BathSimple, Berkley, CA, specializes in the manufacture and shipment of on-line, customer-designed components for half, full, and master bathrooms. Components may include toilets, tubs, showers, shower doors, shower and tub shells, sinks, faucets, plumbing and light fixtures, vanity tops, and flooring (including tiles, grouting, and water-proofing) in a range of colors, styles, and dimensions. The package-order prices may range from about $3,500 to $35,000, and all the items are consumer-conveniently shipped in one big box.
BathSimple co-founder and co-owner John Crowley says, “We felt confident that we could aggregate all the parts and pieces into one box and ship it to the job site. But safely shipping so many large and potentially damageable components in one box presents a challenge.”
Crowley was familiar with Laminations® VBoard® 100% recycled paperboard edge protectors from previous successful experience with other product shipping applications. Laminations, based in Appleton, WI, is part of Great Northern Corporation’s Specialty Group.
Designed to provide added structural support on the shipper pack corners, the VBoard can be ordered in customized lengths and thicknesses to meet very specific product protection requirements. Crowley recalls, “I thought from the beginning that VBoard would be a good fit in the BathSimple packaging mix.”
BathSimple utilizes recyclable, double-wall, 500# corrugated shells supplied by Tharco. The company uses two standard box sizes from Tharco, depending on the number and types of components ordered. One size has a 48” by 85” footprint and is 60” tall. The other has a 48” by 40” footprint and is 60” tall. Load weights may range from 500 to 2,500 pounds. The BathSimple recyclable clamshell boxes are fortified with VBoard corners that are 0.250-inches thick with customized leg heights. BathSimple purchases all these shipper pack components from distributor Oakland Packaging & Supply.
The VBoards contribute strength and structural integrity to protect the double-wall corrugated shells that BathSimple uses to truck-ship its “bathroom in a box” products to homes in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and Seattle. And the company is on track to expand into other major markets.
Crowley points out, “Recycling is a big part of our branding. We ensure that all of the interior packaging goes back into the box, along with the old fixtures from the house. We then send as much as possible to the local recycling center or into the appropriate recycling stream.”
Crrowley adds, “Beyond the eco-friendly shipper packaging system, our customers also can choose to build a bathroom that is very green—from energy-efficient lighting to low-flow toilets and showers to countertops made of recycled materials.”
