Bag Supply Co Forges Single-Source/Full-Service Identity

Take care of the customer.” “Focus on quality.” “Always do the right thing!”

Three decades of faithful adherence to these core principles have made Bag Supply Co in Alabama a portrait of both strength and integrity.

The corporate code of conduct has steered the organization through:

• Startup
• International acquisition/expansion
• Design and construction of a new plant
• Development and execution of a robust capital equipment purchasing program

Attention to detail comes into play in everything Bag Supply Co does—from establishing state-of-the-art printing capabilities to guaranteeing fast turnaround on: pasted valve, pinch bottom and sewn open mouth paper bags, according to Dennis Limbaugh, president of the family-owned business. He represents the second generation to take the helm.

Plants & Products

Three major milestones chart company history:

• In 1990, Jerry Limbaugh—Dennis’ father—founded Bag Supply Co
• In 2001, Bag Supply Co acquired its bulk bag manufacturing plant in Mexico for the purpose of providing a fast turnaround on specialty bulk bags
• In 2014, Bag Supply Co constructed its state-of-the-art multiwall paper bag manufacturing plant in Leeds, AL

Limbaugh credits the resulting manufacturing capabilities realized with enabling the operation to ensure the highest standards of quality and service that its customers deserve. Today, the Leeds plant footprint stands at roughly 100,000 sq. ft. Original construction took one full year. Additions followed. Limbaugh reports, “We did a third add-on—30,000 sq. ft.—in 2019.” Continuous expansion is a response to ever-increasing demand.

“Bag Supply Co provides bulk bags (FIBCs), small textile bags, industrial polyethylene bags and multiwall paper bags for a wide variety of commercial applications: dry goods, fertilizers, chemicals, minerals, feed and seed,” Limbaugh notes. “With warehouses in Moody, AL, Fort Worth, TX and Tampa, FL, we provide our customers with fast delivery.” He adds, “Our aim is to instill confidence in quality on the part of customers throughout North America. It’s our people who make a difference.”

Trends & Triumphs

Speaking to trends, triumphs, challenges and accomplishments, Limbaugh indicates, “Use of bulk bags has grown dramatically over the years, due to their ease-of-use and cost effectiveness. Many of these bulk bag customers also use 50-lb. bags in their operations.  We can provide technical expertise on both fronts as a sole-source supplier.”

Machinery & Modernization

“We’ve purchased a lot of equipment over the last six years. It’s part of bringing a new plant online. Each installation brought unique challenges,” Limbaugh admits. Bringing in the latest press, a Uteco Onyx central impression (CI) unit, was no exception. The machine was ordered before the COVID-19 crisis ensnarled the world, shutting down operations, halting travel and restricting access to every business—even those deemed essential, like package printers. Outside visitors were banned.

Still, thanks to modern communications technology, Bag Supply Co prevailed. Limbaugh recounts, “Uteco’s home (in Verona, Italy) was right in the middle of one of the global hot spots for the virus. Technicians were forced to operate remotely, yet we hit every milestone on the projected calendar that was devised at the time we struck the deal.”

He explains, “It came down to learning on the go. To everyone’s credit, things went fairly smoothly. We turned the press on on July 6 and it will be running at full volume by August. The Uteco Onyx CI unit will anchor Bag Supply Co’s press department as the primary workhorse.”

Limbaugh relays, “We had a need for a higher-end press to expand capabilities. We looked at several companies. Service level and quality of product were what we wanted. One definite advantage—Uteco’s US base, near Atlanta, meant service was relatively close.” On the list of prime attractions of the press:

• Quality of print putout
• Fast setup time
• Quick job change features that promote productivity

Bag Supply Co’s new Onyx press is an 8-color CI machine with a 53-in. web path and a repeat of 43-in. It operates at speeds of nearly 1,500 fpm and utilizes water-based inks and print sleeves. Other features include auto impression—Kiss&go—low waste, auto viscosity control, auto washup and a user-friendly interface accessible through the master control panel. The press is to be devoted to production of paper or industrial sacks—kraft and bleached white.

“Specific technologies make us more efficient,” Limbaugh decrees. With the press in place, management’s attention is set to turn to integration of all equipment in the plant. Limbaugh wants the team to perform in “an efficient way, but with an attention to detail.” Realizing that objective helps in managing lead time.

Limbaugh acknowledges, “Connectivity is critical.” He also admits that Bag Supply Co is not all that sophisticated in that regard as yet, but he does proclaim that “AI (Artificial Intelligence) is on the agenda.”

Today, however, the greatest challenge remains accelerating delivery times on multiwall bags. Few other factors are more important in getting quality bags printed, produced and in customers’ hands.

Limbaugh likes to remind clients that Bag Supply Co exists to serve them and to make their visions happen. For customers, this manufacturer wants to identify as “the ideal choice.” He quips, “identifying key technologies that improve our ability to remain efficient and deliver quality is key.” The words are meant to reinforce the message that Bag Supply Co is versatile, its products durable, its team dependable and its 30-year history of performance, enviable.