Plascon Group
Making Life Easier Through Flexible Packaging Solutions
In the deep chill of January, National Soup Month warms us up with piping hot bowls of comfort! We all have our favorites; Mom’s chicken noodle doesn’t compare to anyone else’s, and Grandma’s borscht can’t be beat. A savory broth filled with vegetables and seasonings fills the home with a delicious aroma. National Soup Month calls the family to gather and enjoy a hearty meal together!
As 2020 comes to an end and we all excitedly look towards what 2021 has in store, it is nice to be able to look back over the past year and see that it wasn’t all that bad (hindsight is 2020 after all). As the world faced a year like none other before it, a lot of changes had to take place to accommodate restrictions placed on companies, but as a team, Plascon was not only able to meet the expectations, but excel through them.
When the year was fresh and just beginning, everybody was optimistically planning for the year ahead of us with no idea what 2020 held.As with most companies, Plascon was looking for ways to better serve our customers, expand our business, and keep things headed in a positive direction. With plans to broaden our work force, preparing for our annual BRC audit, and improving our website and online ordering system, we had a lot of goals for our growing company.
Then little by little news started coming out about what was going on in the world and we all had to learn how to adjust. As a company who works with companies worldwide, we were concerned. Plascon is an essential business, providing for both food and medical companies. We would keep our lines running, but if our partners had to shut down their production, how could we keep our customers needs fulfilled? After all, our customers are dependent on the packaging we provide, including Cook Chill bags & accessories, Box Liners, Saftea(R) Liners, Biodegradable Bags & Liners, and various other food grade packaging needed to keep their operations in business as well. How would we accommodate the new guidelines and keep everybody as safe as possible?… The answer was simply the only way we know how, by coming together and working as a team.
Those of us who could, began working from home and those of us who stayed in the office spread ourselves into the newly vacant offices to keep distance. To keep our production staff safe and meet distancing guidelines, we moved our Saftea(R) production team off site and spread everybody out as much as possible. During this we still moved forward with filling open positions and projects to improve. With a portion of the staff out of the warehouse, we revamped our racking system to store more product. We took advantage of our emptier lots to tackle a repaving, and landscaping projects. We moved forward with our BRC audit, which was rescheduled from May to September and, in the midst of everything, Plascon once again achieved a ‘AA’ BRC certification for the fourth year in a row!
2020 was a curveball of a year, to say the least. As it wraps up and we look ahead to what 2021 might have in store, we hold on to the same ambitious optimism that we had 12 months ago. We are looking forward to working with new vendors, seeing new (and old) smiling faces at our facility as we build our team (and eventually bring our work from home team back into the office), product development, and growing to meet the needs of all our amazing customers!
Have a wonderful 2021!
It’s a busy time of year, and 2020 has been….well so very 2020. With that in mind, we thought we’d share a fun take on a holiday favorite! We think you might recognize the original! Cheers!
Twas’ the night before Christmas and all through the kitchen not a creature was stirring, not even a chef.
Their customers were nestled into their beds while visions of delicious foods, non-contaminated sweet tea, and fresh produce danced in their heads.
The dishes were hung up to dry with care with the hopes that Plascon’s flexible packaging would soon be there.
On the receiving dock arose such a clatter they arose to their feet to see what was the matter.
Then what to their wondering eyes should appear, a Plascon package from the carrier and their eight tiny reindeer.
As they opened the package, they shouted with cheer, our Cook Chill Bags, Saftea(R) Liners, and Biodegradable Box Liners are here!
They thought this package arrived so quick that must have been St. Nick!
As he drove away at the speed of light, he looked back and said “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a Good Night!”
Happy Holidays from us here at Plascon. Wishing you a safe and happy holiday. As always, we appreciate you choosing Plascon as your primary supplier for your flexible packaging needs. We offer a variety of food safe packaging products so there is something suitable for any operation. Feel free to reach out to learn more about any of our product lines.
Are you a foodie? Who doesn’t like food, right? Test your knowledge and see how many of these food trivia questions you know!
You know that Plascon manufacturers 7-layer Cook Chill Barrier Bags for packaging of soups, sauces, and other foods of pourable consistency. But did you know that we also have a line of accessory items to compliment your Cook Chill program?
The Cook Chill method of food prep and storage is commonly used in industrial kitchens for large portion food production. However, with the right accessories, Cook Chill is easily scalable to single restaurant kitchens without the need of large scale equipment,
At least it is on November 18th for National Apple Cider Day. Apple cider makes a great seasonal drink to add to any menu, at home or in your business. It can be served hot or cold. And while it’s great on its own adding a little bit of cinnamon or caramel gives a little something extra.
There is one thing that goes hand in hand with both the falling temperatures and leaves; soup season! I personally believe soup is one of the most universal meals with endless opportunities. Which is why it is a perfect contender for its own season! The existence of soup can be dated all the way back to 20,000 B.C making it almost as old as the history of cooking. This food is also the perfect vessel for highlighting local flavors and offerings.
