Today Dr. Shrink was the host to Roman and Alexey from FastPack Russia. Roman and Alexey traveled from Saint Petersburg, Russia to New York City. They then drove 14 hours from New York to come visit the Dr. Shrink staff and tour our office and warehouse here in Manistee, MI. Above is a picture of Mike with Alexey (Left) and Roman (Right), while they were taking the tour of our facility.
FastPack has been working with Dr. Shrink since late 2010 and have grown significantly over the last 2 years. They have been very proactive with their sales approach by hosting shrink wrapping demonstrations and making trips out to visit 3 or 4 factories a week all over Russia. We are very happy to be working with Roman and Alexey, and are looking forward to helping them continue to grow even more as the years go on!
Tag: wrap
2nd Annual Benefit Golf Scramble
For our 2nd Annual Golf Outing we will be teeing up at the beautiful Manistee Golf & Country Club golf course. You’ll get gorgeous views of Lake Michigan as you tee off or sink your putt on various holes throughout the entire course. This year we will have bigger and better prizes, including a hole-in-one contest to win a Caribbean Cruise! We are also featuring a discount to ALL military veterans on their entry fee. Just as last year, we will be raffling off numerous prizes, selling 50/50 raffle tickets, having a banquet style dinner, and awarding trophies for our top two teams. This is a great event for a great cause and we would love to see you out there!
We’ve already been getting calls about getting teams signed up, so you do not want to delay on getting registered for this great event! The sooner you sign up the better, as space is filling up quickly. You can click the 2012 Golfer Registration Form.pdf to download the form. Feel free to call Travis at (231) 723-2685 for more information or if you would like to sign up.
Shrink Wrap Recycling Tip for Fall
As you may know, we are in the middle of our spring Recycling Run for 2012. The Recycling Run offers shrink wrap users & marinas an easy, convenient way to recycle shrink wrap covers and scraps. Just follow these steps to participate:
- 1) Buy Dr. Shrink REBAGS® for $3.00 each from Dr. Shrink
- 2) Stuff the REBAG® with only shrink wrap
- 3) Fill out our Recycling Form to request a pick up week; Bay Area Recycling for Charities will pick up your bags!
Some participants have raised questions on how to better cover costs associated with the REBAG® Recycling Run program. It is recommended that shrink wrap installers & marinas who wish to partake in our Recycling Run every spring/summer charge a recycling fee up-front and include it in the installation cost of the cover. If the boat owner is responsible for removing the shrink wrap, the Recycling REBAG® can be placed in their boat before it is covered. This way the REBAG is ready and available when the boat is unwrapped, and the shrink wrap can be properly disposed of.
We greatly appreciate your help in the recycling effort. If you would like more details on the Recycling Run, read through our previous blog, “Dr. Shrink’s Recycling Run 2012”. Please don’t hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or comments.
Dr. Shrink’s 2nd Social Media Buzz
It’s our second year promoting our Social Media Buzz! This year, you could win a 32″ RCA Full HD LCD Flatscreen TV with 1080P AND a Sony Upscaling DVD player (combined value of over $300)! All you need to do to enter is be a fan/follower on our Facebook, Twitter, and/or Google+ social media outlets and post “I want to win the social media buzz!” on our wall. It’s that easy! If you are new to our social media outlets, you won’t regret following us! We are constantly running giveaways, promotions, and specials! If you are new to joining us this month, you will be able to see how we are celebrating and promoting our 20 year anniversary on these social media outlets. Click the icons on the flyer above to go to our social media outlets and get entered to win!
Social Media Buzz Rules and Regulations:
- No purchase necessary to enter
- You must be 18 years of age or older to enter
- Only one entry per person for each social media outlet, up to a max of three entries per person
- Promotion begins March 30th, 2012 and ends on April 30th, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST
- The winner will be selected at random and notified on May 1st, 2012 via the outlet(s) upon which he/she entered
- The grand prize is (1) RCA 32” 1080P Full HD LCD Flat Screen TV & (1) Sony 1080P Upscaling DVD player (with a combined value of over $300). No cash prizes to be awarded or exchanged.
- The winner will have 72 hours from receiving notification of winning (no later than Thursday, May 3rd, 2012 at 12:00 PM EST) to claim their prize. If prize is not claimed within the allotted timeframe, then a new winner will be drawn.
- The winner will be announced on our social media outlets Friday, May 4th, 2012
- All entrants are eligible to win until the final announcement is made with a winner
Dr. Shrink’s 20 Year Anniversary
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. ***
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!
Dr. Shrink’s 2nd Annual IPAD Giveaway
We’ve had a lot of excitement and buzz come from the announcement of our 2nd annual IPAD drawing, as well as some questions. We want to clarify the complete details, rules, and regulations for the drawing in hopes to clear up any confusion:
- No purchase is necessary. Purchases of $100.00 or more during the entry period qualifies for automatic entry.
- Entries will ONLY be accepted starting February 6th at 9AM EST and concluding February 17th at 5PM EST.
- U.S. residents age 18 or older may register for the drawing without a purchase via email at sales@dr-shrink.com or by filling out this quick entry form. You must provide contact information – name, birthdate, address, phone number and email address.
- Limit 1 entry per person.
- The winner will be selected from a random drawing.
- All entries must be received by 5:00 PM EST on February 17, 2012. The winner will be selected and notified via phone and/or email on February 20, 2012.
- The prize is an Apple IPAD 2 with Wi-Fi capabilities– a $499 value! No cash prizes to be awarded.
- Void where prohibited.
Dr. Shrink, Inc. is proudly running this promotion. Please do not hesitate to contact us at sales@dr-shrink.com with any further questions. Best of luck to all our participants!
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 Wraps the Yacht Teleport
There are many amazing people in this world, each with equally amazing stories to share. Dr. Shrink has had the pleasure of working with some of these wonderful people over the years. Today we wanted to highlight the incredible story of Chris Bray, Jess Taunton, and their yacht named Teleport and explain how Dr. Shrink is now tied into their story.
Chris and Jess are adventurists from Australia. In 2009, they purchased a yacht in Canada that was in need of some major refurbishing. After spending three months rebuilding in 2010, the yacht was fixed up and given a new name, Teleport. Since then, Chris and Jess have been sailing Teleport back home to Australia in stages each year, stopping along the way to see some of the world’s most fascinating places. Beginning their journey from Halifax in Nova Scotia this year, the duo have now sailed her up the east coast of Canada, across the notorious Labrador Sea to Greenland, up Greenland’s treacherous iceberg filled west-coast, and across into the infamous Northwest Passage in the Arctic above Canada.
Throughout their journey, they have been sharing their experiences with the entire world via the internet and blogging. Many people have followed Chris and Jess’ amazing story and have been able to see some of the breathtaking sights they’ve had the privilege to see. Some people have even become sponsors for their voyages donating supplies, gear, and anything else that would help them along their trip.
Chris approached Dr. Shrink’s CEO Mike Stenberg via email about being their shrink wrap supplier for when they have to let the Teleport lay over for a period of time. Chris had just been covering the yacht with tarps and knew there was a better and more effective solution out there. Very fascinated by their story, Mike has agreed to be their sponsor and is now the premium shrink wrap supplier for Teleport!
We are very proud to be supporting these amazing people traveling the world, doing something that they truly love and are passionate about. If you would like to follow the story of Chris and Jess or to see Dr. Shrink’s special sponsorship page, please follow this link to read more about their incredible journey thus far.
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!
