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. ***
