ByHeart’s Post

RxBar is an interesting case. According to Wikipedia, Peter Rahal and Jared Smith made their first #RXBAR in 2013 in Rahal parents' basement in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. They reached $2 million in sales in just 1-2 years, but it seemed hard to grow beyond that revenue ceiling. That is, until 2017, when the company decided to redesign its packaging. Sales skyrocketed and in October of that same year the company was acquired by Kellogg's for $600 million! For marketers, I think this case nicely illustrates the importance of avoiding 'fluffy' or intransparent benefit claims. In a world 'polluted' with misinformation and fake claims, powerful marketers must deliver fact-based claims about their brands' benefits that are believable and honest. Some sources in the comments... #TransparentBranding #Trust #FactBasedBenefits #CombatInformationAsymetry #BrandCertification

How #sustainable is the "middle men" layer of the #supplychain? ___ Not very! In the latest episode of Next Frontier 🌍, Luká Yancopoulos and I discuss this issue extensively together with a few other big #waste issues in the #medical supply chain. Luka founded the Pandemic Relief Supply during covid, which in itself is a fascinating story, and went on to found Grapevine Medical Supply & Procurement to dive even deeper into the medical supply chain. Now, back to #middlemen. It turns out middle men is a huge problem in the medical supply chain. "Stuff" often gets shipped around to 5-6 different warehouses before reaching the hospital or doctor's practice. Since each shipment is another leg of logistics with carbon associated to it, a lot of the lifecycle emissions of a medical product is actually attributed to the distribution and middle men, vs. the production of the product itself. AND, not irrelevant, this can also add 5-6x the initial cost of the product on top. SO, another great example of a supply chain decarbonization effort with a great business case: buying direct (or through platforms like Grapevine). In addition, you have the added benefit of more transparency in your supply chain, as the middle man layer often acts as a opaque veil on top of your supply chain; making it difficult to ascertain where things are coming from, and work with those suppliers to improve. ____ What do you think? Any experiences with middle men in your own industry? Any luck circumventing and going straight to the supplier, or has that been too painful? Or any middle men reading this working on solutions to make the transparency and distribution structure of their offerings more sustainable? Luka, thank you so much for joining Next Frontier! It was fascinating to dive deep on the medical supply chain with you!

Foundation. Just about everything worthwhile is built on a solid foundation. A family, a business, a relationship, a building, and yes …. even an industry. Since 1901, the Indiana Manufacturers Association has provided a foundation of sorts for our industry. A foundation based on legislative advocacy. A foundation rooted in a pro-business approach. A foundation as a business resource for the manufacturing community. A foundation that protects & promotes quality manufacturing jobs. A foundation that an industry leans on for guidance & clarity when times get tough. Supporting our members & our industry is what we do, but it can’t be done alone. It takes the entire manufacturing community to strengthen & broaden our foundation. Chances are, if you are a manufacturer with operations in Indiana, your business has been positively impacted by the efforts of the Indiana Manufacturers Association. Consider taking that next step & help us to continue making our foundation stronger than ever. Consider membership in the IMA. #IMA #manufacturing

Longevity. Staying power. Sometimes it's underappreciated. Sometimes it shapes the foundation of something to be celebrated. I am particularly appreciative of the longevity & stability of the Indiana Manufacturers Association and our membership. For 123 years now, the IMA has served as a support system for the manufacturing industry providing legislative advocacy & business resources. The longevity of some of our members is nothing short of astounding. Consider for a moment, the cumulative impact of these long time member companies. 114 companies with 50+ years of membership 74 companies with 40+ years of membership 171 companies with 30+ years of membership 126 companies with 20+ years of membership 280 companies with 10+ years of membership Their support of the IMA's mission to advocate for a pro-business environment is unwavering, and their commitment to strengthening our industry is steadfast. It is a privilege to serve all of these members & be able to play a very small role in the legacy they are leaving on our industry. We are so thankful for your support! The Indiana Manufacturers Association Shaping our industry Since 1901 #IMA #manufacturing

👏 Kudos to GENOS sp. z o.o. for contributing to the future of #cellculture! 🥼 If you'd like to learn more about Aliquoting FBS (Unseen Risks & How to Avoid Them), follow the link: https://lnkd.in/eiwRqmFD #research #cellbiology #lifesciences #cancerresearch #biologics

Just in! The 2023 Florida Manufacturing Report, released by Alex Kelly, Florida’s Secretary of Commerce, unveils some exciting insights! Florida's manufacturing scene has been making quite a splash in the state's economy, even beating out the likes of tourism, agriculture, and transportation – the usual suspects that come to mind when you think of Florida. Turns out, we're already a pretty big deal in the manufacturing world. This report is all about how Florida can step up its game and become a real hotshot on the national and global manufacturing stage. Tampa Bay's manufacturing scene is a diverse powerhouse, spanning various industries. Tampa is a hub for thriving sectors like medical and pharmaceutical products, along with electronics. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/48HfUpT Stay tuned for more updates on Florida's manufacturing prowess! 🚀 #ManufacturingReport #TampaBay #FloridaManufacturing

