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How Our Solution Transformed Bellmont Cabinet Company’s Operations
Bellmont Cabinet Company, a manufacturer of residential cabinets, has been a customer of Great Northern Laminations for 15 years. For years, they were using VBoard and a top and bottom corrugated tray to protect their cabinets during shipping and handling. Last year, Bellmont came to Greg Seidel, Laminations Account Manager, with two packaging challenges they were facing. First, the corrugated sheets were not protective enough for safeguarding the tops and bottoms of their products. Second, the process of assembling the corrugated sheet and VBoard solution was labor-intensive and required multiple workers to package one unit. Our team initially suggested PF PalletTop, which is made by riveting two pieces of notched VBoard together. This solution easily unfolds to form a sturdy rectangular shape that fits perfectly on the tops, sides, or bottoms of a product to protect it from damage. However, during testing, the rivets were tearing the belt on the orbital stretch wrapper when the cabinets were sent through for wrapping. They were also concerned that the rivets could scratch and tear vinyl floors during cabinet installation. Next, we had them sample NotchBoard, a one-piece VBoard solution with a die-cut notch that allows it to fold into a 90-degree angle. The NotchBoard has a two-inch overboard and is taped into place to protect the tops and bottoms of the cabinets. “With this solution, Bellmont went from having 3 workers packaging 30 cabinets per hour down to 1 worker packaging 60 cabinets per hour,” says Greg. “Since the introduction of NotchBoard, they have received zero quality complaints.” Our great service and innovative thinking helped transform Bellmont’s operations and solve both of their packaging issues. They have now implemented this solution on most of their product SKUs and will begin testing the solution on 5 new SKUs soon. |
Rollguard Team’s Time Saving Process Innovation
The Rollguard team recently completed a behind-the-scenes improvement that’s already making a big difference in how we process customer orders. As part of our upgrade to Syteline version 10.0, Bill Tessen, Senior Software Developer, developed a new automation that simplifies how we calculate pricing for roll cradle orders when customers buy multiple products at once.
Rollguard offers customers better pricing when they order more bundles—even if those bundles are different sizes. For example, if a customer orders 4 bundles of 8” cradles and 4 bundles of 9” cradles, we treat it like they ordered 8 bundles total. That qualifies them for a lower price per bundle than if those products were priced separately.
Until now, our Customer Service team had to manually add up the total number of bundles on each order, look up the correct price based on that total, and enter the price for each product line. It worked, but it took time and left room for human error.
Thanks to Bill’s work, Syteline now does all of that automatically. It adds up the total number of bundles, finds the correct price from the customer’s contract pricing, and fills in the right price for each product line. This saves time, reduces mistakes, and helps us serve our customers more efficiently.
To make this possible, the Customer Service team entered contract pricing for nearly 600 active customers into Syteline. Even though the official system upgrade was delayed from June to mid-July, the work to support this feature was completed and ready on time. “Rollguard and Rollguard International were upgraded from Syteline 9 to 10, enhancing system security, user functionality, and integration with other Great Northern business systems,” says Bill. “This update was completed successfully thanks to teamwork.”
It’s a great example of how process innovation, teamwork, and preparation come together to make a real impact.
Great Northern’s Opportunities for Growth Took
Drew Braswell from Maintenance Technician to Lead
Drew Braswell began his career at Great Northern in 2019 when he was hired as a 2nd shift Maintenance Technician at our Chippewa Falls location. He came to Great Northern because he was “looking for a career, not just a job.” Within a year, Drew was brought to the 1st shift due to his outstanding knowledge and desire to demonstrate the importance of keeping equipment running safely with minimum downtime. Drew’s continued commitment resulted in his promotion to Maintenance Lead in 2023. “There are many paths to grow here,” says Drew. “I was clear about the direction I wanted to take, and with the support of my manager — and a lot of hard work — I got there.”
