SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ – MAY 5, 2021 – Bettaway Supply Chain Services has expanded its beverage distribution and fulfillment services with the launch of a new, automated ‘variety pack’ processing line that can custom-assemble, shrink-wrap and label up to 15 cases a minute.
Bettaway, which began as a local Brooklyn, NY soda bottler delivering product to local business some 50 years ago, added the new services at its state-of-the-art beverage storage and fulfillment facility, BevDS, in Piscataway, NJ. Encompassing 300,000+ square feet, the warehouse has 52 dock doors, can store 35,000+ fully loaded pallets, and supports over 20 customers handling beverage and other food-grade consumer packaged goods (CPG) products.
The new variety pack line features automated material handling equipment coupled with a sophisticated, heat shrink-wrap process to rapidly assemble packaged cases of beverages, of varying container sizes, flavor or SKU configurations, with custom wrap colors, product logos and graphics.
“Beverages are one of the fastest moving consumer goods for grocers and other retailers,” noted John Vaccaro, Bettaway’s president. “Technology and automated systems that support custom packing and fulfillment are critical to meeting the demands of the market. This investment gives us one of the most modern and efficient co-packing operations in the Northeast.”
Variety-pack orders typically are secured as pallet-loads and trucked to regional distribution centers, or as direct store-door deliveries to retail outlets, such as grocery, “big box,” or convenience stores, Vaccaro explained, adding that the company’s dedicated trucking fleet can be deployed to serve pool distribution and multi-stop delivery needs.
And, as an integrated operation, Vaccaro noted that product time-to-market velocity is accelerated, and overall landed cost reduced. Prior to the installation of the variety pack line, beverage products were shipped out to a re-packer, and then back to Bettaway for final processing. The days required for this intermediate step – and the added cost - were eliminated.
Vaccaro noted as well that the new line supports Bettaway’s extensive eCommerce fulfillment capabilities. “This is an increasingly critical, high-demand capability particularly as today’s consumers have flocked to online ordering during the pandemic,” he said.
Bettway is integrated with multi-party eCommerce platforms, as well as with the dedicated eCommerce systems of beverage producers, who can flow online orders direct to Bettaway facilities for fulfillment. Upon electronic receipt of an order, Bettaway staff then pull, process and ship orders daily, often thousands per week.
eCommerce orders are typically 4-packs of beverages shipped direct to consumers. The company also supports eCommerce orders through Amazon, assembling and bundling shipments, then trucking them to Amazon warehouses for later fulfillment.
The new line is an ideal extension of Bettaway’s portfolio of logistics services for beverage manufacturers and distributors, Vaccaro noted. The company provides inbound trucking of product from beverage plants to Bettaway facilities, receiving and offloading, palletized storage, inventory management, re-handling, variety pack assembly, fulfillment and delivery. The company also does drayage of ocean containers from the Ports of New York and New Jersey.
Other value-added services include product kitting, repacking and light assembly services as well as logistics management, inventory optimization and supply chain engineering.
BevDS’s beverage customers utilizing the new facility or variety pack services include Arizona Iced Tea, Powerade, Monster Energy, Boylan Bottling, Lyre’s, Lassonde, Treo, Manhattan Special and Uptime.
About Bettaway Supply Chain Services and BevDS: South Plainfield, NJ-based Bettaway is an integrated material handling, transportation, and supply chain management company. Bettaway is an industry leader in pallet management solutions, delivering a managed service program built on a network of facilities and a centralized suite of pallet services. The company also provides quality transportation with its own dedicated fleets on both the east and west coasts, and national 3PL network. BevDS is a full-scope warehouse operation with a variety-pack line, e-commerce fulfillment and distribution management for beverage
https://www.bettaway.com
