Chris Cassidy runs a lacrosse specialty store in Denver. He works as a broker of imprinted sports apparel—namely, numbered uniforms—in addition to selling lacrosse equipment, organizing leagues and, among a plethora of other tasks, designing event logos for T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos and all kinds of athleticwear. He has developed relationships with his decorators and wholesale apparel suppliers, with all of whom he works especially close during the month of June when Cassidy prepares for one of the biggest events in amateur Colorado lacrosse—the Vail Shootout that coincides with the Independence Day holiday each year. This huge tournament serves as a brand-builder for Cassidy’s store, as well as a big revenue-booster with all of the event apparel that he sells each year.

Got clients with this kind of sorting/folding/packing challenge? Take our word for it, they'd rather pay you to include this work in your embellishment service.

“It’s a huge event for us, and it takes a lot of prep,” says Cassidy. “Besides coordinating all of the different logos on the different sizes and styles, there’s also the organization element that is extremely time-intensive.” This detail-oriented project involves sorting and labeling up to eight different styles of shirts in four different sizes for two different vending stations. Sound confusing? “It’s definitely a project,” he says. “I have the employees at the store labeling, folding and sorting throughout their shifts, and even then, end up hiring my family to finish the job. We’re up until at least two in the morning both nights the weekend before the tournament, which is tougher now that my wife and I have a baby at home. Sure, we have a good time and it’s become a tradition for us and my in-laws, but by the same token I’d rather be hanging out with my family before I head out of town for a week for the Shootout instead of exploiting their cheap labor,” he jokes.

But Cassidy’s bane is one that can be more easily resolved with the hand of apparel-industry technology rather than claiming his sister-in-law’s weekend. Finishing and packaging equipment is designed for cases exactly as such. And though the return-on-investment may not be as black and white as with other equipment purchases, the value add can certainly earn the business of the likes of others in Cassidy’s situation. Or, in the words of M&R’s specialty product manager Dave Zimmer, “An automated line’s increased efficiency will quickly justify the investment required.”

Within this genre of automated packaging, says Morey Mayeri, president of Royal Apparel, there is a deep subset of options. “These include poly-bagging, ticketing, hanging, stickering, and pre-packing—where you put an assortment of poly-bagged sizes and colors into a larger poly bag,” he says, demonstrating an answer to Cassidy’s specific needs. But each is specific and the level of investment varies accordingly. Take a look at some of the pieces of the investment, the capabilities and the ideas that are part of the equation that can be generated from this class of extra equipment.

Equipment is available that will automatically fold, tag, bag, count, stack and box your embellishment goods -- even print barcodes and other labels -- at rates up to hundreds if not thousands per hour.

The right stuff

“Our industry is being called upon to provide more services to our customers than ever before, as they seek ways to improve their efficiency,” Zimmer asserts. “A packaged product which is neatly folded, labeled or tagged for convenience, protected during shipment and storage, and which is traceable through a bar-coded label affixed to the garment or bag can be very attractive to a customer.”

The increased versatility and higher production volumes alone can justify the purchase of an automatic (or semi-automatic) folding, bagging and tagging machine.  

Smaller automatic options in this arena boast folding rates of 300 to 400 per hour, while larger machines operate at somewhere between 300 and 1,800 units per hour. Estimate what three of your best production employees can do per hour, likely between 100 and 150 an hour, and you can see why putting them on these machines can be more efficient.

Zimmer tells us that there is as much variety in bagging options as there is in individual needs to find a happy medium. Multiple shirts can be loaded into single bags, or settings can be adjusted to accommodate single units per bag. And production counters installed on this equipment helps to ensure precise numbers per bag, box and so on. While labeling and tagging equipment, both semi- and fully- automatic, can be purchased as separate units, it can be incorporated into most folding and bagging lines. Zimmer also reports that there are units available that print pressure-sensitive labels on demand.

While it may be difficult to buy into this kind of footprint and dollar investment, these options certainly are tempting in light of the manual alternative.

Creativity is key

If you’re going to make the investment to incorporate this specialized equipment into your shop, its likely worthwhile to investigate and put the time into creating unique package presentations.

Mayeri knows firsthand about how creative and comprehensive packaging options can be through his experience in running a business that offers complete customization down to the dyeing and sewing processes. “The very nature of a custom package means that it’s virtually impossible to provide an exhaustive list of everything the customer may want. After all,” he says, “those wants will vary from client to client.”

It is encouraged to get your customers to get onboard with the imagination portion of the idea, but make sure you have examples and your own concepts to bring to the table. “The idea of packaging sounds simple enough,” opines Mary Sells of the Advertising Specialty Institute. “And yet it is often forgotten in an industry that routinely ships T-shirts folded six-at-a-time in old tuna fish cartons, where a poly-bagged polo shirt or jacket is considered extreme packaging.”

She encourages decorators to instead look at it from the recipient’s point of view: How do you feel when you open a box of T-shirts in a tuna carton or a box of jackets that are on plastic hangers covered in used dry cleaning bags jammed into a corrugated box?

Chances are, you don’t feel as wowed as when you open a gift box tied with an elegant ribbon. “There are so many creative options to enhance delivery of an apparel item to a recipient and make them feel more valued, more appreciated,” Sells continues. “It can also make an apparel item seem more expensive and rewarding.”

So get creative. Think about kit-packing T-shirts into a plastic shopping bag with literature about new products and services for a trade show, Sells suggests. “Or folding up a safety awareness T-shirt in an insulated lunch bag or metal lunch box with a note inviting the recipient to learn something new over their lunch break.” These creative ideas cost just pennies, but can turn a generic promotion into something much more memorable.

There are a million opportunities to turn a simple order into something extraordinary, or at least, something convenient to deliver. Take advantage of the benefits packing equipment, and custom packaging options can add to your business. And save generous in-laws their weekends by providing this handy service.