With the convergence of a full moon, a blue moon, daylight saving time and Saturday celebrations, not to mention the unprecedented events of this year, Halloween 2020 will truly be memorable. The full moon on Saturday will be the first full moon to fall on Halloween since 2001. The next won’t be until Halloween 2039. What makes this full moon extra special is that it is actually the second full moon we’ve had this October, with the last one falling on October 1st. When more than one full moon happens within the same month, it is called a “blue moon” – hence the saying “once in a blue moon” due to the rarity of the occurrence.
Here at Plascon, we are very excited to the announce the launch of our newly designed website along with new corporate branding. Now is a great time to visit us, and explore our unique packaging products! After months of detailed design and dedication, we were delighted to officially go live with the site on 10/9/2020. Our goal was to make the new website easier to navigate, more user-friendly, to improve the overall aesthetic and the online shopping experience.
The Keto Diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. This diet is very low carbohydrates, high in dietary fat, and include an amount of proteins. The reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes incredibly efficient at burning fat for energy. Ketogenic diet can cause massive reductions in blood sugar, insulin levels, and help with weight loss. The benefits of keto diet include weight loss, reduced blood pressure, slower aging process, improved sleep, and increased energy efficiency.
The foods to avoid include sugary foods, grains, starches, fruit, beans, root vegetables, low-fat or diet products, condiments, and alcohol.
Plascon provides flexible packaging solutions to a wide range of customers including organic vegetable farmer, seafood and meat packaging companies, and nut and grain suppliers. Our biodegradable and recyclable bags and liners provide safe, sanitary and durable packaging ideal for harvest and meat processing that withstands the storage and transit of these food items that eventually make it to your grocery store and cart, and into your Keto Diet.
Our food grade, FDA approved bags and liners are ideally suited for food items, but are equally durable for any bag-in-a-box packaging need. Available in custom sizes and mil thicknesses, we have a liner for whatever you need to package. As direct manufacturer, we also offer both clear and colored film options, along with one color custom printing for your company name or logo.
We’re here to help. Contact us for a quick quote and we will be happy to send a free sample to assist in matching the perfect liner for your exacting needs. We look forward to talking to you soon. Stay safe, and eat healthy!
Returning to Restaurant Life
A few months ago, back in June, I wrote a blog piece about food safety during a pandemic. At times like these, any little steps you can make help to make us all feel a little safer. Plexi-Glass in front of the cashier at the local convenience store. Wear a mask. Wash your hands to the point that there is no skin left on them (ok, that last one maybe only I have done, but I’m sure there are others who are with me there). Avoid larger crowds and make sure to maintain a good distance between yourself and any other person. Use hand sanitizer like its water. We all now know the Pandemic “rules”, even if we don’t like them. Someday, life will return to normal, and hopefully soon.
According to the CDC, here is a list of what we all should be doing to protect ourselves and our families. Most of us should know all these steps by now, but they are always worth repeating:
Clean your hands often, either with soap and water for 20 seconds or a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
But none of that pertains to food or beverage, and right now, restaurants need to know what they should be doing to best protect their employees, their customers and themselves. Has anyone been out to eat at restaurants, if that is in fact an option where you live? Please make sure to go as much as you can afford to as these folks need our help and our business, and they in turn are doing all that they can to mitigate any risk associated with dining out. I have two young toddlers at home, so where we go and what we might bring home with us is always something that we are considering when making those decisions. Not something anyone has ever really had to think about for over 100 years now, since the 1918 Pandemic.
So, what can those with food service do to help mitigate the worries and get people back into restaurants? Of course, state by state there are Executive Orders put in place by Governor’s mandating things like 50% capacity, however there are measures that can be put in place to help to protect the customer. Switch to one-time use paper menus to decrease exposure and build customer confidence. True, this requires spending money to print menus each day, but would you do that if you could get more people through the door? I bet you would. You can require masks and enforce that as a house rule. No mask, no service. You can make sure to clean all tables and high touch areas multiple times a day. Some places are even assigning one employee per shift just to clean the high traffic areas as much as possible.
You could also start using the Saftea(R) Liner in all your beverage urns. Iced tea, iced coffee, lemonade, fruit punch, cider…almost everything you can put into your beverage urns can be protected by the Saftea(R) Liner. Best part is not only will it improve food safety and the overall taste of the iced tea (for instance) but it’s visible just enough that your customers will know that you have something in there to protect them.
However, your business is run, Plascon can likely help with one of our many products. But what we really want to see is people getting back to restaurants and enjoying themselves, safely. If you are new to Saftea(R) Liner, request your free 7-day trial of liners and see what a difference they can make in your restaurant operations, and share this information with your patrons to build customer trust and confidence to return to your establishments.
