西德克萨斯 Container (WTC)
Privately owned for 25 years, WTC已经从一个小盒子制造商成长为一个最先进的板材厂. We specialize in “On Time with Quality” service and delivery.
WTC的现代化设施配备齐全，可以处理任何瓦楞包装挑战. 其94年,000平方英尺的生产基地及其姊妹公司图森集装箱是数千万美元投资技术的家园, 机械, 卡车, 等.
事实上, 与U乐国际合作意味着花更多的时间来完善您的产品，同时缩短产品上市时间
“对U乐国际来说，优质、快捷、可靠的服务不是言语或口号 . . . it is a way of life. It is the number one 考虑ation in everything we do. 这些保证和对卓越的奉献使WTC在西德克萨斯州工业包装材料和服务的制造和供应方面处于领先地位.” Chris Widera, CEO
为什么 西德克萨斯 Container was started.
In 1978, when opening a sheet plant in Tucson, U乐国际了解到，传统的盒子制造商对他们的水晶球戴上了眼罩. There were too many misguided decisions. To differentiate our products and corporate message, we successfully implemented a direct sales strategy. We would do the same in El Paso, when we launched 西德克萨斯 Container (WTC) in 1997, but with more hardships.
为什么? 当地的盒子制造商在实践“如果事情迟了，等待是值得的”.“然而，U乐国际看到了JIT、高质量印刷和本地结构设计的机会.
一个位置. “No matter how deeply I checked references, and no matter how cautious I was in hiring the best candidate, I just couldn’t get it right,” 他告诉我. “我雇了, trained and patiently waited for increased sales with three people, before the fourth hire paid off. It’s an awfully expensive process.”
他是对的. Small companies with less than $6 million in sales, 很少有资金或专业知识来找到成功的销售人员, customer service people and managers.
So, to set ourselves apart, I changed our business model. It will take WTC in a uniquely different direction.
Shall the plan materialize?
I surmised that intensity is everything, but not for everyone. As the sheet plant adapted to the local relaxed service, I had made a conscious decision to bootstrap.
与此形成鲜明对比的是, plenty of flashy start-ups, especially high-tech companies, believe in the “big bang” model, with very fast growth, fueled by lots and lots of poaching, investment and debt. Bootstrapped companies start slow on somebody’s cash. 在他们的转变过程中，你会学到很多关于盈利的模糊性. It can mean becoming a high risk venture. In opening our 35,000 sq.ft. sheet plant in El Paso, I hoped that it would not be insular, but
cost-effective on a limited budget. 因此, when I bootstrapped, rather than viewing mistakes as something I’ve done wrong, I look at improvement opportunities. 我想更好地了解客户对U乐国际的包装盒业务能力的了解程度. 希望永远不要超过U乐国际提供给他们的商品或服务的质量.
our employee centered management.
So, in 2002, U乐国际的跨职能团队开始编制一份为埃尔帕索经销商工作的人员名单, supply firms and industrial sales reps. We then went with the broker approach saying, “If you are interested, tell us. Here’s what we have to offer. An opportunity to keep
most of the pro适合s you generate, 但是，请支付U乐国际的业务支持服务和产品以及您需要的送货费用.”
Our nimble sheet plant would offer fast quoting, broker load tags on shipments, 办公空间, 电话, 传真, 复印机, postage and Internet access. We also would provide commission and inventory reports; on-site design services, free inside sales backup when the salesperson is sick or on vacation; and a secure, friendly environment.
Within a month we had half a dozen responses. 其中大多数来自于那些已经在水里划桨的人，他们急于开始或拥有自己的小型经纪业务. U乐国际花了很长时间来选择那些U乐国际认为有信誉的公司，并加快U乐国际的“销售”速度.
尽管一些候选人曾经卖过一些包装产品, we believed that they would have inevitable setbacks. 雇佣知识渊博的独立承包商可以让这家盒子制造商从提供的服务中获得微薄的利润, by providing custom designs, quality corrugated boxes and JIT deliveries. WTC justified using brokers “因为U乐国际不想招人，做很多培训，然后让他们离开. U乐国际在他们经历了断奶过程和教育过程后才给他们。” says Chris Widera.
