Provident Blades

How El Dorado Packaging Saved Time and Money with Provident Doctor Blades and End Seals

El Dorado Packaging is a leader in Multiwall and Consumer Bag packaging products and services focused on the feed, seed, flour, and sugar retail markets. The company provides extensive manufacturing and design expertise in Multiwall bags, FIBC Bulk Bags, Polywoven Bags, and Roll Stock for a wide range of industries. With three plants across the United States, El Dorado prints 60% of the sugar and flour bags in the North American market.

One of these plants is in El Dorado, Arkansas. The plant is overseen by General Manager, David Sheppert. David and his team at the Arkansas plan currently run eight presses. Earlier this year, David identified that the doctor blades and end seals being supplied by the machine manufacturers were leading to far too many chamber blowouts.

Sheppert had worked with Anderson & Vreeland on custom printing solutions in the past and had a good relationship with Randy Carter, now a Technical Sales Representative with Provident. David reached out to Randy to learn more about the work he was doing with doctor blades and end seals. Randy traveled to the El Dorado plant with samples in hand and a desire to provide the custom solution that David and his team needed.

When Randy came in here, he didn’t just leave a few samples and go on his way. He was very hands-on with our staff, showing them how everything worked.

David began using Provident doctor blades and end seals on one of his eight presses to see the difference. He was weary of going “all-in” with Provident’s products because their upfront cost was a little more than what he was used to paying. However, that quickly changed.

We had been going through blades so quickly, probably once a shift. Our press with Provident blades were being turned over about a third as much, said Sheppert, what became clear was that Provident was saving us money in the long run. With a more durable and reliable product, not just the supply cost would be cut down, but the time cost as well.

With ink costs down on his press with Provident equipment, Sheppert decided it was time to make the change for all eight presses. The headaches were minimized and the quality product was saving money in the end.

When asked about the experience of working with Provident and what was most beneficial to El Dorado Packaging, the main takeaway Sheppert came back to was the level of customer service.

Randy and Provident really live up to their promise of providing custom solutions. The way he came and understood what we needed showed me he knew what he was talking about. But I was most impressed by how he communicated with my team and explained everything to my team. It made our transition seamless.

Randy Carter and Provident went to Arkansas with a few samples for El Dorado Packaging. What they showed the plant was not only an understanding of their problem but a custom solution that would help them save time and money.