COMPANY PROFILE:
Company Name: Carton Craft Supply, Inc.
First name: Mark
Family Name: Doxtader
Function: Owner
Headquarters: Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.A.
Year of foundation: 1993
Start of collaboration with Serviform: 2007
Branches/Sales reps: (1) Dallas, (1) Los Angeles, (2) Chicago, (3) Atlanta
Warehouses: Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles
Nr. of Employees: 19
'Core' activity: Sales and supplies of consumable products, machinery, parts and service to the converting, folding carton, corrugated, and printing industry.
Things we do best: Our team of technical sales reps who are all ex-machine operators. They know not only the products and supplies very well, but also how to use them on press. Our customer service team is always 100% focused on the customer and their production requirements.
Reference customers (mention at least 3): Over 1.000 active customers in the U.S.
01. Which production requirements prompted your customers to choose the Serviform machines?
The American market features an important business opportunity which came up thanks to the expiration of a competitor’s patent which blocked other competitors from the market for seventeen years. Most companies are now looking for more technologically advanced machines. Carton Craft is now systematically replacing about 700 machines in the United Sates sold over the last 23 years. Among the most important features, the customers are requiring is production speed and accuracy, because the market today requests approximately a 48 hours maximum turnaround time for the tooling to be prepared and shipped. Serviform has the ideal product range to satisfy this as well as other important technical requirements. Our strategy is to create a sound customer base made of the most progressive firms in our industry, so the other will follow.
02. What are the main technical features on which your customers focus on choosing the machines?
The variety of machines is important: customers can choose between numerous machine models which basically can satisfy their needs, but have also different price points. Furthermore, speed and accuracy of the equipment is crucial; Serviform has it all. Moreover, a partnership for parts and service in North America through the joint ventures with Serviform is another ace in the hole, which gives us the advantage to serve the customers efficiently and in full support of Serviform. We have a large stock of spare parts, based in Atlanta and we invest in having 3-4 technicians dedicated exclusively to the Serviform products.
03. Why do customers choose Carton Craft?
We’ve been in business for 25 years; the majority of our sales reps are very technical in nature and not pure sales people. We consistently offer training; we have a large presence at the most important national tradeshow, IADD Odyssey. Not only are we well known, we are technically strong and this is why customers and prospects come to us when they have a problem!
04. What is the aspect that makes you most proud of the way you carry out your business?
We have wonderful people that are very committed. The average tenor of our employees is around 15 years. We also have built a strong company culture: we assure a health work/life balance and offer a full complement of benefits including a pension program. We are also very committed to our vendors which we rely on for new innovative products and are exceptionally loyal to our partners ensuring a long lasting and fruitful partnership.
05. The challenge for the next 5 years?
For sure we have to fight against competitors who sell more on price than on quality. We need to protect our sales revenue and profit margin not only for ourselves, but also for our customers so we can invest in the future. If you really want to rise above the competition you have to have the best arsenal of products and customer service personnel.
Furthermore, it is a great competitive advantage to have Foppa Fustelle as part of their Group, which tests the machines before putting them on the market. A team of excellent engineers, brilliant technical staff and their overall willingness to be open to share new ideas proves that they listen to the market and their agents. Last but not least, they are wonderful people. It’s a privilege and an honor to be a Serviform agent as we can always count on the company to come out with innovative products and fresh ideas.
Traveling Machine - the smart way to present all the benefits of Serviform machines to a prospective customer!
Carton Craft Supply, in conjunction with the Serviform service company Serviform America, is extending a special invitation to experience the benefits of a Serviform RotaNeXt first hand, for a period of thirteen working days over a three months period beginning in September 2018. Day one, Carton Craft’s technician will install the machine and work with the customer’s staff to produce dies which continues for three days. Week two the customer’s staff will work independently with the RotaNeXt, and week three Carton Craft’s technician will return answer any questions that the customer has and proceed to pack up the machine. The “Traveling RotaNeXt” will visit six different companies in the span of twenty weeks and these appointments are available on a first come first served basis. Once the three-week experience is over, the machine will move on to its next stop.