Brokers/agents and packaging 分销商 have many product lines. They bring with them a price-bid business. 增值产品成为一种商品，很难以更高的利润销售，因为大多数产品都是靠价格销售的. 当U乐国际做300个报价，收到30个订单时，有些地方不对劲. The sales process can be a win-win situation for all involved. 在U乐国际的盒子制造业务中，内部销售人员通常是接订单的. But from the start, we made them more proactive. 他们现在给客户打电话，通知客户，建立融洽的关系. 当与U乐国际的销售服务团队交谈时，您可以感受到西德克萨斯州的灵魂. “我认为U乐国际的员工喜欢留在这里，因为U乐国际试图把这里变成一个有趣的工作场所——真正的工作场所. Our people are loyal – they care. U乐国际让他们参与决策以及影响他们工作的事情，” says Nick Widera, GM, who is steering the ship.
Events are forcing changes. WTC is grabbing hold of the future with continuous improvement. For starters, we have moved into our own 85,000 sq. 适合. building near the Mexican boarder. +, we have upgraded every machine, every interface and every system into one vast, interconnected virtual manufacturing web that is accessible, traceable and trackable from any secured smart
电话 anywhere in the world.
In 1978, when opening a sheet plant in Tucson, U乐国际了解到，传统的盒子制造商对他们的水晶球戴上了眼罩. There were too many misguided decisions. To differentiate our products and corporate message, we successfully implemented a direct sales strategy. We would do the same in El Paso, when we launched 西德克萨斯 Container (WTC) in 1997, but with more hardships.
为什么? 当地的盒子制造商在实践“如果事情迟了，等待是值得的”.“然而，U乐国际看到了JIT、高质量印刷和本地结构设计的机会.
Finding Good Employees
众所周知，在一个小市场找到有能力、有经验的员工是件难事. One small bushiness owner, who avoids local recruitment firms, 他告诉我，他更喜欢通过网络和本地分类广告自己搜索. He said, “God gives milk an I have the pail for it.(也许他的解决方案始于反思式领导或基于市场的管理?)
为了说明, 当现有的企业文化受到保护或劳动力市场紧张时, 考虑, “五年前，我登了一则招聘行政助理的广告，收到了30多份回复. 被录用的人换了一份更好的工作，我今年也登了同样的广告. 我只收到了四份回复，我根本不可能考虑那些未经培训的求职者. 最后, 我不得不打电话给我的前雇员，以比她以前高20%的薪水重新雇用她,” explains the frustrated entrepreneur.
Hiring for Direct Sales
销售人员是客户和公司之间的重要纽带. 有一天，我的一个做盒子的朋友注意到他家里有一个旋转门一个位置. “No matter how deeply I checked references, and no matter how cautious I was in hiring the best candidate, I just couldn’t get it right,” 他告诉我. “我雇了, trained and patiently waited for increased sales with three people, before the fourth hire paid off. It’s an awfully expensive process.”
他是对的. Small companies with less than $6 million in sales, 很少有资金或专业知识来找到成功的销售人员, customer service people and managers.
So, to set ourselves apart, I changed our business model. It will take WTC in a uniquely different direction.
Entrepreneurial Risks
The goal has always been to grow slowly, 有机, 稳步, 和盈利, but with an intense passion for performance.Shall the plan materialize?
I surmised that intensity is everything, but not for everyone. As the sheet plant adapted to the local relaxed service, I had made a conscious decision to bootstrap.
与此形成鲜明对比的是, plenty of flashy start-ups, especially high-tech companies, believe in the “big bang” model, with very fast growth, fueled by lots and lots of poaching, investment and debt. Bootstrapped companies start slow on somebody’s cash. 在他们的转变过程中，你会学到很多关于盈利的模糊性. It can mean becoming a high risk venture. In opening our 35,000 sq.ft. sheet plant in El Paso, I hoped that it would not be insular, but
cost-effective on a limited budget. 因此, when I bootstrapped, rather than viewing mistakes as something I’ve done wrong, I look at improvement opportunities. 我想更好地了解客户对U乐国际的包装盒业务能力的了解程度. 希望永远不要超过U乐国际提供给他们的商品或服务的质量.
