The Pied Piper
Thursday, December 20, 2012
A Real Snow Bird
The Pied Piper
Friday, December 14, 2012
Steel Drum Beat
The Pied Piper
Friday, November 30, 2012
If you are waiting for a sign...
Summer and Fall have vanished and Winter is settling in to stay. Heating bills are arriving. Indoors become attractive and with indoor time comes indoor dry heat and skin and lip dehydration. Combine low outdoor moisture with indoor heating and your entire system needs more moisture. Drink plenty of water, use hydrating skin lotion and lip balm. Simple.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Spice for the lips.
All of the Alliance Family wish you and yours the best Thanksgiving ever! We have much to be thankful for here in mighty Saukville Wisconsin. Packers won yesterday! Yea. Business is good! Yea. Our many products are in use around the globe! Yea! We seem to be reasonably healthy! We are an American Manufacturing Company with Made in America products! Yea! We are raising kids, taking care of aging parents, enjoying empty nests, volunteering at various community service organizations and charities, supporting our freedom of religions, working hard and enjoying life. Some of us are hunting during deer season. We are rooting for our favorite teams. And the weather is very nice for this time of year.
We hope you are doing as well and enjoy the time with your families.
And if you would like a sample of one of our seasonal lip balms, send a note along to us.
The Pied Piper
Friday, November 9, 2012
Alliance is on Fire!
Alliance Training Sir
Army Training Sir
We had select office and plant people go through Fire and Extinguisher class yesterday. And the grand finale was real fire fighting training. You can see that on a cold and blustery day, we got after it!
So rest assured that while we keep things cooking on the inside, we are emergency ready. We have hot products and cool people!
The Pied Piper
Monday, November 5, 2012
What is 'Made in America" Worth?
What Is 'Made in America' Worth?
Probably more than you think. As more manufacturing returns to
U.S. shores, early signs show that a "Made in America" label is a serious
competitive advantage.
VisionsofAmerica/Joe Sohm/Getty
First, there's that rugged, sturdy (if underappreciated), no-frills, American quality. It's the stuff of Chrysler Automotive's much-praised "Imported from Detroit" ad, and Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA." If you buy this two-fisted version of "Made in the USA," you also likely buy American because you're patriotic. You don't care if elites would rather buy a BMW.
The other Made-in-America vision embraces an artisanal, moral, locavore sensibility. Think of Whole Foods, or, in apparel, Brooklyn Industries. In this vision, you buy boutique American goods because they're holier-than-corporate and show off your elevated taste (not to mention your ability to afford such taste).
If one of these images is all that comes to mind, though, recent research and certain branding experts suggest that you're selling "Made in America" short. The label still has far more international cachet than Americans are likely to give it credit for. Even in the United States, buyers have proven that they'll pay considerably more for some kinds of American-made goods--simply because they expect them to be a better value.
International perceptions of "Made in America," are rooted in global perceptions of the country itself--and that news is surprisingly favorable for domestic manufacturers. Simon Anholt is a British branding consultant and creator of the Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, which measures a nation's international reputation. In the market-research company's most recent survey, released in late October, the U.S. ranked first--for the fourth year in a row.
"The strengths of America's international standing continue to be innovation, opportunities and vibrancy," Anholt said in a press release. Germany placed second and the U.K. third. China didn't crack the top 10.
None of this would come as a surprise to Drew Greenblatt, president and owner of Baltimore-based Marlin Steel Wire Products, an Inc. 5000 honoree that manufactures only in the United States.
"American manufacturers have a reputation for getting it right the first time," Greenblatt says. "And a lot of clients are comfortable that, if they don't get it right, American companies will bend over backwards to make good on it quickly." Since companies that manufacture in America often can't compete on price, they have to compete on quality, service, or speed--and they have a reputation for doing all they can to defend that brand edge.
Part of the advantage Greenblatt enjoys is technological. Forced to compete with companies that benefit from lower labor costs overseas, American manufacturers have invested heavily in advanced plants. That tends to provides an edge in manufacturing precision and flexibility.
"I can manufacture to tolerances of 10 microns," he says. "My Chinese competitors can't match that."
And domestic customers? While U.S. buyers tend to be less impressed by American quality and innovation, they are willing to cut the "Made in USA" label considerable slack. In a study of consumer perceptions of clothing made in the United States vs. that made in China, Jung Ha-Brookshire, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri, found that when offered a choice between a shirt made in the U.S. with U.S. cotton and one made in China with local materials, American consumers strongly preferred the "Made in USA" label. They also valued the American-made garment nearly twice that of the Chinese one.
