SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2018
“Once we’re up and running, we can package up to 10 hectolitres per hour and up to 75 hectolitres per day.”
2
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • FEBRUARY 2018
The hook and the slogan is that Northern Canning offers “Professional packaging services at your doorstep” but there’s something more to this Bolton-based newcomer – something distinctly Canadian. Maybe it’s the image of the company’s 4x4 hauling its mobile canning line in a logo- wrapped trailer through the snowcapped Opeongo Hills in Southern Ontario. Maybe it’s the reason they’ve committed to cans: Seventy-five percent of all cans manufactured are still in circulation today and they contain more than three times the recycled content than glass bottles. Or maybe it’s the spirit of purpose that has touched so many craft breweries, distilleries, and cider houses. “We’re 100 percent locally owned and owner-operated,” co-owner Nicole Stamcos explained with determination in her voice. “We are proud to say that because most of our clients are in the same boat; small batch beverage producers that do most of the work themselves. There’s something special about small businesses working together to make each other better and grow the industry they love.” Since hitting the road for the first time in September 2017, Northern Canning has already canned over a quarter million beverages – and Nicole told Spotlight on Business that they plan to reach well over one million cans by the time the fourth quarter begins this year.
By David MacDonald I f you’re a regular Spotlight on Business reader, you know I’m a numbers guy. Nothing gets the imagination going like a good stat or figure. That’s why I had to press Nicole to find out just what getting to the million cans mark will look like day-to- day in 2018. “Once we’re up and running, we can package up to 10 hec- tolitres per hour and up to 75 hectolitres per day,” she told me without skipping a beat. For you readers in the land of the free and the home of the brave that’s a daily output of over 1981 gallons or 15000 cans. Nicole’s confidence in hitting the million-mark by Septem- ber has a lot to do with Northern Canning’s primary clien- tele: Southern Ontario’s craft beer industry. There are cur- rently 68 small, independent breweries in Ontario with the lion’s share of the craft beer flowing from the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) just an hour south of Northern Canning’s home base in Bolton. “The craft beer and other craft beverage industries are mainly made-up of independently owned and operated businesses and this is something we wanted to be a part of,” Nicole explained. “Working alongside other local- ly-owned businesses gives us a chance to really help, to really be a part of their business and make a difference. We get to know our client’s needs and we get to be a part of their growth and success. To us, that means everything. When they grow, so do we. There are a lot of reasons to be a proud independent owner. There is a true beauty in producing and living out your dream, but to be honest one of main reasons for us would be that we get to be present – both for ourselves and our customers. Every client we work with is in a different stage, comes from a different back- ground, has different goals and dreams for their business. To say it’s important to be present would be an understate- ment. It is our entire mission.” “To us, that means everything. When they grow, so do we.” “We initially launched the company based on the craft beer industry’s growing demand for getting their product into a can,” she continued. “This is partly due to the positive impact on the environment. Seventy-five percent of cans ever manufactured are still in circulation today and they contain three times the recycled content of glass bottles. The next thing brewers consider is the business side of going with cans. Cans are 15 times lighter than glass bottles and they save you on shipping. It also keeps your beer fresher because aluminum keeps out UV rays and oxygen.” But no one ever said mobile canning was easy, Nicole explained. “It’s extremely fun at times of course, but when our crew is out there battling with the trials and tribulations of being mobile it can be another story.”
3
FEBRUARY 2018 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
and seam checking as well as carbonation and dissolved oxygen testing. Northern Canning’s technicians use our ATP (adenosine triphosphate) meters to swab their machin- ery and your cans to ensure the highest sanitation stan- dards are met. “We also have an Anton Paar CBox to check CO2 volumes as well as DO [dissolved oxygen] levels pre and post fill,” Nicole said. “You could also say that we have a slight obsession when it comes to checking seams.” “We absolutely love what we do, but the process can be very trying if the site specifications are not on point,” she contin- ued. “Being mobile means our equipment moves around a lot. Screws sometimes come loose during transport after a job and not everyone has the same fittings and accessories from one facility to another. Problem solving on the fly is a huge part of this business. Also the process of canning differs due to the product you’re dealing with. Some products flow easier, some like to give us a hard time. The canning process is about understanding your product, predicting its reac- tions and of course having a little bit of patience.” On the day of a “fill run” Northern Canning will arrive with a fully operational Wild Goose canning line and install it where it’s needed. A team of technicians will operate the canning line and safely and accurately can your product at a rate up-to 42 cans per minute. “Our canning line runs fast, so the colder the beer, the better. We need a place to plug in, some CO2, water and compressed air. We send out all the information prior to the facility to ensure we are in perfect working conditions for the day of fill run. Once we’re done, we safely unplug, thoroughly clean our machine, as well as our workspace, and hit the open road.” Northern Canning also provides printed, sleeved, or blank cans and “any other packagingmaterials needed,”Nicole said. “That includes cardboard trays and PakTech can carriers.” And if that wasn’t enough to make Northern Canning standout in the world of mobile canning their long term and short term warehousing solutions is. “We want small opera- tions to be able to save space for what matters most to them: the great products they’re brewing,” Nicole explained. “We can take care of your storage needs and when you’re ready to fill your store front again, we’ll bring you your cans.” “Our partners consist of young likeminded, goal-oriented people who love to have fun. We really do aim to keep the client happy and satisfied; we want them to feel excited when they see that Northern Canning trailer pulling up. Canning has many important aspects that we take very seriously but we are always trying to add an element of positive energy and a great working environment wherever we are. We have canned cider and other craft beverages as well and look forward to canning more delicious products of all kinds. With time Northern Canning will expand and with that there will be more job opportunities for forward thinkers in the industry. We want our staff to share the same passion as we do and enjoy themselves as well as the fruits of our labour – the beer!”
Everything from difficult product specifications, sanita- tion and quality assurance, and heavy-equipment – not to mention Ontario snow storms and Toronto traffic – makes Nicole’s mantra of being present that much more vital to Northern Canning’s continuing growth. “It’s important to us that we handle every situation. The owners of the company are the main point of contact for our clients. We take these aspects very seriously. There is no one better to do it than the people who care the most about our company. We know and understand that the clients’ product is every- thing and we need to know we can get it into a can safely and efficiently. Quality assurance rules all.”
Quality assurance includes rigorous cleaning procedures
As tough as it gets CboxQC™ At-line
CboxQC™ At-line is a combined CO 2 and O 2 meter used for at-line operation CboxQC™ At-line is a combined CO 2 and O 2 meter used for at-line operation
- The rubber housing protects the instrument from impacts in harsh environments with protection class IP 67 - Selective dissolved CO 2 measurement by the patented multiple volume expansion method - Optochemical O 2 measurement for fast and reliable results - Fast measuring time of less than 90 seconds for dissolved CO 2 and O 2 - The rubber housing protects the instrument from impacts in harsh environments with protection class IP 67 - Selective dissolved CO 2 measurement by the patented multiple volume expansion method - Optochemical O 2 measurement for fast and reliable results - Fast measur ng time of less than 90 seconds for dissolved CO 2 and O 2
Get in touch: www.anton-paar.com
many thanks to our advertisers
www.anton-paar.com
NORTHERN CANNING
521 Piercey Road, Unit 5 Bolton, ON L7E 5B5
pete@northerncanning.com 647-298-8182
www.northerncanning.com
as spotlighted in the FEBRUARY 2018 issue of SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
www.spotlightonbusinessmagazine.com
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker