Interpak invites vendors, customers on its ‘Lean journey’

ALL ABOARD: Mechanic Jose Duarte, left, consults a board that’s integral to International Packaging’s lean protocols. With him, from left, are Lucy Amaral, production manager; James Kilmartin, purchasing manager; and Erin Kilmartin, marketing and creative director.
 / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY
ALL ABOARD: Mechanic Jose Duarte, left, consults a board that’s integral to International Packaging’s lean protocols. With him, from left, are Lucy Amaral, production manager; James Kilmartin, purchasing manager; and Erin Kilmartin, marketing and creative director.
 / PBN PHOTO/RUPERT WHITELEY

International Packaging Corp.
Lean Management | 2019 Manufacturing Awards


“Being ‘Lean’ has changed how we manufacture our products and how we act as a company,” said Erin Kilmartin, marketing and creative director at International Packaging Corp., better known as Interpak. “On the practical side, we have built an in-house training center where we educate all employees on lean tools and processes, as well as other employee skills. Culturally, lean thinking has changed Interpak by transferring mental models into the company.”

Kilmartin is part of the family that operates Interpak, a third-generation, custom manufacturer and distributor of boxes, point-of-purchase displays, and accessories for manufacturers and retailers throughout the United States. Started in 1957 by Jack and Jerry Kilmartin, Interpak has continued growing through a “lean journey” started by Jack’s son John Kilmartin, when he took over in the 1990s.

“Lean is beneficial because it limits excess inventory, the need for expediting, and wasteful activities,” said John Kilmartin, Interpak president. “However, lean is not just about attacking waste and increasing the speed of production. Rather, lean is focused on improving the quality of products and services, as well as the stability of our processes. Lean is also beneficial because it improves employee engagement, morale and safety, and reduces operating costs.”

- Advertisement -

Following lean protocols has improved processes. Defects and inventory have been reduced, moving components, materials and products have changed or been eliminated, items are manufactured as they are needed and efficiencies in work methods have increased productivity.

Interpak employs more than 225 people. Its corporate office and largest manufacturing facility is in Pawtucket, and there’s a factory and warehouse in Scotland and a quality-control office in Shenzhen, China. Its customers include manufacturers and retailers in the jewelry, gift, candy, cookie and coin markets, such as Tiffany, Alex and Ani LLC, Kohl’s, U.S. Mint and Net-A-Porter.

‘Lean is focused on improving the quality of products and services, as well as the stability of our processes.’
John Kilmartin, Interpak president

Producing 2 million boxes a month in Pawtucket, the “made-to-order” aspect of the products requires a high level of coordination among sales department, subcomponent manufacturing departments, assembly departments, and warehousing and shipping departments.

Going lean was the way of the future, Interpak said.

The fundamental approach behind these continuous improvement efforts is the principle of PDCA (plan, do, check, act or adjust), said John Kilmartin. Interpak uses methods, many of them visual cues, such as on lights at assembly cells and status boards to communicate hour-to-hour production and quality levels and gaps.

“Pain” boards communicate big and small irritations and flow problems. Company standards are shared via schedule boards, shadow boards and pictorial work-center communications.

At any given time, Interpak uses improvement tools such as Kaizen events (targeted strategy meetings) and Gemba walk-throughs by management to observe processes and procedures.

Collaborating with other businesses in the community is another part of Interpak’s lean journey.

“First, for us to perform at our highest we have begun encouraging our vendors and collaborators to incorporate lean philosophies into their culture,” John Kilmartin said. “We have hosted many companies in Rhode Island at our facility for them to learn from us and enhance their manufacturing and business process to be lean. This helps us by allowing our systems to work better, as well as improving our vendors, allowing us to all do better. Second, our goal as a company is to be a sustaining resource for our vendors. Every day is a different collaboration with them, many of whom are local. Whether it is helping to forecast their packaging needs, designing a new product and even help running their business, we are there for them. We participate in many HR, sales, CEO and marketing groups that allow us to collaborate with other companies in the region, as we can all grow together.”

No posts to display