American Giant, a San Francisco-based maker of cotton shirts and sweats, trades on that preference. But it's also cautious not to presume too much about consumers' patriotic tendencies.
"We try to bring business savvy and innovation to bear so that we can compete on price and quality with foreign-made apparel," says CEO and founder Bayard Winthrop. "By shouting that you're American-made, you're asking people to make an exception for you and accept lousy quality or higher prices for a 'Made in USA' label. You can't build a scalable business that way.”
Contrary to the thrust of much election-season advertising, America's reputation seems to be improving, not receding. In the Nation Brands Index, the United States was the only nation among the top 10 to improve its standing. A lot of this has to do with the American economy. While the United States has emerged sluggishly from the 2008 financial crisis, its recovery is firmly established, and is now more than three years old. The U.S. faces nothing like the 25% unemployment of Spain or the shrinking GDPs of most European nations. "Success is a major dimension of the American brand," as Allen Adamson, managing director of global-branding outfit Landor Associates, told Businessweek.
At the same time, the labor-cost penalty that American manufacturers have to compensate for continues to shrink. Greenblatt says that his Chinese competitors used to pay workers 28 cents an hour but now pay $2.38, not including the 50% tax for the Chinese version of social security.
The U.S. is still not a cheap place to manufacture, admits Greenblatt, but he is content to compete internationally on U.S. companies' reputations for agility and quality.
"We're not selling to ignorant people," he says. "Our clients have plenty of choice, but they choose us because they are confident we'll deliver what we promised. Regardless of what anyone says, the rest of the world has a lot of faith in American ingenuity."
Read more:
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Lip Smacking Good
Even the the hardworking crew at Alliance take a break now and then. Recently we had an indoor picnic for all hands on deck. Late lunch for the first shift and an early lunch for the second shift. Persons, who shall remain nameless, managed to push as much food into their systems as humanly possible. Overheard the comment "I am too full but there is still good stuff left." and the Answer was "eat your way through it".
The Pied Piper
Friday, September 7, 2012
Supply and Demand in Youth Sports
SGMA Study: Basketball, Baseball, & Swimming Have Highest Percentage of
' Core' Participants
Posted: 9/6/2012
The forces of supply and
demand are having a major impact on team sports in the United States. According
to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association's (SGMA) annual participation
study on team sports - U. S. Trends in Team Sports (2012 edition) - the number
of 6-17 year old children that want to play youth sports is on the rise while
overall play in local youth sports leagues is decreasing. This SGMA study
indicates that there is a shortage of available facilities and local recreation
leagues (a supply issue) and there has been an evolution for team sports, such
as basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and baseball, into a tournament and 'showcase'
based model that puts less importance on regular, local league play (a demand
issue). "The importance and significance of team sports in our lives in the U.S. has never been greater than it is right now and this was reflected in the record number of Americans who watched the Olympic Games on television this summer. Our national interest in the U.S. Olympic teams that competed in basketball, soccer, gymnastics, swimming, and track & field was substantial, to say the least," said SGMA President Tom Cove. "While interest is high in team sports, overall participation in 19 team sports actually declined from 2010 to 2011. It would be great if many of the spectators actually decided to participate as well!"
THE GOOD NEWS
According to SGMA's U. S. Trends in Team Sports, the team sports which have had strongest gains in overall participation since 2008 are lacrosse (up 37.3%), rugby (up 30%), gymnastics (up 21.4%), ice hockey (up 13.9%), beach volleyball (up 10.6%), and ultimate Frisbee (up 9.6%). Among the 24 team sports in this study, baseball (69%), basketball (67%), and swimming for competition (64%) have the highest percentage of 'core' participants, which are those who are the most committed, in terms of playing days, to their respective sport.
"Team sports are actually getting a boost from adult females (age 18+) and among young females (age 6-12). On the other hand, fewer and fewer adult males (age 18+) are playing team sports and those that do play are not playing as many sports as they have been in the past," said Neil Schwartz, director of business development for SGMA Research.
SPENDING MONEY ON TEAM SPORTS
In U.S. Trends in Team Sports, there is a section that reports on consumer spending on team sports. The results are revealing:
Equipment Is Key. U.S. consumers were less likely to report cuts in spending on sporting goods equipment in the 2012 survey than they were in the 2011 survey.
'Niche' Sports Spur Spending. At least 40% of the participants in field hockey, ice hockey, roller hockey, lacrosse, and wrestling reported an increase in equipment spending in 2011.
Spending This Year. Nearly 40% of team sports participants plan to increase their spending this year on 'travel to take part in sports/recreation activities' and 'team sports outside of school.'
OUTSIDE INTERESTS
In U.S. Trends in Team Sports, a survey was conducted among team sports athletes to see which sports and activities - outside of their main team sports - interested them.
1. 75% of all cheerleaders have no other athletic interests;
2. 34% of basketball players enjoy working out with weights;
3. 28% of baseball players like bicycle riding;
4. Golf is most appealing to baseball players and roller hockey players;
5. Tennis is most popular among grass volleyball players and indoor soccer players.
LISTEN TO THE LEADERS OF TEAM SPORTS
This edition of U.S. Trends in Team Sports features Q & A interviews with four individuals who play a prominent role in team sports in the U.S. They are Scott Hallenbeck, executive director, USA Football; Stephen Keener, president/CEO, Little League Baseball International; Jon Butler, executive director, Pop Warner Football; and Kevin Davis, president/CEO, Bauer Hockey.
Scott Hallenbeck says USA Football is constantly looking at how the game can be enhanced and improved. In a nutshell, Hallenback says preserving the status quo is never the option at USA Football.
"Football has thrived for decades. It's notable how strong the game is, although there are so many ways that we are improving it, particularly in coaching education. The sport must continue to evolve. This is happening," said Hallenbeck. "We have the only nationally accredited coaching education program. Coaching education and instruction have become an important part of youth football. Ours incorporates video, quizzes, 3D visualization, and other tools that add practical value. We have more than 30,000 coaches who come to us individually each year. They genuinely want to get better."
At Little League Baseball, Keener says it's important that, as young children, promising baseball players should not focus their athletic talents just on the game of baseball.
"We try to educate parents that everything we've heard tells us that specialization at such a young age is not necessarily a good thing,
"said Keener. "For instance, in warm weather locations kids are being provided opportunities to play baseball year-round and they get burned out. They'll be healthier long-term if they diversify."
At Pop Warner, Jon Butler says his group is well informed on the issue of concussions and is doing everything in its power to keep players as safe as possible.
"In 2010 we established the Pop Warner Medical Advisory Board, led by physicians with expertise in neuromedicine and sports safety, to ensure that Pop Warner stays at the forefront of new health and safety issues and any medical developments that may affect our young athletes,"said Butler. "In June we announced two new rule changes for the 2012 season that address the type of contact and amount of contact allowed in football practice - a first at any level of the sport."
While Bauer is having success in the marketplace, Kevin Davis says his company does not take that success for granted.
"With Bauer we have 60% market share in ice hockey helmets, and with Cascade we have 80% market share in lacrosse helmets'so safety is our responsibility," said Davis. "We treat each season like you rent your market share. We approach everything from a relatively humble basis. There's a consumer and a customer, and you have to earn that business every season."
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Listed below are some newsworthy excerpts from this edition of U.S. Trends in Team Sports:
A Young Foundation: Competitive swimming has the highest percentage of 'core' participants who are 6-17 years-old, as 84% of all 'core' competitive swimmers are in that age group. And, 70% of all swimmers are in the 6-17 year-old age group.
School Is Cool: Cheerleading has the highest percentage (77%) of 'core' participants who are engaged in an activity through either school or college.
Girls Rule: There are seven activities where more than 50% of the 'core' participants are female - cheerleading, field hockey, gymnastics, fast-pitch softball, swimming for competition, court volleyball, and grass volleyball.
The Mature Crowd: Beach volleyball has the highest percentage of 'core' participants who are between the ages of 25 and 54 - 64%.
Money Matters: The two sports where the largest percentage of participants comes from households that make more than $100,000 a year are field hockey and swimming for competition.
Those are the facts as we see them. Want to support your teams and young athletes? FACE PAINT!
Want to protect your precious assets? SPF 30 for the outdoor sports!
We make them both.
