| Ron had a unique way of making boxes fit his | | | | their packaging. |
| custom-made marble sinks: He used a box knife. | | | | A company in Columbus, Indiana - my home turf |
| Granted, it wasn't the most efficient means of | | | | - was shipping its goods in plain brown boxes; the |
| forming the folds over his precious cargo, but it | | | | same boxes that displayed their products on |
| served the purpose and, for Ron's crew, it was | | | | store shelves. |
| good enough. | | | | The purchasing agent was encouraged to test |
| When I walked in his shop it was obvious Ron had | | | | white boxes (the color is actually clay, but looks |
| a booming business. It was also obvious his | | | | white to shoppers) to see if sales improved. |
| current box supplier was lacking in creative design | | | | Scepticism was, of course, expected. Clay boxes |
| skills; hence the box knife. | | | | are, after all, more expensive than the normal |
| And so, with Ron's permission, we loaded a sink | | | | brown fare. But once the test was run, and |
| or two in the car and headed back to our design | | | | furniture displayed in clay boxes out-paced |
| room in Seymour, Indiana. Our team of design | | | | identical product in brown boxes, the buyers saw |
| experts whiddled away - not with a | | | | the light. Gone were the brown boxes. They were |
| razor-encased contraption, but with a high-priced, | | | | replaced with the more expensive clay-colored |
| computer-driven cutting board. | | | | boxes. The reason? The substantially increased |
| The end result amazed Ron. The new box | | | | furniture sales more than paid for the |
| formed perfectly over his various products. It | | | | higher-priced new packaging. |
| was stronger and cheaper to boot. What's more, | | | | Lone Ranger of boxes |
| we added cut-out handles to accommodate Ron's | | | | When I was a kid I imagined myself being the |
| crew which included a few gals who toted the | | | | Lone Ranger. One feat at a time I would save |
| hefty boxes once they were filled with sinks. One | | | | the day then ride off in the sunset with my |
| handle on the side; one on the end - made | | | | faithful companion, Tonto. |
| perfectly to fit the arm spans of the Ron's | | | | Turns out that box selling differs little from the |
| workers. | | | | Lone Ranger, except I drive a car and not a |
| A common feat | | | | horse, and my partner is a box designer, not a |
| It's typical. Guys like Ron know that packaging is | | | | faithful Indian companion. |
| an important aspect of their business. But, alas, | | | | The scourge of the packaging industry isn't the |
| they're serviced by box salesmen who know | | | | black-hatted villain from the old westerns. Rather, |
| more about closing a deal than designing boxes. | | | | the problem lies in less-then-competent design. A |
| That where I come in. | | | | few subtle changes in box design can save |
| I earn my keep by showing manufacturing | | | | money in labor while earning money by presenting |
| companies how to save money by improving | | | | a positive product display. |