MSI Express

INNOVATORS IN MANUFACTURING AND PACKAGING

MSI EXPRESS FOOD & BEVERAGE

P L AC I N G C U S TO M E R S AT T H E CENTER As MSI Express bolsters its renowned reputation for producing, packaging, and delivering liquid and dry goods, CEO Charles Weinberg enlightens us on the company’s customer-centric approach Writer: Lucy Pilgrim | Project Manager: Kieron Harvey

M

SI Express (MSI) is positioned as one of the most diverse contract manufacturers/ packagers in North America, bringing innovation to the food and beverage sector.

Founded in 1998, the company produces products for top-tier consumer goods companies, emerging brands, and private label customers whilst manufacturing liquid and dry food products via multiple operations before packaging and delivering the product.

“Many of our clients have been with us for decades; we build trust with our customers, vendors, and employees so that we can maintain long-term relationships that are mutually beneficial and successful,” opens Charles Weinberg, CEO of MSI. Strong partnerships are achieved

through a commitment to truly listening to customers’ needs and subsequently collaborating to generate the best solutions at the lowest available cost.

It is also the variety of its operations that sets MSI apart from competitors, particularly its diverse capabilities and locations, which allow the company to customize its solutions to best meet pre-agreed targets.

The organization’s breadth of capabilities spans dry and liquid goods to flexible packaging and products, which is unparalleled in the contract manufacturing space.

“We can provide solutions that no one else can across North America. If we don’t already provide the solution, we will add the capability; openmindedness is key,” asserts Weinberg.

North America Outlook Issue 20 | 3

MSI EXPRESS FOOD & BEVERAGE

“ W E C A N P R O V I D E S O L U T I O N S T H AT N O O N E E L S E C A N AC R OSS N O RT H A M E R I C A .

I F W E D O N ’ T A L R E A DY P R OV I D E T H E S O L U T I O N , W E W I L L A D D T H E C A PA B I L I T Y; OPEN-MINDEDNESS IS KEY” – CHARLES WEINBERG, CEO, MSI EXPRESS

Charles Weinberg, CEO

THE POWER OF A TEAM Employing over 3,500 talented employees, MSI’s people are one of its main differentiators, primarily due to the collective mission that spans the entire organization.

“One person cannot succeed alone. It takes a true team, one that challenges each member and comes out stronger because of it,” Weinberg passionately tells us.

Whilst it has plans for employee expansion, MSI is committed to upskilling its employees to the highest degree, particularly across the operations and mechanics departments, which are both major components of the overall team.

To achieve this, the company has recently implemented a learning management system. Created by a group within the company’s human resources (HR) team, it has initiated an organizational development program, “The MSI Express Way”, to ensure effective employee development.

Furthermore, as equipment becomes more automated, the company is increasing investment in its people, elevating their capabilities to match operational technology.

“As an organization, we are continuously learning and investing in our people, which is critical to our success,” he adds.

4 | North America Outlook Issue 20

The MSI Express Story

CONQUERING CHALLENGES The multi-faceted nature of MSI stems from its many expansion plans. In addition to four acquisitions in the last five years, the company has built and inaugurated five manufacturing facilities since 2016.

More specifically, MSI has heavily invested in its snack food product filling capabilities through the design and opening of a 293,000 square foot (sqft) packaging and distribution operation in northwest Indiana.

The facility holds three fully automated canister filling lines that produced products 10 months after the award of business, and is staffed from the ground up with employees hired and trained by the company’s

management teams. Meanwhile, equipment layout, procurement, and installation were 100 percent managed by MSI engineers and technicians.

“The operation has exceeded customer expectations, and three additional product filling lines are planned for installation within the next year,” highlights Weinberg.

The company has also been involved in the packaging of gummy vitamins via the design and inception of a 200,000 sqft facility. Alongside the relocation of four packaging lines, the company has also added six additional gummy filling lines over the past three years.

At this facility, MSI has additionally

MSI’S ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH REDUCE: The company works hard to reduce waste, because the subsequent loss of materials and productivity within MSI’s production processes costs money. When producing billions of units, this quickly adds up.

Therefore, MSI tracks its waste and works diligently to reduce it.

