How a program runs.
Four steps from first call to close-out, and one company across all of them.
Custom contract packaging
Built to your specification, from design to distribution.
Some orders require special assistance to complete. While all of the co-packing services at MGA Innovation are treated with complete care and oversight, we also offer custom contract packaging that can meet your exact specifications and project scope. We are a full-service, design-to-distribution contract packaging company with the equipment and expertise to meet any need.
Quality products. Custom solutions.
With consumers demanding specificity, and certain products over others, businesses must be ready to provide at a moment's notice. That's where we come in. MGA runs personalized product packaging shipments that can be completed with special considerations, in a cost-effective manner. Certain orders also require priority, and we make that happen.
The process
Idea, plan, production, review.
Custom orders follow a process similar to our standard contract packaging; with customization, though, determining special requirements and fulfillment needs is vital. You will work with one of our co-packing specialists to create a step-by-step plan that may look something like this.
Step 1: Ideation
We'll discuss the goals of your custom packaged product, from the initial idea and the reasons behind it to the overall fulfillment scope. Retailers can't always predict how much supply they need to match demand. Contract fillers handle large-volume custom orders, but small-run custom contract packaging is popular too, and we'll handle the quick packaging and coordinate the delivery of both. That includes cost-effective overwrapping and shrink wrapping for presentation and protection, custom sample programs, subscription boxes, promotional packaging and direct mail.
Step 2: Plan development
After the initial knowledge transfer of your goals, it's time to discuss and formalize a plan. We'll offer recommendations for your order based on our packaging capabilities and experience. Our custom contract packaging services include everything you need: printing, package design, packing with materials, distribution and value shipping. The plan settles four things, listed below. Before moving forward, our team will request any required information from your company to make sure the order aligns with safety and quality standards.
Step 3: Order production and fulfillment
Our production and assembly team gets to work immediately on your customized order, completing it to the exact specifications devised in the plan. Throughout single-phase production, workmanship and efficiency are monitored for quality. Packaging is inspected to confirm the parameters have been met for complete, single-phase fulfillment. The order is then loaded and shipped to plan, so it arrives in store or at your desired location on time.
Step 4: Review
We believe in strong partnerships that last. That is why we carefully examine your order for quality assurance during the final steps of the process, and review it with you at close-out before the next run is planned. Your complete satisfaction is our main objective, and we will work hard to make sure your needs are met.
Step two, in detail
What the plan settles.
Plan development walks through four decisions. Each one has its own page if you want to read ahead.
Printing and design
Select your printing type and design. All custom work is completed with professional printing and design, so your packaging is ready for the market.
Type of packaging
Choose your type of packaging. Blister packaging, clamshell packaging, cartoning and many more materials are available.
Final steps
Walk through the distribution process and finalize any additional elements you may need, like affixing for your product, or a microsite hosted for a specific brand during high demand.
Savings
Determine whether kitting is an option, combining SKUs in one shipment, and get valuable mailing services in shipping: MGA is a Premier USPS Customer.
Turnkey production
One company, from the pallet to the doorstep.
Your product is in good hands from the moment it enters our facility. Our team works to make sure your merchandise is safely sorted, packaged and shipped to waiting consumers. With full turnkey production lines, we can offer first-class packaging services for any type of enterprise. From breaking down pallets to final delivery, we work with you to create the best possible deliverable.
Turnkey, explained
What turnkey production means.
General notes
What is turnkey production?
Turnkey production is a form of package assembly that is managed by a single company. Instead of dividing the different stages of manufacturing between multiple vendors, turnkey production handles everything from the initial unpacking of raw materials to thoroughly checking the accuracy of every shipping label.
How does it save time and money?
Turnkey manufacturing saves businesses time and money. All merchandise is managed, packed and shipped from the same location. That consolidation cuts down on transportation time, centralizes communication and reduces labor costs. Our efficiency also results in faster shipping. Turnkey production minimizes both spending and customer complaints.
Who oversees a turnkey line?
All turnkey production lines are overseen by our professional team, from the assembly line designers to our warehouse staff. Meet the people who run each part of the plant on the about page.