The Pied Piper
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The Birds and the Bees
I am talking about Emu Oil and Beeswax. I was walking through the warehouse and saw a container of emu oil and a drum of bees wax and thought about the many uses we have for the both. Here is what you should know!
Emu oil
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Emu oil is an oil rendered from the fat of the emu, Dromaius novaehollandiae, a bird indigenous to Australia.[1][2] Emu oil and eucalyptus oil have been used historically in Australian aboriginal traditional medicine for fevers, coughs, minor pain, arthritic joints, bruises, cuts and sores.[3][4]Unadulterated emu oil can vary widely in color and viscosity, but, assuming the emu has enjoyed a natural diet, is generally a yellow liquid.[5] It is composed of approximately 70% unsaturated fatty acids. The largest component is oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Emu oil also contains roughly 20% linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid) and 1-2% linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid).
A handful of animal studies have suggested that emu oil, applied topically, may have anti-inflammatory properties or promote wound healing in various rodent models.[6][7][8] Emu oil is marketed and promoted as a dietary supplement with a wide variety of claimed health benefits.[9]
Beeswax
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the 2009 film, see Beeswax (film).
Contents |
Production
The wax is formed by worker bees, who secrete it from eight wax-producing mirror glands on the inner sides of the sternites (the ventral shield or plate of each segment of the body) on abdominal segments 4 to 7. The sizes of these wax glands depend on the age of the worker and after daily flights begin these glands gradually atrophy. The new wax scales are initially glass-clear and colorless (see illustration), becoming opaque after mastication by the worker bee. The wax of honeycomb is nearly white, but becomes progressively more yellow or brown by incorporation of pollen oils and propolis. The wax scales are about 3 millimetres (0.12 in) across and 0.1 millimetres (0.0039 in) thick, and about 1100 are required to make a gram of wax.[2]Honey bees use the beeswax to build honeycomb cells in which their young are raised and honey and pollen are stored. For the wax-making bees to secrete wax, the ambient temperature in the hive has to be 33 to 36 °C (91 to 97 °F). To produce their wax, bees must consume about eight times as much honey by mass. It is estimated that bees fly 150,000 miles, roughly six times around the earth, to yield one pound of beeswax (530,000 km/kg).
Processing
When beekeepers extract the honey, they cut off the wax caps from each honeycomb cell with an uncapping knife or machine. Its color varies from nearly white to brownish, but most often a shade of yellow, depending on purity and the type of flowers gathered by the bees. Wax from the brood comb of the honey bee hive tends to be darker than wax from the honeycomb. Impurities accumulate more quickly in the brood comb. Due to the impurities, the wax has to be rendered before further use. The leftovers are called slumgum.The wax may further be clarified by heating in water. As with petroleum waxes, it may be softened by dilution with vegetable oil to make it more workable at room temperature.
Physical characteristics
Beeswax is a tough wax formed from a mixture of several compounds.| Wax Content Type | Percent |
| Hydrocarbons | 14% |
| Monoesters | 35% |
| Diesters | 14% |
| Triesters | 3% |
| Hydroxy monoesters | 4% |
| Hydroxy polyesters | 8% |
| Acid esters | 1% |
| Acid polyesters | 2% |
| Free acids | 12% |
| Free alcohols | 1% |
| Unidentified | 6% |
Beeswax has a high melting point range of 62 to 64 °C (144 to 147 °F). If beeswax is heated above 85 °C (185 °F) discoloration occurs. The flash point of beeswax is 204.4 °C (399.9 °F).[6] Density at 15 °C is 958 to 970 kg/m³.
Natural beeswax (quoting Thorpe 1916 p737)[7]: When cold it is brittle; at ordinary temperatures it is tenacious; its fracture is dry and granular. The sp. gr. at 15° is from 0.958 to 0.975, that of melted wax at 98° - 99° compared with water at 15.5° is 0.822. It softens when held in the hand, and melts at 62° - 66°; it solidifies at 60.5° -63°.
Uses as a product
- Beeswax is mainly used to make honeycomb foundation for reuse by the bees.
- Purified and bleached beeswax is used in the production of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals:
- As a coating for cheese, to protect the food as it ages. As a food additive, it is known as E901 (glazing agent).
- As a skin care product, a German study found beeswax to be superior to similar "barrier creams" (usually mineral oil based creams, such as petroleum jelly), when used according to its protocol.[8]
- Beeswax is an ingredient in moustache wax, as well as hair pomades.
