Beverage innovation meets packaging automation

To set itself apart from the competition in the food and beverage industry, Hardy Beverages has focused on product innovation backed up by operational knowledge and systems. The family-run business, located in Memphis and led by CEO Carolyn Hardy, produces hydrogen-infused beverage products.

Rapid growth in its distribution and SKU mix prompted the company to find ways to improve its packaging speed with automated case packing, to keep pace with the expansion of its sales and product lineup.

The company has a state-of-the-art proprietary beverage process that allows them to produce hydrogen infused products. Flagship brand HWTO is a ready-to-drink beverage. Nightlyfe contains electrolytes to help performers and the late-night crowd to recover faster. Skhy combines hydrogen and CBD with vitamins and minerals for mental and physical well-being. And Rallie is an enhanced water solution exclusively for dogs.

“In the first two years of operation, Hardy Beverages expanded from one brand to three and from two SKUs to 18,” Hardy says. “Last year we presented our flagship brand, HTWO, to every retail sector in the United States and reached out to international prospects.”

This year, HTWO will extend sales to U.S. retailers in mass retail, pharmacies and hardware stores. Hardy began international sales of HTWO in Kuwait in March, and domestically, the same product is now being distributed at Lowe’s stores in Tennessee, Kentucky and Indiana as of last month.

Hardy has more than 30 years of packaging experience, having worked for companies including J.M. Smucker Company and Coors Brewing Company, before starting her own bottling company, and later, launching Hardy Beverages, located about 7 miles east of Memphis International Airport.

The company provides employment to a community base that needs manufacturing jobs, though it does automate some processes to keep pace with demand. One step it needed to accelerate was case packaging, which had been a manual process prior to deploying a case packing system (SOMIC Packaging) in October of 2022.

Hardy learned of SOMIC in 2020 when her filler manufacturer from Germany introduced them.

“I have worked with many packer brands and wanted to avoid the problems I’ve experienced with them in the past. I was initially concerned with equipment built outside the United States due to a lack of parts availability and service,” she says. “When we did site visits to observe the machine in operation, we learned SOMIC has a dedicated team of service technicians here in the U.S. I felt confident they not only had a superior case packing system, but a technical team to support us.”

The SOMIC 424 case packer nearly doubled the output the operation could achieve previously, positioning the company to handle more production as it pursues its growth plans.

“Before installing the SOMIC packer, we could only pack 100 units per minute (UPM) because we could not source enough temporary labor to hand pack at the filler’s capability. Our filler is capable of over 180 UPMs, and this year we plan to run a 10-hour shift, three days a week. As we reach our sales goals, I anticipate adding more shifts.” - Hardy

Hardy says the case packer can handle the packaging variations the company needs to produce at volume and with high quality.

“I’m very satisfied with the flexibility of our machine. We can produce many different package types in the 6, 12, 18 and 24-pack range,” Hardy says of the machine’s ability to pack 16.9-ounce bottles. “I also like its ease of operations and having the ability to source parts and receive technical support quickly when needed.”

Hardy tested those abilities last year, working with SOMIC to adjust the system to the packaging challenges of summertime heat and humidity.

“Memphis is very humid in the summertime and last year was no different,” she adds. “The trays tend to warp, especially if the bands in place are too tight. I called SOMIC and they recommended adding an extension roll-down arm to keep things in check. They did, and we were able to reduce our reject rate by 90%.”