The HC Companies, a US manufacturer of horticultural containers, has seen big demand for their products over the last few growing seasons. This is a direct result of the home-gardening revival, which surged in popularity during the spring of 2020.
"From our suburban neighborhoods to urban metropolises, more and more individuals realize the countless benefits gardening provides," says Bob Mayer, President, and CEO of The HC Companies. "Beyond contributing to the overall health of our planet, gardening has united families and communities, improved people's mental and physical well-being, and provided freshly grown foods full of nutrition. These benefits and more are why gardening continues to remain popular today."
As interest in home gardening continues to thrive across North America, seasonal demand for plants and products is outpacing the available supply, compounded by challenges with overburdened shipping schedules and material sourcing. While horticulture is not the only industry plagued with supply chain issues due to extraordinary consumer demand, growers often have a narrow window for cultivation and rely on containers to increase their inventory.
"Like so many other organizations, we feel it is our responsibility to our customers to invest in solutions to help improve our manufacturing, and ultimately our supply chain, to get growing containers into the hands of growers and gardeners as quickly as possible," says Mayer. "This includes not only an investment in equipment and technologies but our team members as well."
Some of the ways HC is aims to help the horticulture industry satisfy the increased demands of gardeners include:
- HC has initiated investments in excess of $20 million in new equipment and manufacturing technologies to increase capacity while decreasing delivery times over the next two years. This will drastically impact their injection, blow mold, and thermoform manufacturing capabilities.
- Additional staffing resources are being added at all manufacturing facilities to increase production rates and ship containers to customers faster.
- HC continues to expand its workforce by offering more competitive salaries and attractive benefit plans.
- As growers continually search for ways to distinguish themselves in the market, HC is also investing in branding innovations for containers of all shapes and sizes.
- As the demand for more sustainable alternatives increases at garden centers and big-box stores, HC invested in and launched its BioPax growing containers made from sustainably sourced wood pulp. The containers promote less waste while offering optimized end-of-life without compromising strength and performance.
"Our teams remain dedicated to finding solutions to help our supply chain now and well into the future," says Mayer. "Our customers are our top priority, and we are continuously working on new ideas to accommodate shifts in product demands."
The HC Companies