Mauser Packaging Solutions has begun production of the 5-gallon Home Depot "Homer" pail at our Newnan, Ga. Small Packaging facility. The pail is being produced in Newnan due to its proximity to the Home Depot distribution center in McCalla, Alabama.
The Homer pail is a consumer utility pail made of HDPE in a custom orange color which includes a UV inhibitor to prevent fading. This pail is the single most recognized product associated with the Home Depot brand and is used by consumers and contractors for endless home and business purposes. Final approval of the Newnan produced Homer pail was received on May 3 and marks Mauser Packaging Solutions’ entry into Home Depot after several years of engagement from our sales teams. These pails will be primarily sold in Home Depot Stores across the southeast region of the U.S.
Prior to production starting in the plant a joint team of engineering, product development, plant personnel and commercial team worked on multiple pail options already available in the company. Home Depot insisted on their own design so, the Engineering and Technical Services (E&TS) team built a new mold, created quality standards and developed new manufacturing specifications to produce a product that would be approved for production. Additionally, the Homer pail is composed of an HDPE blend new to the Newnan facility so an HTL machine was modified and an expander installed to facilitate the required HDPE material.
The Home Depot packing requirements necessitate pails be stacked twice as high as normal packaging which required the selection of a production line that could best accommodate the increased packaging height. For now, packaging is being done manually, however, the E&TS team will be working with the facility to implement modifications to make this a more efficient and less labor-intensive process.
“After years of persistence, we were awarded this business and our operations teams diligently executed the changes required to implement production of the Homer pail,” commented Richard Slaten, Small Packaging Southeast Sales Account Manager. “This is a significant accomplishment for both our sales and operations teams and holds potential for future growth in this business segment.”
