History of SKS Bottle & Packaging, Inc.
Paul and Barbara Horan founded SKS Bottle & Packaging Inc. in 1986, named after their three sons Steven, Kendall and Shaun. SKS began as a garage-based home business, driven by Paul's innovative ideas, 12 years of packaging experience and a lifetime of entrepreneurship.
From its inception, SKS began selling labels and serving as a wholesale distributor of glass and plastic bottles and closures. Paul made sales calls, hand-wrote orders on sell sheets, packaged and delivered orders, while Barbara worked the home office, answered phones and took care of their three young boys. Their primary focus always has always been customer satisfaction, timely shipment of orders and providing quality products and services. As time passed and the SKS client base grew, SKS began to maintain a larger inventory and offer a greater variety of products, including glass jars, plastic jars, metal cans and tins.
SKS relocated to larger warehouses eight times between 1986 and 1990 as the company continued to grow and expand at an ever-increasing rate. A new 15,000 square foot facility was built in Malta, NY in 1990 to house SKS' extensive product line and warehouse operations.
The approaching twenty-first century brought on many changes in global commerce. Embracing new technology, SKS developed a comprehensive and innovative e-commerce website. This web-based catalog gradually replaced the printed catalog and mail order process. SKS was able to expand their sales radius internationally, add new products more quickly and increase efficiency. Paul's vision for an online store in the mid-1990s gave SKS an advantage, as one of the first packaging companies to enter the e-commerce market. As competitors were looking overseas for products for a reduction in costs, SKS recognized the quality and value of American manufacturing and continued to purchase inventory directly from USA manufacturers.
In 2005, SKS upgraded to its current warehouse/business space in Watervliet, NY, which began as a 52,000 square foot facility, and has more recently been expanded again to 72,000 square feet. With the success of the SKS Bottle website and more efficient operations, SKS as been able to reduce their minimum sales order threshold, and in 2010, began to offer free shipping on orders over $350.00 when shipped within the continental US.
In 2007, SKS launched a sister site, SKS Science Products, offering a new expansive inventory aimed at laboratories, hospitals and other branches of the scientific community.
2011 marked the company's 25th anniversary of success and growth, celebrated by the Horan family and their many dedicated employees. SKS remains a wholesale distributor and supplier of packaging containers which today includes an expansive collection of glass bottles, plastic bottles, aluminum bottles, glass jars, plastic jars, glass vials, plastic vials, plastic bags, metal cans, metal tins, various caps and closures, custom labels, scientific labware and packaging equipment. SKS works with customers in many diverse industries, including aromatherapy, cosmetics, herbal, food, consumer products, chemical, and pharmaceutical. A wide range of pre-engineered bottle and packaging products are offered, as well as unique decorating and consulting services to suit individual customer needs. This includes the design and production of custom molds and specialized multi-color silk screen labeling, thermal labeling and of 2011, custom labeling. Customers have the option to upload their artwork or logo and choose from many shapes, size and finish options to complete their products' perfect look.
SKS' largest expansion yet took place in May 2014, when a second warehouse was opened in Sparks, NV. This greatly improved the ordering experience of West Coast customers, with improved transit times, reduced shipping costs, and innovations in order processing.
In 2016, Steven and Kendall have taken the helm of SKS. Following in their father's footsteps, they hope to bring SKS Bottle & Packaging into the future with an ever-expanding product line, added services, phenomenal customer service and continual innovation in the packaging industry.
From its inception, SKS began selling labels and serving as a wholesale distributor of glass and plastic bottles and closures. Paul made sales calls, hand-wrote orders on sell sheets, packaged and delivered orders, while Barbara worked the home office, answered phones and took care of their three young boys. Their primary focus always has always been customer satisfaction, timely shipment of orders and providing quality products and services. As time passed and the SKS client base grew, SKS began to maintain a larger inventory and offer a greater variety of products, including glass jars, plastic jars, metal cans and tins.
SKS relocated to larger warehouses eight times between 1986 and 1990 as the company continued to grow and expand at an ever-increasing rate. A new 15,000 square foot facility was built in Malta, NY in 1990 to house SKS' extensive product line and warehouse operations.
