The media reports that national pet retailer Petco has pulled treats for dogs and cats that were made in China is troubling. This follows an earlier report that PetSmart Inc was moving to have their shelves empty of them by March of this year. To be clear, all reports have specifically stated that tests have not confirmed any connection. As leaders in the flexible retail packaging business, we provide pet supply packaging to companies throughout North America and beyond. We have factories in China and the United States depending on the style, quantity, and printing requirements of our customers.
But wait you say…we should only buy from factories in the US because otherwise that’s unpatriotic, right? Wrong. This is a global economy and we would be unwise to limit ourselves to companies only in the US because many plants in other countries (like China) have capabilities that US suppliers don’t. Are companies like Disney, Hershey’s, HJ Heinz, and Apple Computer unpatriotic because they buy a ton of products and supplies from Chinese suppliers? Of course not! They are using the best suppliers available for what they need.
There are many incredible suppliers from China with talented and dedicated employees who can certainly provide your company what you need. Should you stop using US suppliers? Not at all, but remember this is a global economy, use the best supplier for the application you have, regardless of the country of origin. Are all plants in China excellent? No, just like all US plants have issues and recalls and problems.
Here are 3 simple suggestions to keep in mind when dealing with China and any overseas factory:
Get Local—don’t just go to Alibaba or Google and pick any company you can find with pictures that look like the product you are looking for and deal with a company yourself. Find a firm that can represent you and your company. China is a massive country with different customs and cultures…there are many trustworthy agencies that will work for you and keep your best interests in mind and demand you get the quality and support you need. Chinese suppliers will respect you more and respond faster if you have someone who speaks their language and knows their culture.
Quality…demand quality—while this sounds straightforward many companies overlook this and just “assume” their supplier will provide what they want. Get samples, test them, and check their quality certificates (ISO and QS are worldwide quality standards that are documented with certification numbers).
Independent Labs—to us, this is paramount and critical (and something I can almost guarantee wasn’t done in the Petco and PetSmart instance)…hire an independent lab and pay for your product to be independently tested for any and all areas of concern. The cost for this is nominal considering the alternative (like Petco and PetSmart are learning the hard way).
In closing, the right supplier for your pet supply packaging (like any other type of product) is the one who can provide your company with the quantity you need in the quality you require at the right price point and it doesn’t matter if that factory is in China or the United States. This is by no means to minimize what is happening to dogs and cats. Quality products can be made at factories all over the world. One defective product from a country, (or even the inference of a defect) should not doom the entire country’s manufacturing sector.