Founded in 1987, PHAR is a leading manufacturer of radiators and heat exchangers for the domestic market, producing replacement parts for tractor trailers, automotive, agricultural equipment, and power generation plants. To ship their diverse product lineup, PHAR relied on three local suppliers for boxes tailored to their measurements. With around 20 different part numbers, they kept large quantities of pre-made boxes in stock, occupying significant warehouse space.
While the relationships with suppliers were strong, PHAR consistently faced challenges when developing new products. Traditional box suppliers required minimum order quantities — often 500 or even 1,000 boxes — while PHAR often only need a fraction of that amount. This resulted in overstocked inventories, wasted storage space, and using boxes that were larger than necessary, increasing the need for void fillers like packing foam.
"PHAR’s main problem was their box inventory,” said Francisco Valdez Martinez, Regional Sales Manager of Packsize Mexico. “They had to dedicate a lot of space to storing boxes. They also had to make minimum purchases from suppliers, and sometimes the boxes were bigger than they needed for their products."
The limitations of traditional box suppliers made it difficult to be agile and efficient. PHAR learned about Packsize during a virtual webinar and immediately saw the potential for a better way.
"What convinced me was that we have many models that we need to pack, and often we fill up the boxes with a lot of foam just to use the boxes we already have from our current supplier,” said Gerardo Quinones, Purchasing Manager at PHAR. “With Packsize, I could make a box that fits each product exactly."
Packsize began with a thorough diagnostic to understand PHAR’s unique needs. The answer was a tailored solution: seven different widths and strengths of corrugated cardboard, supplied in fanfold bundles, enabling PHAR to produce hundreds of different box sizes on demand using a Packsize EM7-35 machine. The result was immediate — a dramatic reduction in box inventory and the ability to create the exact number and size of boxes needed for each product.
"Packsize has helped our packaging process because now we have smaller boxes for each product,” said Quinones. “We also have the machine to use the scrap it generates, which we can reuse as filler for our products."
PHAR’s raw materials inventory shrank to just seven fanfold widths, from which they can generate hundreds of right-sized boxes as needed. This minimized waste, reduced material costs, and allowed for more efficient use of warehouse and truck space — enabling more products per trailer and faster order fulfillment. The flexibility to make boxes as needed meant PHAR could respond quickly to customer demand, even during peak periods.
"At PHAR, we’re a company certified under ISO 2001 and 2015, and we’re focused on continuous improvement in all of our processes.” said Quinones. “We see that Packsize helps us improve by reducing our use of cardboard and the size of our product boxes."
Space is always at a premium in manufacturing, and PHAR initially had no room for new packaging equipment. However, the benefits of Packsize’s solution were so compelling that PHAR invested in building a mezzanine just to house the EM7-35 machine, a testament to the value they saw in the partnership.
"PHAR trusted us from the beginning, seeing us as a solution provider, and that’s what we look for with all our clients — a true partnership,” said Arturo Hernandez, Sales Director for Packsize Mexico. “We want to share in their growth and help them see a future of custom, automated packaging."
With Packsize, PHAR gained greater speed, efficiency, and agility — setting a new standard for packaging in their industry.
To learn more about how you can get started with Right-Sized Packaging On Demand®, reach out to a Packsize representative today to schedule an evaluation.