The approaching twenty-first century brought on many changes in global commerce. Embracing new technology, SKS developed a comprehensive and innovative e-commerce website. This web-based catalog gradually replaced the printed catalog and mail order process. SKS was able to expand their sales radius internationally, add new products more quickly and increase efficiency. Paul's vision for an online store in the mid-1990s gave SKS an advantage, as one of the first packaging companies to enter the e-commerce market. As competitors were looking overseas for products for a reduction in costs, SKS recognized the quality and value of American manufacturing and continued to purchase inventory directly from USA manufacturers.
In 2005, SKS upgraded to its current warehouse/business space in Watervliet, NY, which began as a 52,000 square foot facility, and has more recently been expanded again to 72,000 square feet. With the success of the SKS Bottle website and more efficient operations, SKS as been able to reduce their minimum sales order threshold, and in 2010, began to offer free shipping on orders over $350.00 when shipped within the continental US.
In 2007, SKS launched a sister site, SKS Science Products, offering a new expansive inventory aimed at laboratories, hospitals and other branches of the scientific community.
2011 marked the company's 25th anniversary of success and growth, celebrated by the Horan family and their many dedicated employees. SKS remains a wholesale distributor and supplier of packaging containers which today includes an expansive collection of glass bottles, plastic bottles, aluminum bottles, glass jars, plastic jars, glass vials, plastic vials, plastic bags, metal cans, metal tins, various caps and closures, custom labels, scientific labware and packaging equipment. SKS works with customers in many diverse industries, including aromatherapy, cosmetics, herbal, food, consumer products, chemical, and pharmaceutical. A wide range of pre-engineered bottle and packaging products are offered, as well as unique decorating and consulting services to suit individual customer needs. This includes the design and production of custom molds and specialized multi-color silk screen labeling, thermal labeling and of 2011, custom labeling. Customers have the option to upload their artwork or logo and choose from many shapes, size and finish options to complete their products' perfect look.
SKS' largest expansion yet took place in May 2014, when a second warehouse was opened in Sparks, NV. This greatly improved the ordering experience of West Coast customers, with improved transit times, reduced shipping costs, and innovations in order processing.
In 2016, Steven and Kendall have taken the helm of SKS. Following in their father's footsteps, they hope to bring SKS Bottle & Packaging into the future with an ever-expanding product line, added services, phenomenal customer service and continual innovation in the packaging industry.
Timeless Integrity
SKS has operated under the following principles since its beginning:
- Make environmentally conscious decisions
- Choose products manufactured in the USA whenever possible
- Skilled and dedicated employees as well as customer and vendor relationships are vital to the company's growth and success
These values are reflected in product quality, smooth operations, comprehensive customer service and competitively priced products.
Customer satisfaction has always factored significantly into company decisions. SKS aims to provide knowledgeable and friendly customer service, listens to the needs of customers, searches to expand our product line and provides many customer-oriented policies and features including:
Customer satisfaction has always factored significantly into company decisions. SKS aims to provide knowledgeable and friendly customer service, listens to the needs of customers, searches to expand our product line and provides many customer-oriented policies and features including:
- How-to videos, detailed Help/Info pages, live chat and easy-to-access online accounts
- No purchasing minimums or small order fees
- Free shipping (view for more information) of orders meeting certain requirements
- Sample requests
- Large quantity discounts
SKS began making environmentally-conscious choices when it switched from white shipping boxes to recyclable cardboard boxes in 1994 and has looked for ways to further reduce its environmental impact since. We have continued to achieve this through:
- Offering Mystery bags containing discontinued and overstock items which are free with purchase
- Reduction of waste in warehouse and office operations
- Paperless initiative: SKS now sends digital packing slips and invoices through email rather than including printed versions, and continuously strives to handle documents related to internal processing in the same way.
- Damaged products are returned to manufacturers for recycling
2600 7th Avenue
Building 60 West
Watervliet, NY 12189
Phone: 518-880-6980
Fax: 518-880-6990
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