When Thomas McCurry Sr. first started Fruit of the Earth in 1980, he had no idea what aloe vera was.  Then one day a gentleman walked into his office and scraped aloe vera gel right out of a big leaf onto a cracker and told him to eat it.   

McCurry may have been hesitant to taste that first sample, but he recognized the opportunity that was knocking and seized it.  Fruit of the Earth was not even a manufacturer at the time.  However, they ended up becoming a pioneering manufacturing company in aloe vera, launching gel, juice, cream and lotion products, as well as household cleaners and soaps.   

Family-owned and operated, Fruit of the Earth now makes 1,000 different skin care, sun care, and health care products, all of which are nature-inspired.  Their aloe comes from a fair-trade producer, and all products are formulated in-house to ensure ingredients and processes meet their exacting standards. 

Robust Equipment Builds Opportunity for Improvement 

 
Fruit of the Earth uses BW Packaging’s Harland PSL 35 series Pressure Sensitive labelers to label their products.  This equipment can do both panel and wraparound labels on a variety of container shapes, including square, rectangular, oval and cylindrical.   

“The first thing anyone looks at is the label,” says Brandon Ferguson, Manager of Mechanical Operations in Production at Fruit of the Earth.  “So that machine needs to be able to apply that label where it looks perfect.” 

The Harland PSL 35 provides the accuracy this exacting company requires via the high-torque servo-driven applicators.  These provide ratio offset and speed-following features, so that label placement is always precise, regardless of the container shape or what it’s made from.  

It’s not just the labeling accuracy that the Fruit of the Earth team appreciates, it’s that they’re built with heavy duty materials and advanced engineering for decades of dependable service.   

“We have some stuff that’s 25 years old, still mechanically sound equipment,” said Ferguson.  “But in this day and age of technology, electronics go obsolete very quickly.” 

A few years back, they had a Servo drive fail, leaving a production line out of action.  When Ferguson contacted his BW Packaging Sales Executive, he needed a quick response. 

Fruit of the Earth's BW Packaging representatives overnighted Ferguson an old drive from their shop and gave him an option: a total electronics upgrade, which would replace all the electronics in the machine, making it good for another decade. 

“That upgrade worked very, very well,” Ferguson reported.  “So, what we did after that is we systematically upgraded all of the older machines.” 

Upgrades Come with Additional Benefits 

Ferguson had originally joined Fruit of the Earth as a Production Line Mechanic.  His promotion to Manager of Mechanical Operations in Production meant that he was responsible for the performance of the equipment. Ferguson notes that, “Doing improvements, efficiencies, reducing labor, making things faster, making things smoother.  It was the perfect role for me.”  

He was especially pleased with the bonus benefit from the electrical upgrade.  “I went from having my label machines being the number one downtime in an area, to not even in the top ten,” Ferguson crowed. 

The upgraded system included a pivoting touch-screen control panel, which gave operators easy access to product and label counters, rate meters, and intuitive operational controls. 

A Partnership Built on Reliability and Responsiveness 

BW Packaging’s reliability extends way beyond engineering and building superb equipment that stands up to the challenges of daily manufacturing.   

“A good partner for me is being able to call my sales rep’s cell phone when I have an issue, rather than (him) just selling me a machine and then leaving me off on my own,” says Ferguson.  “I need support for that equipment for the life of the machine.” 

BW Packaging recognizes the importance of being that good partner and providing robust aftermarket support.  That includes OEM field service experts who come to a facility to make repairs, check on how the production line is running, show operators best practices to keep things running smoothly, and even review parts inventory to make sure you’re not caught short.  

Plus, as the OEM, BW Packaging not only has the original equipment plans, but plans for all the upgrades that we have designed to improve efficiency, precision and speed over the years.  Partnership with us includes lifetime support with certified parts, service, upgrades, and options that get your production line running again fast.   

“I do know that BW Packaging makes a lot of other types of equipment,” says Ferguson.  “When the time comes, I would move forward with that equipment.” 
 
BW Packaging has labeling solutions that fit every production line, including pressure sensitive, roll fed and roll-through, and shrink sleeve.  As in the case of Fruit of the Earth, we can update older technology and manual process to reliable and more efficient machinery, or provide the latest in labeling equipment, built for your specific needs.    

In addition to product labels, our equipment can provide tamper evident labels, giving customers confidence that your product is safe and wholesome.  Our labelers are used in the rigorous pharmaceutical industry, as well as under the difficult conditions of food, beverage, household and personal care, and even automotive and industrial production lines.  

To learn more about how BW Packaging can upgrade your labeler to improve the accuracy and efficiency of your product labeling, contact us today.