Sorta-Case, a leading manufacturer of high-quality plastic and metal cases, has launched a brand-new case in a popular configuration. What’s more, it is being produced in the UK, with supply-chain-disruption-busting lead times…
SortaCase®’s brandnew GrabCase® is a robust case with compartments, ideal for use with kits, starter packs, introductory packs or similar. 100% made in Britain, it features a popular compartment layout, with six or nine removable compartments, in a range of layouts and colours.
So why has SortaCase® chosen now to launch the product?
Martin Jefferys, SortaCase® Director, tells Torque Magazine: “Every now and then we’d get requests for 4,000 cases of these type, for example, typically when people have been let down by their supplier. But we were never really in a position to help and turn something around for them quickly, as we never had the tooling.”
But now all that has changed.
“We took this basic product, altered it and I’d like to think improved it. Now we are able to offer something that caters to a demand and fills a gap in the market,” he adds.
The case for UK production
SortaCase® has been gradually expanding its range over the years, although the last two years has seen it simply get on with business amidst all the disruption seen in virtually all sectors. However: “Lately we have started to get out a bit more and it sparks ideas, it really is eye opening.”
The time was ripe for the firm to make good on its longheld plan to expand its UKmade product line, which so far has included a handful of lines. Jefferys explains: “Having more Britishproduced product has been on our mind for the last few years, but there have been a lot of reasons to postpone it recently,” he says, alluding to the disruption of Covid.
“We produced two other cases in the UK and one smaller basic product, but not in great numbers. We anticipate a lot of volume for GrabCase®.
“We want to make as much as we can in the UK, it makes sense and is simple economics. When you are shipping a product like this you are carrying a lot of air, due to the nature of the products. It’s not like a box of screws. So, there is not a lot of value in the container.”
And with the long distance supply chain proving less reliable in recent years, having production nearby has proven to be increasingly popular, with turnaround times vastly improved.
The case for customisation
Customisation, including silk screening, is something SortaCase® has offered for many years. The GrabCase® is no different, with vast colour options and room for branding on the handle. But why is branded product so popular?
When companies use branded products, for promotions, such as starter packs or introductory packs, not only does it get their brand name out in the market, but it can lead to repeat business.
“People see the branded cases on sites and they might ask, ‘where can we get one?’ Word spreads and then customers ask for more of the same, so then you see repeat business from customers. That’s the proof of the pudding.”
With customisable product a reliable and proven part of its business, the firm is beginning to ramp it up. Crucially, SortaCase® now has its own facility to customise product and has begun to promote the service in its catalogue. “We used to subcontract it, but now we have greater control over the process and the quantities required have been decreased.”
The customisation possibilities for GrabCases® are huge, explains Jefferys: “We can match to any Pantone or RAL colour, so the possibilities are almost infinite! Black is the most cost effective, but we can do anything, even luminous colours. Our minimum quantity for Own Branded grabcases® is 480 pieces, for smaller quantities we will be keeping stock of the popular colours.”
Customisation options continue: “We are offering compartments in two sizes, but we have another tool and will be offering a third compartment size by December.”
Meanwhile, the GrabCase® handle offers eyecatching space for branding: “Once we have the logo the turnaround only takes four to six weeks. We have a lot of control as it’s our facility.”
For now, the aim will be to bring GrabCase® to as many customers as possible: “We’re fully focused on the product. We invested a lot in the tooling – it uses seven tools – and the tooling was made in Britain.
“It’s a good quality product, it’s customisable, it’s a good price, it’s made in Britain and we make it simple for customers.”
This article originally appeared in the November-December 2022 print issue of Torque Magazine. Read the full magazine in the archive or subscribe.
