When Brew Dr. first started bottling their delicious kombucha in 2008, they turned to glass packaging sourced all the way from China. But as they continued to grow, they knew they wanted to work with a domestic packaging partner who shared their values of community, sustainability, and innovation. Enter O-IPS – a partnership that allowed Brew Dr. to increase in efficiency as they increased in volume, all while maintaining the high standards their customers have come to know and love.
“We always knew our long-term goal was to get to O-IPS,” says Andy Perkin, Vice President of Quality and Engineering at Brew Dr. “And with their help, we were able to create bottles that not only looked great on the shelf, but felt good in the hand and gave our customers confidence that they had chosen the right kombucha. They even helped us capitalize on new opportunities, ensuring we had bottles where and when we needed them.
“O-IPS keeping us in bottles at the quality we need is critical,” says Andy. “Helping us manage through the big spikes and growth and the slow downs that are natural with any high-growth company—it’s the biggest thing you can ask for from a supplier.”
But the Brew Dr. and O-IPS partnership didn’t just stop there – the teams worked together to completely update the iconic Brew Dr. 14oz glass bottle. The goal was to make them more user-friendly, with a slightly taller and slimmer design that would allow for more spots on shelves. The result was a bottle that truly stood out, with tea leaves embossed on the top, a larger label that showcased the new branding, and a new twist-off cap that made for a more enjoyable experience.
“Going to the newer bottle was a lot of back and forth,” says Andy. “O-IPS was very helpful with that—embracing the weirdness of it. It’s not beer, it’s not wine, it’s not coke, it’s kombucha. We wanted it to look like a premium product, and they were very accommodating getting to the bottle we wanted, including the tea leaves embossed on the top and a space for a new larger label. It was a pleasant process.”
Of course a big part of the success of Brew Dr. is how they continually strive to meet their customers’ needs and wants.
“As we continue to listen and learn from our customers, who knows what the future holds?” says Rob Nollenberger, Marketing Director at Brew Dr. “Bigger bottles, smaller bottles, new packaging opportunities, different size boxes, and other PPA opportunities… who knows? That’s why we like partnering with O-IPS. They’re ready when we are with innovative solutions.”
