13/12/2022

Edmonton – The reviews are in and the feedback is unanimous – Polykar’s newly-opened Edmonton facility is a hit with customers, business partners, and suppliers.

From the Formal Opening Ceremony and the Gala on December 1, to the long-term value people see in having a Polykar facility in the west, it was thumbs up all around.

“The Grand Opening Event was great,” said Ernest Lewisch, General Manager of Bulldog Bag Ltd. of Langley, BC. “It was first-class, very professional, with guests treated very well. That’s exactly what you expect with Polykar.”

And what of the location in Edmonton?

“We of course would have loved to have had it right next to our facility here in Langley,” Lewisch said with a laugh. “But Polykar opening a plant anywhere in the west is important to us. We consider our partnership with Polykar to be rock-solid. We are looking to the company to be our primary supplier for film product – and we trust Polykar to make sure the quality is always there.”

Fabricio Smillo, Manager at Cascades Specialty Products in Mississauga, ON, concurred.

“The event was very carefully planned, and it showed. I was particularly impressed with (Edmonton’s) mayor,” said Smillo. “But I was even more impressed with the plant; the way it was laid out; the state-of-the-art equipment, including the extruders. Everything exhibited high quality.”

Smillo explained that his company is both a customer and a supplier to Polykar.

“Polykar buys our scrap to recycle; they are our primary supplier of film product. It’s a partnership and this expansion makes sense from our perspective,” said Smillo. “With all the recent supply chain issues, a second operation in the west is a solid strategy. We want to grow our business (across Canada) and we want to do it with Polykar.”

Jeff Malott, President, Busy-Bee Sanitary Supplies, Inc. of Edmonton, says for his company the Alberta location will make a huge difference to his business.

“We’ve been a (Polykar) distributor for 25 years. We always bought by the truckload, but now will be able to carry less inventory without risking back orders. The new plant will also save freight costs to our smaller branches. It is a big plus for us,” said Malott.

“I was particularly happy to hear that Polykar has bought more land adjacent,” he added. “It already looks like they’re going to out-grow the new facility – the shelves looked full.”

Tim Ambler, CEO of Swish Group in Delta, BC, was particularly impressed by the technology he saw in the new plant. “A competitor had previously told me that there was no robotic tech to lift the bags into boxes – but there it was!”

He added, “we’re a national company, so the ability to service our western locations with a solid supply chain is important.”

Another individual impressed with the technology on show in Edmonton is Darryl Marshall, VP Sales, Wood Wyatt, which sells Polykar bags across Canada.

“What Amir and Polykar have done with this new plant is amazing. The automation is top-notch. This is a pretty big step for Polykar – one that is important for us.”

Marshall went on to explain: “our company has a large contract to supply bags to health care facilities across Canada. Polykar makes those bags for us. Having this new plant will shorten lead times, particularly in the west.”

He was also impressed by the fact that Polykar was able to bring together not only suppliers, customers, and political figures for the launch event, but also many of its employees, including those from Montreal.

“We know we are with the right partner, one whose culture aligns with ours,” he said.