In Pursuit of Excellence
Unfortunately, the future has a way of sneaking up on us. We weren’t afraid of our competition, as we believed a kite rises against the wind, not with the wind. 但这确实意味着U乐国际必须雇佣一个理解并分享目标的团队. After hiring two new applicants, in 2000, I was still ambivalent with their caliber of innovative skills. They had some experience, but didn’t meet all my sales criteria. 作为一个注重绩效的企业家，我绝对不想雇佣别人的错误. 此外，当地的销售佣金是以销售额为基础的，这是埃尔帕索的惯例.My plan needed to be the right 适合. It is all about a basic work ethic. This is normally difficult to change in people. 一个新的销售人员需要投入时间和金钱来了解业务领域和账目. 通常需要6个月到1年的时间才能取得成效并收回成本. 结果?世贸中心需要从U乐国际其他工厂贷款一百万美元来逃离死亡之谷. 关键的下一步是提高报价和纠正措施的及时性our employee centered management.
New Strategy- Brokers/Agents
The art of being wise is knowing when to stop. 在加州，U乐国际的销售专长是与经纪人/代理商和分销商合作. The trick is to understand the sensitivities of the market.So, in 2002, U乐国际的跨职能团队开始编制一份为埃尔帕索经销商工作的人员名单, supply firms and industrial sales reps. We then went with the broker approach saying, “If you are interested, tell us. Here’s what we have to offer. An opportunity to keep
most of the pro适合s you generate, 但是，请支付U乐国际的业务支持服务和产品以及您需要的送货费用.”
Our nimble sheet plant would offer fast quoting, broker load tags on shipments, 办公空间, 电话, 传真, 复印机, postage and Internet access. We also would provide commission and inventory reports; on-site design services, free inside sales backup when the salesperson is sick or on vacation; and a secure, friendly environment.
Within a month we had half a dozen responses. 其中大多数来自于那些已经在水里划桨的人，他们急于开始或拥有自己的小型经纪业务. U乐国际花了很长时间来选择那些U乐国际认为有信誉的公司，并加快U乐国际的“销售”速度.
尽管一些候选人曾经卖过一些包装产品, we believed that they would have inevitable setbacks. 雇佣知识渊博的独立承包商可以让这家盒子制造商从提供的服务中获得微薄的利润, by providing custom designs, quality corrugated boxes and JIT deliveries. WTC justified using brokers “因为U乐国际不想招人，做很多培训，然后让他们离开. U乐国际在他们经历了断奶过程和教育过程后才给他们。” says Chris Widera.
Brokers/agents and packaging 分销商 have many product lines. They bring with them a price-bid business. 增值产品成为一种商品，很难以更高的利润销售，因为大多数产品都是靠价格销售的. 当U乐国际做300个报价，收到30个订单时，有些地方不对劲. The sales process can be a win-win situation for all involved. 在U乐国际的盒子制造业务中，内部销售人员通常是接订单的. But from the start, we made them more proactive. 他们现在给客户打电话，通知客户，建立融洽的关系. 当与U乐国际的销售服务团队交谈时，您可以感受到西德克萨斯州的灵魂. “我认为U乐国际的员工喜欢留在这里，因为U乐国际试图把这里变成一个有趣的工作场所——真正的工作场所. Our people are loyal – they care. U乐国际让他们参与决策以及影响他们工作的事情，” says Nick Widera, GM, who is steering the ship.
Update – 15 years later
今天, U乐国际相信，对于小型市场的制造业，U乐国际最好的销售增长解决方案是由U乐国际的员工选择直接销售和通过忠诚的经纪人/代理商销售的结合, 分销商, plus our website.Events are forcing changes. WTC is grabbing hold of the future with continuous improvement. For starters, we have moved into our own 85,000 sq. 适合. building near the Mexican boarder. +, we have upgraded every machine, every interface and every system into one vast, interconnected virtual manufacturing web that is accessible, traceable and trackable from any secured smart
电话 anywhere in the world.