2020 was a year unlike any other in terms of the Covid19 pandemic and its impact on the global and U.S. economy in particular. Many small businesses did not survive in the hospitality and service industries. Others struggled with logistic and shipping issues and a lack of manufacturing part sourcing. Small businesses that survived and even succeeded despite these challenges owe much of it to innovation, technology, collaboration and creativity.
These businesses were able to make critical decisions on the fly while also relying on intentional planning and marketing. Vaccines are going in arms and pharmaceutical companies are ramping up production to fulfill the global demand and the outlook for 2021 is hopeful.
One of the most important aspects of economic survival in the small business production and manufacturing sector is the ability to navigate choppy waters and be nimble. Nimble in the sense that leadership, production and sales can work together to overcome incredible obstacles and turn on a dime. An aircraft carrier cannot be turned quickly, it must make many tiny corrections and because of its size is limited in its ability to turn in a timely fashion. However, a tugboat can turn quickly and adapt to its environment because it does not carry the same weight as an aircraft carrier. A tugboat is lighter, more flexible and nimble.
Successful small businesses that survived and even thrived during 2020 understood the tugboat concept. They took care of their tenured customer base while creatively seeking new customers and alliances for their products. They made a commitment to survive through innovation. Every business in America was challenged by the pandemic and many are still trying to climb back to pre-pandemic production and sales levels.
It was a very tough year, but Century Printing and Packaging finished strong thanks to many of these principles, the commitment of our team and our faithful customers. This year we produced 249M labels for our customers both established and new. We worked hard to bring innovation and collaboration to the forefront in seeking solutions for our customers. We had zero layoffs and were able to pay performance bonuses every quarter! We were able to serve over 120 new customers while 86 tenured customers have used our printing and packaging services for over 10 years.
We continue to remain humble and grateful for our established and new customers. We worked hard to make sure we had the resources to provide our customers with products that met or exceeded their expectations on time. Our team does not take success lightly and we know that it is only because of our “heroes,” our customers.
As we enter a new year we are already seeking ways to improve quality, production, customer satisfaction and delivery. We will continue to seek partnerships with innovative companies and meet their printing and packaging needs with creativity and collaborative solutions. We are grateful for a committed team producing some of the best products we have ever produced.
Our goal in 2021 is the same, to provide our customers with a high value, high-quality product at a competitive price in a timely manner.
Too often in business companies take a bow without giving credit to the source of their success, their customers. We want to thank all of our customers for the confidence and trust they place in us to produce exactly what they need when they need it!
We are hopeful that many of our friends, neighbors and fellow small business owners will experience an incredible 2021 as we boldly face the challenges of our times in each of our sectors.
At Century Printing & Packaging we have been printing labels that stick, but have great eye appeal and consistently tell your brand story. We don’t mind tackling a challenging problem if it means we can help you produce something that is more appealing and a higher quality. We have produced labels and packaging for over 23 years, so trust us to work with you like a partner instead of a job number.
Ben Waldrop, President
Century Printing & Packaging
Greer, SC 29651
Tel: 800.344.7509