reasons, we now have products strategically placed by order frequency. This change in organization of our products has already made us more efficient when packing orders.”
Evan continued, “Also as Brad suggested, by rearranging current racking, we’ve also about doubled our capacity for order staging. That means more orders are boxed, packed and/or skidded plenty of time in advance and ready when the shipping companies come for pick-up.” Phases 2 and 3 will involve updated software for a warehouse management system and long-term plans for expansion. That being said we are always looking for ways to help serve our customers better. Through these short and long term changes, we are still focused on staying as efficient as possible. We pride ourselves in getting our customers’ orders out to them as fast as possible, and these changes will only help us to continue achieving that goal.