Our services
What the turnkey process includes.
MGA Innovation uses a full turnkey process to give you comprehensive service. As part of that process, we provide:
Specialized design
Experts help you develop a production line that meets your exact needs and maximizes packaging efficiency.
Custom-built assembly lines
Built to your specific needs, so you can break down bulk shipments and fill orders quickly. Our lines are portable and suitable for any company.
Computer systems
Systems that can update your mailing list and monitor every piece of inventory on the floor. Keep track of your products with real-time inventory.
Packaging services
Our facility is fully equipped to kit, overwrap, carton or otherwise package your merchandise.
Enhanced delivery
Our special relationships with global mail delivery companies give you access to discounted postal prices and other amenities. Properly packaged and stamped, we make sure your mail is sent to the correct address.
The line
Four stages, one floor.
From breaking down pallets to final delivery, a program moves across one building, against one inventory record.
Cutaway drawing of the MGA plant in Gurnee, from MGA’s floor plan. Product arrives at receiving on the dock wall, is held in storage, through the staging area, is packed in the production area or by hand in the isolated production area, and comes back to one junction at the ship doors on the dock, where it leaves three ways: to the shelf, to the mailbox or to the doorstep. Each zone links to its page.
- Receive
Appointment, count, QC hold, lot capture. Customer-owned goods segregated by owner.
- Pack & kit
2a Production area2b Isolated production area
Machine lines and hand assembly across two production areas, including the 25,000 sq ft isolated production area.
- Hold
StorageS Staging area
Climate-controlled, controlled-access storage. Counts owner-scoped and lot-level.
- Ship
Retail freight, USPS induction off our own dock, or parcel to the consumer.
- To the Shelf
We're putting product on a retail shelf.
- To the Mailbox
We're mailing to a list or running a sampling program.
- To the Doorstep
We ship to consumers, one order at a time.
Why one company
Three vendors, or one roof.
Instead of dividing the stages between multiple vendors, one company runs all of them. Here is what that changes.
| Dimension | Three vendors | One roof |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory record | Three reports, none authoritative | One record, owner-scoped, lot-level |
| Freight between stages | Two inter-vendor moves, each a damage and delay risk | None — product moves across the floor |
| Contracts & insurance | Three contracts, three COIs | One contract, one COI |
| Audits | Three supplier audits, three corrective-action loops | One site, one certificate |
| Lot traceability | Breaks at every handoff | Receipt to proof of delivery, unbroken |
| Owner of the date | Nobody | Your account manager, by name |
Cost levers we look for in every quote.
Most savings are decided before the first unit runs. These are the ones we check first; the first three are set out in 4 benefits of working with a co-packing company.
Reduce primary packaging size
Small reductions in the size of the primary packaging add up across every unit in a run.
Change from Kraft to test paper
Review the packaging used and look for savings such as changing from Kraft to test paper.
Change the shipping case size
Change the shipping case size and lower overall cost by reducing the number of shipments.
Kit SKUs together
Combine SKUs in one shipment to cut picks and freight.
Design the mailpiece around the postage rate
Engineer the carton or mailer for the best USPS rate before it is printed, as we did for Sanofi’s Xyzal samples.
Our commitment
We see projects through.
At MGA, we believe in seeing projects through. We'll be with you every step of the way to deliver a premium product to your customers.
Our turnkey production lines make for a smooth transition from project conception to completion. Our process starts with a goal and is only complete when every package has been successfully delivered. MGA has sixty years of experience making business better for our customers. Contact us to get started streamlining your production today.
Related
Before you send a brief.
- What we need to quote you
The intake checklist that gets you a quote without a second round of questions.
- Capabilities and equipment
Every process, and the machines that run it.
- Certifications
The SQF certification and USPS approvals we hold.
- Systems
EDI and real-time inventory.
- Proof
Three programs run end to end with this process.
- Book a plant tour
See the lines before you award the work.
Start with step one.
Tell us the idea, the reasons behind it and the date. A co-packing specialist will take it from there.