No Toil Industries is in the business of cutting-edge, budget- and environmentally-friendly air filters.
For more than 20 years, the company was solely focused on the motorcycle industry. But No Toil knew its one-of-a-kind filter design could offer home owners a great HVAC filter option. Ever since introducing their new product line, Castle Air filters, they’ve been flying off the shelves. But as volume increased, they needed a solution that would satisfy the strict eco-friendly requirements of their largest retailer, Amazon. The question was simple: go with more sustainable packaging or pay the costly fees? And the answer: Ernest to the Rescue so the entire No Toil team could breathe a little easier.
From RPMs to HVACs
No Toil founder Bob Jensen is no stranger to revolutionizing a market. An avid motorsports rider, he saw a need for a new approach to cleaning motorcycle air filters. He came up with a more effective filter maintenance system that didn’t use gasoline or toxic solvents. Ever since launching the company in 1998, No Toil has been a leader in the industry and a motorcycle fan favorite.
As residents of Northern California. Bob and his team are all too familiar with wildfire seasons. In 2017, weeks of smoke-filled air gave him the inspiration to apply his filter innovations to home HVAC filters. Traditional filters need to be changed every three months and they’re less than effective in collecting particulates, Not to mention the costly energy bills. By using the breakthroughs developed for their motorcycle filters, No Toil Castle filters last longer, provide greater particulate filtration and are more cost- effective. When the need is there and inspiration strikes, that’s when breakthroughs happen. No Toil realized their filters could extend beyond the bike and a smart product extension was born.
A Purer Approach to Packaging
When demand for their product started to skyrocket, they needed a solution that would satisfy the eco-friendly requirements of their largest distributor, Amazon. This mega- company has a policy that can be incredibly costly to businesses large and small. It’s called Amazon Overbox. To put it simply, if Amazon has to put your box into another box it’s going to cost you to the tune of $2.00 per package. Considering No Toil ships upwards of 5,000 boxes a month, this kind of fee was making a huge impact on their bottom line. But there’s a way to avoid it, and Ernest knows the SIOC drill.
“We are a family run business. Adopting efficiencies and cost-saving measures is important for our company’s future. Ernest continues to be an integral part of our company by keeping us competitive. Their work on our packaging has helped us avoid costly fines and keep our e-comm business running strong.”
Bob Jensen
Founder No ToilSigned, Sealed and Delivered
The solution? Get Ships in Own Container (SIOC) certified. This checks three packaging problems off the list, by using less material, providing more warehouse space and giving better protection for the filters in transit. And the one company they called to get the job done? Long-standing partner Ernest Packaging Solutions. Client Relationship Manager Kathleen McNabb set the SIOC program in motion by enlisting the help of Senior Design Specialist Mike Martinez. She and Mike worked closely with the No Toil team, brainstorming solutions, developing prototypes, and refining specs to find the best approach to meeting Amazon’s requirements.
Ernest first experimented with using single-face corrugated to wrap the filters. While the approach worked, there were still a few inefficiencies that made it challenging for the long-term. The winning solution was a one-panel folder box to enclose the filters using only a single piece of material. This custom packaging design proved to be not only more eco-friendly. It put a stop to the hefty fines for additional shipping materials. With the three packaging boxes checked (less material, more space, better protection), Kathleen also addressed the certification question. She found an accredited Amazon packaging certifier, Sealed Air, that could quickly and cost-effectively perform certifications, making the process even easier and more economical for No Toil.
Partnership? That’s Automatic.
In addition to helping No Toil find an effective no-waste package solution, Ernest also helped with another product being wasted: time. No Toil was sealing every home filter box by hand and it was clearly time to automate. Ernest sourced a box-sealing machine for both their home filter and motorcycle filtration packaging. The savings was beyond significant, lowering labor costs for each package by 20%.
Today, Ernest is working with No Toil to redesign the cardboard frame that houses its HVAC filters. While the original filter design required significant manual labor to assemble and long glue-curing times, the new frame will drastically cut labor costs while increasing efficiencies. Throughout the entire journey, Kathleen is helping No Toil drive their business into the future. And she’s clearly a fan of the team, “When you have a client like No Toil that embraces what’s new, it allows you to get fully involved with their business success. We can help them move forward. There are no limits.” It’s a collaboration that will help give No Toil a clear path forward and an open road to success.
“Ernest Client Relationship Managers don’t just sell boxes, they notice areas for improvement and actively seek out the right solutions. That is the kind of rep that every business needs. Our business is fortunate to have Ernest in our corner.”
