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Andersen Corporation
Bayport, Minnesota
The Andersen Corporation was founded in 1903 by Danish immigrant Hans Andersen
and his family in Hudson, Wisconsin. Today, the 100-year-old Andersen Corporation
is an international enterprise employing more than 8,000 people at 32 locations
with headquarters in Bayport, Minnesota, a 2.8 million-square-foot facility
that covers 65 acres.
The Andersen Corporation annually manufactures more than five million wood windows and doors, with sales worldwide. The Andersen® brand is the most recognized and most used brand among builders, remodelers, architects, retailers and homeowners. Andersen's commitment to product excellence and customer satisfaction, combined with commitment to environmental stewardship, employee welfare and corporate citizenship, has made Andersen Corporation the foremost manufacturer of wood windows and doors.
Andersen® 400 Series
Frenchwood® Gliding Patio Door
Andersen Corporation manufactures its Andersen® 400 Series Frenchwood® Gliding Patio Doors in Bayport, Minnesota. The Frenchwood® patio doors glide on stainless steel and precision bearing rollers. The sill of the Frenchwood® patio door has an extruded aluminum track, with a stainless steel cap that resists strain, rust and denting. A thermal barrier reduces conductive heat loss and checks condensation on the inside. The sill has a wear-repellant, heat-baked finish.
Frenchwood® Patio Door Sills
Shipped in Wood Crates
For 15 years, Andersen Corporation's supplier shipped sills for the Frenchwood® patio door to the Bayport, Minnesota plant in one-time-use, disposable wood crates. Often, the wood crates were not sturdy enough to facilitate safe handling of the patio door sills. The crates had weak joints and inconsistent construction, which made them prone to breaking apart if a load was handled repeatedly. The shipment of patio door sills in wood crates required Andersen Corporation to manage and dispose of approximately 30 tons of wood waste a year.
Andersen Makes the Switch to Reusable Crates
With a commitment to innovation and change, Andersen's engineers and project managers worked with its supplier to design and implement a reusable wood and steel shipping crate to ship Frenchwood® patio door sills.
The Andersen Project Team began by designing a prototype reusable crate made of wood and steel. Based on feedback from their supplier during trial use of the prototype, the Project Team made modifications and standardized the design of the crate.
Features of the Reusable Crate
The reusable crate is made of a steel pallet frame with built-in fork pocket entry on two sides of the crate. The sides and end panels are made of plywood, and the top of the crate is open. To keep the patio door sills clean during shipment, a piece of cardboard is placed on top of loaded crates.
The reusable crate has collapsible side assemblies that are locked into the upright position using four lock bolts that insert into the steel frame of the crate. The stack and nest feature of the reusable crate saves on valuable storage space. Crates in the upright position can be stacked three high. When collapsed, they can be stacked five high.
Why Andersen Made the Switch
Andersen Corporation made the switch to reusable wood and steel shipping crates to decrease the unit cost of the patio door sill, reduce waste generated, improve worker safety and reduce damage to the inbound patio door sills during shipment.
Impact's of Andersen's Reusable Crate System
Since Andersen Corporation implemented its reusable crate system in the Fall of 2002, no patio door sills have been damaged during shipment or handling. Safety for employees has improved due to the elimination of breaking open wood crates to remove patio door sills on the production floor.
Andersen's Strategy to Finance the Reusable Crate
Andersen Corporation and its supplier worked together to finance the initial upfront investment required to implement the new reusable crate system. Andersen's supplier provided the upfront capital to manufacture the new reusable crates, and Andersen delayed the resulting price reduction so that the savings could be amortized to its supplier as shipments of patio door sills were made. Andersen's return on the upfront expenditures for the reusable crates occurred in less than nine months.
Environmental Benefits
Annually, Andersen's reusable crate shipping system eliminates approximately 30 tons of wooden crate waste from entering the waste stream a year.
