Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/1013207
Chain Drugstore Daily 6 5 Monday, August 27, 2018 used a favorite earplug that he would buy from a local pharmacist. When the phar- macist retired, my father agreed to pur- chase this earplug business from him ... for a mere $2,000. The business was started in my parents' basement, and my mother, Cecilia, was very involved. While they really liked the moldable clay earplugs, they continued to improve them. Having the goals of making them more comfort- able and even waterproof to reduce 'swim- mer's ear,' my parents invented the world's first silicone earplugs. My dad was very enthused about the possibility of being able to improve people's lives with this new invention. He named them Mack's Pillow Soft Earplugs, because they looked and felt like little pillows. They've been the No. 1 selling earplugs in food, drug and mass merchants ever since then! CDD: How has the company evolved? DB: After 30 years in the business, my father retired and I took his place as Chief Executive Officer. My brother, Pete Benner, is also a very integral part of our team, and today our company makes more than 90 different earplug solutions. We have also expanded into a broad range of other products, including sleep masks, ear dryers and ear cleaners, lens wipes, nasal dilators, ear muffs, Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs) and even mouthguards for bruxism (a condition where people McKeon Products (Cont'd. from p. 1) clench or grind their teeth at night). We are very proud to be able to say Mack's is the No. 1 Doctor Recommended Earplug Brand. CDD: Tell our readers about your com- pany's focus on quality. DB: For us, quality is everything. If the product isn't where we want it to be, we won't sell it. For instance, we know that if earplugs aren't comfortable, people won't wear them. We've designed our FlightGuard earplugs, that relieve flying discomfort, to be the most comfortable solution in the industry, utilizing super soft, extremely comfortable flanges. Our foam and silicone earplugs are constantly being upgraded and improved to be so comfortable, consumers actually want to wear them. A couple of years ago, we launched a mouthguard for bruxism, called LunaGuard. It's the thinnest in the mar- ket and extremely comfortable, but we are in the process of making it even bet- ter! And we won't stop there ... we have a number of additional oral care solutions in development that are really different. We're also very involved in developing PSAPs that are a more cost-effective and convenient enhancement to hearing. It's all very exciting. We will always be focusing on a bet- ter solution to help our consumers take care of themselves. For more information, visit booth #4143. expansion of our operations. Specifically, Aurobindo is investing in infrastructure in order to meet growing demand in the market. To this end, Aurobindo is increasing the size of its manufacturing facilities. In fact, our U.S. manufacturing facility is doubling in size to account for extended capacity to manufacture up to nine billion units of tablets/capsules annually in both regular and extended release solid dosage formulations. Similarly, we are opening up a new pack- aging block with six new bulk tablet and capsule packaging lines as well as two blister packaging lines. Additionally, Aurobindo has started working on plans for the expansion of manufacturing of specialty formulations within its Durham, North Carolina manu- facturing facility. Our Indian-based manufacturing sites are also expanding to account for growth in the marketplace. One of the most exciting additions is a new state of the art manufacturing plant dedicat- ed to the U.S. market. Designed with the latest technology, all quality aspects are integrated into the manu- facturing process. The continuous flow of material from dispensing to final packaging has dramatically reduced the potential for contamination, increasing batch yields and reduced overall cycle times. Although Aurobindo's integrated supply chain is extensive, it's also nimble enough to quickly shift with market change. Our front-to-back fully integrat- ed AuroControl strategy makes us excep- tionally agile in our ability to respond to changes in the market. This allows us to reprioritize and adjust for the ever- increasing scale and more complex needs of our customers. AuroControl enables us to be uniquely positioned to continually Aurobindo (Cont'd. from p. 1) grow, expand operations and deliver unsurpassed stability, quality and value to our customers. CDD: What is Aurobindo doing to miti- gate risk in supplying critical pharmaceu- ticals to the market? DP: Aurobindo's AuroControl corporate strategy ensures complete oversight and control across all critical functions in pharmaceutical development, manufac- turing and distribution. Located both domestically and overseas, Aurobindo operates via an unsurpassed industrial scale and manufacturing infrastructure. It includes multiple finished dose and API facilities, with products qualified across multiple sites to increase flexibility while reducing risk and time to market. Likewise, Aurobindo is heavily invested in the distribution link of our global supply chain. We recently opened the doors to a brand new warehouse and distribution center. This new facility is comprised of 567,000 square feet of warehousing and multiuse space, and utilizes Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) warehousing