In this position, Drew coordinates most of the in-house repairs we perform by making sure team members have everything they need to complete a task successfully, whether it’s making sure all the right tools are available to having parts ready. Drew excels at utilizing planned downtime instead of waiting for failures to occur.
“I enjoy the work,” says Drew. “It’s challenging and self-rewarding, especially knowing that I’ve played a part in many large projects and major repairs. It’s fulfilling to see those results.”
One example of this is when, between June and July of this year, Drew partnered with a local machine shop to produce multiple parts needed for some of our machines. On the order for the Servografix alone, Drew saved nearly $40k while still providing quality parts for our equipment. This shows how Drew consistently strives to save money for GNC while maintaining high-quality replacement parts.
Drew admires that Great Northern doesn’t settle for average and maintains high standards for quality. He enjoys the strong team culture where people step up to help one another. “The company truly looks out for its people, whether it’s through profit sharing, the 401(k) match, or the overall work environment. The people here make a big difference — they’re great to work with.”
Sustainable Solutions for
Walgreens Aisle Trays
Walgreens, a leading pharmacy store chain, has begun prioritizing the use of sustainable materials and reducing waste through the recycling of corrugated material. They have come to know Great Northern as a thought leader on sustainable solutions, as we have provided them with real solutions to help them meet their sustainability targets. A few years ago, we designed a new endcap for the Honest Company for Walgreens stores. The display replaced the previous permanent unit of plastic and steel with a corrugated solution. The activation was well-received and highly successful.
Following this success, Walgreens came to us in search of display solutions made primarily of corrugated materials. They wanted this because of the high amounts of recycled content and because they are easier for their store teams to recycle. For this project, Walgreens wanted trays to organize the acne products on their shelves. Instead of plastic trays, they wanted us to design a robust corrugated activation.
Our team developed a standardized tray that is designed to last at Walgreens for up to two years. It fits their existing shelving and matches their store style guides. Product branding and messaging can be placed on the lip of the tray and be refreshed over the life span as new items enter the market. Walgreens loved this solution and purchased nine trays per store to organize the entire acne category across multiple brands.
At the end of its life, the trays have simple instructions for easy disassembly, facilitating proper recycling and meeting Walgreens’ goals to minimize landfill waste. The design was the most cost-effective for Walgreens, allowing for a much quicker four-week production timeline. It is also a more sustainable solution that is better for our planet. These designs have been adapted for more products and different versions in 2025, including the current I Dew Care endcap in Walgreens stores now.
Great Northern Honored with UW-Stout University Partner Award
We’re proud to share that Great Northern has been selected as the recipient of the University Alumni Partner Award from the University of Wisconsin–Stout Alumni Association! This prestigious honor recognizes our long-standing collaboration with UW-Stout and our commitment to supporting students, academic programs, and the university’s mission.
The award will be presented during UW-Stout’s Alumni Awards Ceremony on Friday, October 24, as part of the University’s Homecoming Weekend. Representing Great Northern at the event will be Zach Schmidtknecht, Sarah Murawski, and Kris Johnson, with Zach accepting the award and delivering remarks on behalf of the company. This award reflects the incredible partnership we’ve built with UW-Stout over the years. From collaborative design courses to welcoming interns into our facilities, we’ve seen firsthand how investing in education strengthens our industry and our communities.
Why This Matters
Our relationship with UW-Stout spans more than four decades, beginning with the hiring of our first Stout graduate. Since then, we’ve deepened our connection through initiatives like the Great Northern Collaborative Experience, a four-year pilot course that brings together packaging and graphic design students to solve real-world challenges for our customers. This program has not only helped students grow their skills but has also brought fresh thinking and innovation into our business. We’ve also welcomed numerous interns and full-time hires from UW-Stout who proudly work here.
What’s Next
We’re currently coordinating with UW-Stout to finalize our plans. If you are a UW-Stout graduate, please email Zach Schmidtknecht – we want to include you in our activities!
This award is a testament to our values—especially our belief in a Shared Future. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this partnership and helped make Great Northern a great place to work.