Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/100667
online: Click to hear SDF Strapping President and CEO Ed Dever discuss the inception of his product and why it's a strong fit with his Christian beliefs. in the Fox Cities) to try out some of its products. Ed Dever made so many trips to the commercial laundry facility in Menasha that he joked he probably needed his own key. ���We wanted to make sure that what we were doing was going to work,��� he says. Sam Feldt of Gunderson says his customers, including hospitals, like the paper straps. He says they are safer since employees don���t need to carry around scissors to cut open the bundles ��� they can just be ripped apart ��� and there���s no danger of tripping over plastic rings that fall to the floor. ���Our customers, especially the hospitals, like that it���s also recyclable,��� Feldt says. Safe in the knowledge their paper strap would work with the standard commercial laundry equipment, Dever went and using the new winder so we can meet customer demand and grow.��� An integral part of the success was making sure that the product was not only as durable as the plastic, but also cost neutral for the client. It also had to work with existing machines. When it comes to working with retailers and their suppliers ��� another huge growth potential ��� the same will hold true, Dever says. ���These are companies, like WalMart, that are not only concerned about their environmental footprint, but also want something that doesn���t cost more,��� he says. Endless potential When it comes to the packaging industry, companies everywhere are looking for ways to get their products from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible and at the lowest cost. Looking at all the ways that plastic straps and strings are used right now, if SDF Strapping���s products were used the impact would be ���huge,��� Dever says. ���We���re making headway in our current industries and looking at ���They���re doing something really unique and attracting customers from all over the country and world. ��� People had no idea something so unique and with a global reach was being done there.��� ��� Wayne Volkman, retired community economic director, Brillion ahead and ordered a new winder from Germany that more effectively winds the smaller paper straps. ���We are so excited to have the new winder up and running,��� Dever says. ���We had clients clamoring for this product once we started getting the word out and we couldn���t keep up with demand. Now that we���re set with the new winder, we���ll be able to add another shift so we can keep making the straps 26 | Insight ��� J a n u a r y 2 013 other processes that we may be able to use,��� he says. SDF Strapping came away with 900 leads from a recent packaging expo. ���There are so many people out there who love our product, it���s overwhelming, but right now we are focusing on what we can handle. w w w. i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m