Rethinking Pharmacy Density for Enhanced Value and Innovation In a recent thought-provoking piece by john kenlon of Drug Store News, the question of optimal pharmacy supply and its correlation with profitability and service quality is explored. Drawing parallels with tax rates, Kenlon suggests that both extremes — too few or too many pharmacies — could undermine the sector's vitality. The sweet spot? A balanced number of well-capitalized, innovative pharmacies that can negotiate profitable reimbursement rates while delivering unparalleled health and wellness services. This viewpoint raises a critical discussion for the future of community pharmacy. Could a shift towards fewer, but more dynamic and financially robust pharmacies enhance our ability to offer comprehensive wellness, prevention, diagnostic, chronic, and acute healthcare services? This model promises not just sustainability, but also a transformation into undeniable healthcare providers, aligning perfectly with the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS) President Steve Anderson's vision of a transformed community pharmacy sector. At Swenson Pharmacy Advisors (SPA), we're at the forefront of advocating for non-traditional roles within the pharmacy profession, believing that the future lies in our ability to adapt and innovate "beyond the counter." The discussion around the ideal supply of pharmacies is not just about numbers; it's about enhancing our capacity to deliver comprehensive healthcare services, from wellness and prevention to diagnostics and chronic care management. We're keen to hear your thoughts: How do you envision the future structure of the pharmacy industry affecting your practice and opportunities within it? Could this reimagined model be the catalyst for achieving "Provider Status" and elevating the role of pharmacies in the healthcare ecosystem? #Pharmacy #HealthcareEvolution #ProviderStatus #CommunityPharmacy #SwensonPharmacyAdvisors

Optimizing Pharmacy Density for Greater Impact Highlighting a compelling op-ed by John Kenlon from Drug Store News that explores the crucial balance in community pharmacy supply. This piece reflects on how optimizing the number of pharmacies can lead to enhanced value and innovation in healthcare. It suggests a future where pharmacies extend beyond traditional roles to become central figures in healthcare delivery. Kenlon’s insights prompt us to envision a dynamic shift in the pharmacy industry. What implications do you see this having on healthcare and pharmacy practice? Swenson Pharmacy Advisors (SPA) #PharmacyInnovation #HealthcareEvolution

Tomorrow at 10 am EDT, I'll be taking questions live and discussing how microbiology and packaging are so important to the quality and safety of personal care products. The webinar is free to register and please join if you're curious! #microbiology #cosmetics #quality

Remember when we scaled soft goods manufacturing to protect the health care workers who were protecting hundreds of millions of people? Pepperidge Farm Remembers... A trip down memory lane - did we really have a COVID crisis AND a SUPPLY CHAIN crisis at the same time? By golly, we did. the Supply Crisis + COVID killed a lot of people that spring. As a result there are Billions of dollars injected into the development of pharmaceuticals and vaccines (as there should be!) - but LITTLE of substance done to make American Manufacturing more resilient. This is the PBS NewsHour segment profiling Merrow: "... But some companies are pivoting to create the personal protective equipment that the U.S. had previously outsourced overseas. Paul Solman reports on how a family textile business nearly 200 years old is adapting to this latest challenge." I remember well the period from Early March 2020 when we received a call asking for help. And I remember well that every one of our employees met the challenge despite health risks, fatigue and the nearly insurmountable challenges scaling that quickly. Within ONE MONTH Merrow was delivering 100,000 reusable medical gowns PER WEEK - 100% made in the USA - to 121 hospitals in New England. None of that production continued after imported product reappeared in October of 2020. None. Imagine a 4.1 #trillion DOLLAR Industry (the size of USA #healthcare spending) and ZERO commitment to USA production of a critical supply chain. That's the facts, folks. Now we're not just frustrated about production as a risk mitigation strategy for a mission critical industry - at Merrow we designed a Net-Zero 100% Recycled and 100% USA Made production of #surgical Gowns, #scrubs , Sheeting and Apparel - with the amortized cost of the Surgical Gowns costing less than imported Chinese products . However everything we build is reusable, NOT disposable. Anyone want to venture a guess at the number of Hospitals (Private OR Public) in the USA leveraging a 100% #massachusetts built & 100% #recycled Medical Soft Goods supply chain... ? Massachusetts General Hospital Mayo Clinic Health System Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston Medical Center (BMC) Kaiser Permanente DEPARTMENT OF VETRANS AFFAIRS Jake Auchincloss