GET UNSTUCK with SMART ADJUSTMENTS for FOOD MANFACTURERS
Great recipes make great food. That’s the simple part about being in the food manufacturing business. The hard part is packaging, shipping and inventory management. Freight costs, changing customer demand, and unpredictable sales patterns can turn an otherwise efficient operation into a daily game of catch-up. And when demand shifts faster than forecasts can keep up, packaging materials and line constraints can be what holds you back.
But the truth is this small, strategic packaging improvements can dramatically reduce freight expenses, speed up throughput, and simplify inventory management. For food manufacturers operating in volatile markets, those improvements can be the difference between staying ahead and constantly falling behind.
Here at Ashtonne Packaging, we have experience with many key clients in the food manufacturing business. We’ve seen it done well, and we’ve seen improvements that need to be made. Here are some things you should watch for, and opportunities you may want to take advantage of:
Freight Costs Keep Rising
Costs aren’t coming back down. At best, we see them steadying. Yet, even when freight rates stabilize, dimensional weight rules and inefficiencies in palletization keep costs high. You can negotiate with the carriers. But food brands looking for real relief usually find it in packaging redesigns that:
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Reduce cube (fitting more units on a pallet)
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Shrink oversized boxes or trays
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Switch board grades without sacrificing strength
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Improve pack density so every truckload is optimized
A slight reduction in case height or a tighter product fit can mean one less skid per truck, or one extra row per pallet—real savings that occur on every shipment.
And here’s something to think about: Inventory discipline affects freight costs more than most brands realize. Fewer SKUs and standardized case sizes improve pallet efficiency and reduce partial loads. Better planning limits rushed or corrective shipments, helping control freight spend even as rates rise.
Bottlenecks on Packaging Lines
Ask any plant manager where their bottleneck is, and they'll likely say “labor” or “mixing,” but more often than not, the packaging line is quietly slowing everything down.
Common choke points include: 
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Manually erected boxes slowing upstream production
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Hand-packing in trays that were never designed for speed
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Over-complicated packaging formats with too many touchpoints
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Poorly stacked pallets requiring rework or wrap adjustments
Addressing these issues doesn’t always mean buying expensive equipment. Sometimes the fastest gains come from:
- Redesigning packaging to optimize automation
- Switching to a more consistent material that is compatible with automation
- Right-sizing packaging to eliminate wasted handling
- Reworking pallet patterns so loads move through the warehouse without re-stacking
When packaging runs smoothly, labor becomes more predictable, throughput increases, and forecasting becomes less of a gamble.
Forecasting Is Getting Harder
Some food categories have seasonal spikes; others move in waves; others are simply unpredictable. A promotion, a viral post, a retailer shift, a crop fluctuation…these things happen. And good or bad, any of these can break a forecast overnight.
Most packaging suppliers struggle to keep up.
Ashtonne Packaging is built for situations exactly like this.
Ashtonne Packaging is built for situations exactly like this.
Because of our nimble and client-focused team culture, we can: 
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Ramp production up quickly when demand surges
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Scale back instantly when forecasts change
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Switch between product lines fast
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“Build for Growth”, creating a supply-chain model designed to support everything from small production runs to multiple truckloads, on demand.
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Produce short runs or emergency replenishment without long lead times
- Turn artwork, die lines, and case styles with minimal delay
This nimbleness is one of the most valuable advantages a packaging partner can bring to a food manufacturer. When your sales team can’t predict what next month looks like having a partner who can react in real time prevents costly inventory overruns and costly stockouts. It also helps ramp up for the big sales opportunities.
Instead of being locked into rigid production schedules, get a partner who moves at the speed of your business. If you don’t have one of those, we know some folks who can help!
Packaging Vs Inventory Strategies
Most manufacturers treat packaging and inventory as separate functions. But the smartest operations see them as a single ecosystem.
A coordinated strategy includes:
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Packaging dimensions optimized for pallet and freight efficiency
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Inventory levels based on realistic sales ranges, not best-case forecasts
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Fewer, more flexible SKUs
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Packaging formats designed to run efficiently on your line
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Rapid-production capability for unexpected demand spikes
When these elements align, the whole operation becomes more resilient—and more profitable. Working with a “one stop shop” packaging partner who handles all of these intricacies is a smart step in the right direction.
Not Sure What to Do Next?
Food manufacturers don’t always need a major overhaul. Often, a fresh look at packaging sizes, case designs, and inventory turnover patterns is enough to unlock:
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Lower freight costs
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Faster throughput on packaging lines
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Reduced material waste
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Simpler forecasting
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Better protection against demand volatility
Ashtonne Packaging’s combination of engineering insight, real-world operations experience, and hands-on, nimble response makes it possible to identify issues quickly and execute changes without disrupting production.
Perhaps you need a packaging audit to identify potential improvements? It never hurts to have some expert opinions on your packaging process. Reach out for a quick call to discuss.
If your packaging or inventory processes feel strained, or if sales are simply too unpredictable for your current supplier, Ashtonne Packaging can help you redesign, right-size, and respond at the speed your business demands.
Let’s talk bottlenecks! Give us a call at 877-522-6937 or contact Ashtonne Packaging to learn what we know. We look forward to it.