REUSE: MSI reuses materials as much as possible, including

expanded to over-the-counter (OTC) packaging in vials and a ready-toeat cup filling line. Once again, the equipment and operations of this facility have been fully integrated, installed, and operated by the MSI team.

STRENTHENING THE SUPPLY CHAIN Reflecting upon the last five years, the North American food and beverage space fared well compared to other industries, remaining one of the strongest sectors during the COVID19 pandemic.

However, this period placed a significant strain on the supply chain and encouraged MSI to assess how

best to manage its stock-keeping units (SKUs).

“We are working collaboratively with our customers and vendors to improve the reliability of the supply chain, which still has challenges,” Weinberg points out.

For example, lead times remain much longer than they were preCOVID-19 pandemic; the company has therefore utilized better supply chain management tools whilst training its team efficiently to control minimum order quantities (MOQs) and safety stocks.

On top of this, the MSI team is also trained to work with customers in a way that optimizes production schedules and improves overall

internal cases, pallets, tier sheets, and more. It works with customers to figure out better ways to reuse materials in the supply chain and create a better cost structure for both parties.

RECYCLE: MSI’s facilities strive towards zero waste by recycling as much as possible. Fortunately, the company receives financial dividends for recycling whilst also reducing scrap. To further its efforts, MSI has partnered with Quincey Recycle across its facilities to achieve its recycling targets and has subsequently become a profit center for MSI.

North America Outlook Issue 20 | 5

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MSI EXPRESS FOOD & BEVERAGE

production material availability, which helps alleviate supply chain pressures.

“Spending time upfront and effectively planning with our customers in advance is paramount,” states Weinberg.

MSI is also partnering with material requirements planning (MRP) software provider, Nulogy, to improve its own MRP software and ensure that the company has better visibility and planning. Nulogy has been a highly beneficial supply partner for providing better tools and enabling MSI to expertly manage materials, inventory, and production.

As the company continues into 2024, it is working to improve the breadth and capability of its supply chain team by extending its corporate resources to better 8 | North America Outlook Issue 20

MSI’S PRIORITIES FOR 2024 AT A GLANCE - Continue expansion through organic growth and acquisition with an eye to doubling size by 2025.

- Expand its key customer base by continuing to provide the best products at the best price.

- Continue to build its centers of excellence in cups, sticks, sachets, bottles, pouches, bags, canisters, and other products.

- Acquire additional business to elevate the company’s capabilities, as well as vertically and horizontally complement existing sectors by merging like-minded companies.

- Manage growth and, at the same time, maintain MSI’s culture by ensuring that its teams continue to be rewarded for hard work, keep up our high standards of quality, and ensure our customers remain pleased with our performance.

MSI EXPRESS FOOD & BEVERAGE

“ W E B E L I E V E T H AT W E H O L D A C O M P E T I T I V E A D VA N TA G E T O P R O V I D E F U L L T U R N K E Y P R O D U C TS F R O M CO N C E P T TO C O M M E R C I A L I Z AT I O N AT T H E L O W E S T T O TA L D E L I V E R E D CO ST FO R O U R C U STO M E R S ” – CHARLES WEINBERG, CEO, MSI EXPRESS

support its facilities and working more closely with customers to plan their manufacturing horizons.

On top of this, MSI is implementing a new supplier management program, which helps the organization keep track of supplier performance, minimize production disruptions, and improve the quality of its products.

From a project capability perspective, MSI aims to elevate its

liquid filling capabilities with the installation of two new bottling lines, two new hot-fill pouching lines, and most significantly, an aseptic liquid filling line in its Wisconsin facility.

Finally, the company strives to uphold its reputation as the single largest producer of stick packaging in North America. MSI has increased its blending and packaging capacity, with ambitious plans to double this

over the next five years.

To achieve this goal, the company is partnering with several original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to create new and exciting approaches to producing and packaging sticks.

“We believe that we hold a competitive advantage to provide full turnkey products from concept to commercialization at the lowest total delivered cost for our customers,” Weinberg closes.

MSI EXPRESS Tel: (219) 762-4855 www.msiexpress.com North America Outlook Issue 20 | 9

INNOVATORS IN MANUFACTURING AND PACKAGING

MSI EXPRESS 5900 Carlson Ave, Portage, IN 46368 Tel: (219) 762-4855 www.msiexpress.com

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