"Through the implementation of these attached-lid totes, we have experienced significant payback through increased ease of handling, exceptional product protection and extended service life." 

- Claude Germain, Grocery Gateway Chief Operation Officer

"We use a lean material system that improves efficiency, minimizes 
our costs and increases integration with our suppliers."

- Phil Williams, Manager of Logistics and Material Handling, CAMI Automotive

" The  principles of lean, which are based on mathematical models , 
are guaranteed to succeed.  Improvements can be rapidly realized 
in productivity, safety, on time delivery, and waste elimination."

- Ron Bercaw, Mentor Site Manager, ORBIS

"We ship all of our products on a just-in-time basis, so the fact that 
we can load our components into hand-held totes and build those up 
into a partial or full unit load - whatever lot size our customers 
require - is a major benefit."

- Maurice Montambault, supervisor for material handling and package 
engineering for Ford's electronic operations in North America.

"The application of lean principles in manufacturing effects all aspects 
of your business. After we started our "lean" conversion in our production departments, we quickly saw the results in our warehousing area. In one 
year we reduced our required amount of warehouse space by 38%, which 
meant real savings to the bottom line."

- Barb Philibert, Plant Manager, ORBIS

"Once we made the switch, it was immediately obvious that plastic pallets
 were the only way to go for this application. And, in fact, they are going 
to pay for themselves this year.  Not only do plastic pallets make our 
facility much cleaner, but we now have fewer pallet-related injuries."

- Bill Liechty, director of warehouse operations Big 5 Sporting Goods

"These are exciting times for our industry and for our visionary 
customers.  At a time when business leaders need to quickly identify 
the high probability, high return investments and be prepared to make 
split-second decisions, lean manufacturing is a natural ally."

- Bret Carlson, Director of Packaging and Material Handling Services, ORBIS

"The beauty of it is that any container and pallet combination can be 
used by any assembly plant or customer location in our system, which helps 
us better manage return shipping costs.  If you look at returnables from 
a total cost perspective, they make great business sense."

- Maurice Montambault, supervisor for material handling and package engineering
for Ford's electronic operations in North America.

"At ORBIS' manufacturing plants we have found lean principles to be applicable to not only our on-the-floor production, but also to our warehouse operations, to our purchasing practices and to how we arrange freight for our customers.  In working to implement lean practices across our entire operation, lean has been defined as 'doing only what the customer deems as having value, without waste.'"

- Jim Kotek, VP Manufacturing, ORBIS

"The implementation of small lot returnable containers has been a 
strong catalyst in applying lean principles. These containers are 
standardized, support the operator and allow optimized workstation 
ergonomics to reduce wasted motion, they serve to reduce solid waste 
and they themselves are used as the pull signal to trigger replenishment.
And an engineered layout of a manufacturing cell can substantially increase 
the quantity of SKU's displayed per square foot of manufacturing floor space, 
tightening up the work cell. Bringing the right parts, at the right time, in the 
right quantity, directly to the right people is what its all about. Manufacturing 
team members should be regarded as surgeons, when they reach for the 
next component or material, it should be there."

- Bret Carlson, Director of Packaging and Material Handling Services, ORBIS

"By applying the principles of lean operations, we were able to reduce 
our on-hand raw material inventory by 48% in one year. Not only did this 
mean a reduction in the physical space required to store these components, 
but we were also able to put the money we saved to good use!"

- Barb Philibert, Plant Manager, ORBIS