For More Information
For more information on the Andersen Corporation's reusable crate shipping system, contact Stacy Einck by phone at 651-264-5928 or email stacy.einck@andersencorp.com.
Click here to learn more about Andersen Corporation.
Company Information
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The Andersen Corporation annually manufactures more than five million wood windows and doors, with sales worldwide. The Andersen® brand is the most recognized and most used brand among builders, remodelers, architects, retailers and homeowners. Andersen's commitment to product excellence and customer satisfaction, combined with commitment to environmental stewardship, employee welfare and corporate citizenship, has made Andersen Corporation the foremost manufacturer of wood windows and doors.
Andersen® 400 Series
Frenchwood® Gliding Patio Door
Andersen Corporation manufactures its Andersen® 400 Series Frenchwood® Gliding Patio Doors in Bayport, Minnesota. The Frenchwood® patio doors glide on stainless steel and precision bearing rollers. The sill of the Frenchwood® patio door has an extruded aluminum track, with a stainless steel cap that resists strain, rust and denting. A thermal barrier reduces conductive heat loss and checks condensation on the inside. The sill has a wear-repellant, heat-baked finish.
Frenchwood® Patio Door Sills
Shipped in Wood Crates
For 15 years, Andersen Corporation's supplier shipped sills for the Frenchwood® patio door to the Bayport, Minnesota plant in one-time-use, disposable wood crates. Often, the wood crates were not sturdy enough to facilitate safe handling of the patio door sills. The crates had weak joints and inconsistent construction, which made them prone to breaking apart if a load was handled repeatedly. The shipment of patio door sills in wood crates required Andersen Corporation to manage and dispose of approximately 30 tons of wood waste a year.
Andersen Makes the Switch to Reusable Crates
With a commitment to innovation and change, Andersen's engineers and project managers worked with its supplier to design and implement a reusable wood and steel shipping crate to ship Frenchwood® patio door sills.
The Andersen Project Team began by designing a prototype reusable crate made of wood and steel. Based on feedback from their supplier during trial use of the prototype, the Project Team made modifications and standardized the design of the crate.
Features of the Reusable Crate
The reusable crate is made of a steel pallet frame with built-in fork pocket entry on two sides of the crate. The sides and end panels are made of plywood, and the top of the crate is open. To keep the patio door sills clean during shipment, a piece of cardboard is placed on top of loaded crates.
The reusable crate has collapsible side assemblies that are locked into the upright position using four lock bolts that insert into the steel frame of the crate. The stack and nest feature of the reusable crate saves on valuable storage space. Crates in the upright position can be stacked three high. When collapsed, they can be stacked five high.
Why Andersen Made the Switch
Andersen Corporation made the switch to reusable wood and steel shipping crates to decrease the unit cost of the patio door sill, reduce waste generated, improve worker safety and reduce damage to the inbound patio door sills during shipment.
Impact's of Andersen's Reusable Crate System
Since Andersen Corporation implemented its reusable crate system in the Fall of 2002, no patio door sills have been damaged during shipment or handling. Safety for employees has improved due to the elimination of breaking open wood crates to remove patio door sills on the production floor.
Andersen's Strategy to Finance the Reusable Crate
Andersen Corporation and its supplier worked together to finance the initial upfront investment required to implement the new reusable crate system. Andersen's supplier provided the upfront capital to manufacture the new reusable crates, and Andersen delayed the resulting price reduction so that the savings could be amortized to its supplier as shipments of patio door sills were made. Andersen's return on the upfront expenditures for the reusable crates occurred in less than nine months.
Environmental Benefits
Annually, Andersen's reusable crate shipping system eliminates approximately 30 tons of wooden crate waste from entering the waste stream a year.
For More Information
For more information on the Andersen Corporation's reusable crate shipping system, contact Stacy Einck by phone at 651-264-5928 or email stacy.einck@andersencorp.com.
Click here to learn more about Andersen Corporation.