framework and technology. The ASRS is an ultra-high-density storage system, enabling system driven inventory man- agement from receipt of finish goods to shipment. It allows for capacity of up to 40,000 pallets, enabling an increase in service levels, strategic inventory builds, and faster, more efficient order fulfillment for our customers. Ultimately, this level of control reduces dependence on external factors and delivers an exceptionally high level of quality, value, consistency and breadth of line for our customers. Visit Aurobindo at booth #3130. For more information, contact your account manager, visit www.aurobindousa.com or call 866.850.2876. Those retailers able to deploy an e-com- merce solution that meets the demand for convenience and variety that this dispro- portionate spending reflects will be the winners in a marketplace marked by fun- damental changes in how Americans are eating and feeding their families. To take full advantage of this grow- ing opportunity in grocery, CPG and retail brands should: understand shopper journeys and meal occasions to deliver relevant product curations, differentiated meal planning tools and convenient shopping tools that keep shoppers engaged; align retail strategies to the new digital reality using store, category and shopper-level data to establish optimal product, pricing and margin strategies for the channel; improve operations through- out the supply chain by understanding all cost factors in the e-commerce model and optimizing space, labor and transporta- tion for greater profitability; and leverage data analytics and technology to enhance shopper engagement, integrating all shopper touchpoints and delivering rele- Inmar (Cont'd. from p. 4) vant content and offers to grow shopper loyalty. To provide retailers real competitive advantage in digital commerce, Inmar is introducing a turnkey e-commerce solu- tion that delivers exceptional shopping experiences and maximum profitability. On the front-end, the solution includes shopping assistance and inspi- ration throughout the shopper journey, and personalized meal solutions and product curations that anticipate shop- per preferences. Its integrated technolo- gy eliminates digital fragmentation, engendering shopper loyalty through meaningful conversational commerce. On the back-end, the solution enables assortment, pricing and margin opti- mization as well as cost-efficient order fulfillment for click-and-collect and home delivery. Powerful and flexible, this solution will enable retailers to control the evolu- tion of their omni-commerce strategies and empower them to fully leverage the growth opportunities presented. Visit Inmar at booth #106. 2018 will be an exciting and produc- tive year for Camber, Hetero and their part- ners. A new 310,000 square foot U.S. man- ufacturing facility, Ascent Pharmaceuticals, has recently opened with four new product launches, including Oxycodone HCl, Oxycodone Apap, Methylphenidate Chewables and Dutasteride. Another seven Camber (Cont'd. from p. 4) new product launches made up mostly of controlled substances are on the way for the remainder of the year. Visit Camber Pharmaceuticals at booth #2212. For more information, contact Megan Becker at 732.529.0436 or by email at mbecker@camberpharma.com, go to www.camberpharma.com or call 732.529.0430. quickly and efficiently. Smith Drug Company's innovative cloud-based pre- dictive inventory management system ensures that it has the right products on hand when they need them. Encompassing 32 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Smith Drug Company's five regional dis- tribution centers provide unparalleled logistic and distribution services and pre- mier customer service. Its VAWD accred- ited warehouses stock over 53,000 active SKUs. To ensure its 99.98 percent pick accuracy, it uses state-of-the-art automa- tion to pick 80-85 percent of its products. Smith Drug Company understands that the needs of your long-term care pharmacy are unique and extend well beyond timely and accurate order deliv- ery. Its dedicated team of long-term care pharmacy specialists is led by Jeff Schneider, R.Ph., FASCP, a seasoned professional with over 25 years of expe- rience in long-term care pharmacy. Everyone else on his team has also worked in long-term care pharmacy and together they have over 65 years of experience in all facets of long-term Smith Drug Company (Cont'd. from p. 1) care pharmacy. Smith Drug Company's long-term care pharmacy team was strategically developed to ensure that it has the most knowledgeable and responsive team of professionals dedi- cated to serving its long-term care phar- macy customers. They will help you thrive in a complex and fluid market- place by providing best-in-class con- sulting, innovative pharmaceutical solutions and exceptional distribution services. Jeff and his team also work collabo- ratively across J M Smith Corporation to recommend solutions that can also include operating software, document management and electronic proof of delivery in addition to premier full-line wholesale pharmaceutical distribution services. The company partners with market leading companies to provide solutions for pre- and post-edit functions, as well as automation and numerous other long-term care specific solutions. Visit Smith Drug Company at booth #2241. For more information, contact Jeff Schneider at 864.216.2593 or jschneider@smithdrug.com, or go to www.smithdrug.com.