In an interesting talk, we were able to learn the story of Jorge Reynoso, passionate entrepreneur focused on developing and growing companies, as well as the story of his latest venture, E6PR, an innovative sustainable packaging company that is revolutionizing the rings industry and seeking to expand its horizons to other markets and industries.
Sustainable Innovation
Jorge is a Civil Engineer with an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and has a long history in entrepreneurship. For more than 20 years he has collaborated on several projects guiding finances and developing strategies, in addition to being part of the advisory board of several private companies.
The concept of E6PR (Eco Six Pack Ring) was born by chance as Jorge mentioned to us since it was while on a trip in Florida when they noticed that garbage accumulated on the beach, with plastic rings being the most abundant among the trash.
“When we saw that there was garbage on the beach, we realized that plastic rings were the most abundant among the trash. That’s when we asked ourselves - How could we create a sustainable and biodegradable alternative that could replace this packaging? - We took on that task and started working on an environmentally friendly alternative to replace the use of plastic in that kind of packaging.”
The idea of E6PR was not immediate, Jorge shared in our talk that reaching the final prototype took them more than a year, going through stages of design, material testing, and creation of machinery that could be capable of packing the rings in the cans, while at the same time, the business plan, market analysis, and launch strategies were developed.
“Getting to the ideal product was not easy, it took us around 18 months to find the product ready to be launched on the market. There were many tests with different materials and fibers, as well as product tests in different environments with cooling and humidity variables. Being a product made from natural fibers, we had to be very precise to industrialize it and thus find a product that can be scalable to pack large volumes of cans.”
Ideas and creativity that have an impact
The Cannes Film Festival in France was a tipping point moment for the launch of E6PR. At this event, the presentation was made and the new packaging solution achieved international recognition. In addition, at the same event, a video was projected, which achieved great reach that allowed them to grab the attention of breweries and open the doors for them.
Among the awards that E6PR has received, the following stand out:
And many articles published in National Geographic, among other magazines.
Step by step towards success
E6PR has a clear objective -seek a better world with multiple alternatives of zero waste, high-standard packaging solutions-.
As Jorge mentioned, it is important to have a clear purpose, but always take it step by step and with the ability to adapt to a changing environment.
“The first big step we took as a company was to test the feasibility of our packaging by introducing it to small craft breweries. This allowed us to verify that E6PR had great potential in the market and that it was well-received by both small brewing companies and their consumers. Scaling in volume and production capacity allowed us to continue innovating in machinery and making our packaging processes more efficient since we have managed to go from packing 120-260 cans per minute to 800 cans per minute.”
Jorge told us that innovation is a constant at E6PR, they are currently developing technological innovations that will allow them, in the future, to reach the goal of 2,400 cans per minute and consequently satisfy the demand of large global beverage companies.
One of the great challenges they have encountered throughout these almost 10 years of E6PR, is to be competitive with the costs of plastic, currently, they are reaching that goal in addition to offering great benefits to the environment by being recyclable and biodegradable. Also, Jorge mentioned that there is currently an increasing awareness about sustainability worldwide, something that has undoubtedly skyrocketed the company to expand its horizons and seek to offer other sustainable packaging solutions in the food industry mainly.
Entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint
For Jorge, being an entrepreneur is not only a profession, it is a lifestyle. What he is most passionate about throughout his career as an entrepreneur is seeing projects come to life and grow. He mentioned that it is important not to romanticize the life of an entrepreneur, not everything is smooth sailing, it is important to set objectives, make tough decisions, and know how to pivot to change the route, since as he said, being an entrepreneur is a marathon race in which the goal is clear but the route to it is constantly modified and you must know how to adapt to the challenges that this implies.
Every 2 or 3 months Jorge and his team analyze if the path they are taking is the right one, if not, they must be able to pivot and correct the strategies. “The world is constantly changing, markets evolve so fast, it is important to pay attention to the opportunities that arise and know how to take advantage of them” Currently, E6PR has a presence in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and a representative office for the European market and Australia. 90% of its income is concentrated in the American continent, while the remaining 10% is in Europe and Australia. WorkHub has been a great ally in the growth of E6PR since Jorge recognizes that the flexibility and support of the amenities, such as shared forklift have been a great relief to be able to allocate that resource to others of greater relevance for the operation of the business. “Knowing that we have a great ally in WorkHub has allowed us to optimize E6PR resources, both financial and time, and allocate them to our core business. Amenities like the shared forklift or having someone who can receive a pallet at all times is something that lets us to focus on what we do. Without a doubt, it is an added value that allows us to continue growing.”
The future
The future for E6PR looks promising, Jorge’s focus for the next years is to continue solidifying the operation and continue innovating in its processes, in addition to being very precise to achieve those focused on the food industry. Now is the time to expand their client portfolio, focusing on large beverage companies without leaving aside the microbreweries with which they have already established a great relationship for years.
Also, he shared that his company will seek to expand into new lines of sustainable packaging products focused mainly on the food industry. For Jorge and E6PR the marathon continues, and although the journey is long it is important to have fun in the path of entrepreneurship, enjoy each success, and learn good things from each one of them.
Follow E6PR
Web: www.e6pr.com
Instagram: @e6prs
Facebook: E6PRs
As well this company, if you´re looking to boost your operation, a new flexible office/warehouse space of Workhub is the ideal spot for you.
Contact
Charles Cartwright I Leasing Consultant
(832) 521-5404