- Beeswax is an ingredient in surgical bone wax.
- Candles
- Beeswax was traditionally prescribed as the material (or at least a significant part of the material) for the Paschal candle ("Easter candle") and is recommended for other candles used in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church.[9]
- Beeswax is used commercially to make fine candles.
- Although only about 10,000 tons are produced annually, a variety of niche uses exist:[10]
- As a component of shoe polish
- As a component of furniture polish, dissolved in turpentine, sometimes blended with linseed or tung oil
- As a component of modeling waxes.
- When blended with pine rosin, beeswax serves as an adhesive to attach reed plates to the structure inside a squeezebox.
- Used to make lip balm.
- Used to make Cutler's resin.
- Used in Eastern Europe in egg decoration. It is used for writing, via resist dyeing, on batik eggs (as in pysanky) and for making beaded eggs.
- Formerly used in the manufacturing of the cylinders used by the earliest phonographs.
- Used by percussionists to make a surface on tambourines for thumb rolls.
Historical uses
- As a modeling material in the lost-wax casting process, or cire perdue.[12]
- For wax tablets used for a variety of writing purposes.
- In Encaustic paintings such as the Fayum mummy portraits.[13]
- Used in bow making (see English longbow).
- Used to strengthen and preserve sewing thread.
- As a component of sealing wax
- To form the mouthpieces of a didgeridoo, and the frets on the Philippine kutiyapi - a type of boat lute.
- As a sealant or lubricant for bullets in cap and ball and firearms
- To stabilize the military explosive Torpex - before being replaced by a petroleum-based product.
- In producing Javanese batik.[14]
- Used to coat hemp strands in the making of Hemp Wick; an alternative use to Lighters.
Slang
In the phrase "mind your own bee's wax," meaning "mind your own business". Possibly derived from the Irish Gaelic béasmhaireacht, pronounced beeswəraċt, meaning "morality, manners, habits." [15] Similar to the phrase Bees Knees.The Pied Piper
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Attributed to Baz Lurhman
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
Please trust him on the sunscreen!
The Pied Piper
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering
experience…I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded.
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you
imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with
people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you
succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you
should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and
lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you
knew when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live
in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will
philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize
that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were
noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one
might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will
look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who
supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of
fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the
ugly parts and recycling it for more than
it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
Please trust him on the sunscreen!
The Pied Piper
Thursday, August 16, 2012
All American Products
As American made products, what does that get you??
The highest quality products made in the world under the watchful eye of trained quality control people. American made gets you products that will be manufactured in a humane way with out testing on animals, child labor or unknown additives. Made in America at our plant means a great product, done right at a great price delivered in a timely manner. With real people that answer real phones!
We love the whole idea of made in America!
The Pied Piper
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
What flavor are your lips?
Beer, Butter, Cream Puff, Pecan Pie, Pickle, Vodka, Pine Tree, Tea Tree, Mint, Peppermint, Tangerine, Vanilla, Blarney, Bacon, Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Orange Truffle, Cocoa Noir, White Chocolate Chai Tea, Plain, Banana Cream Pie, Cherry, Mango, Passion Fruit,Strawberry, Cranberry, Lemon Twist, Root Beer, Green Apple, Blueberry, Hibiscus, Grapefruit, Blackberry, Watermelon, Margarita, Mustard and Ketchup are just a few of the flavors that have been cooking around here.
The fine art of finding your personal taste in lips is always a work in progress! Let me know what you would like to taste! Yesterday someone wanted Buffalo Sauce lip balm...and so it will be!
The Pied Piper.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Not for the lips but for another use.....
I shot this little bit of video to send to the client showing them that their product was at the end of the line in production and would be shipping out that day. There is something mesmerizing in watching the continuous flow of product as it goes through the labeling equipment at a remarkable rate. All products are lot coded and quality control needs to come by and sample it for product meeting specs on the batch, the fill and even the labeling to make sure we are all spinning in the right direction.
Just so we don't spin out of control!
The Pied Piper
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Caught Red Handed!
This is our batching area and you can see the tank in front with the red on the edge. This is a fresh batch of red Face Paints that are being filled this week to put into stock.
Need Paint? Send me a note and I will direct you to one of the suppliers that carry it...
The Pied Piper
Thursday, July 5, 2012
I know you have been saving your lips for me!
Note the highly sophisticated system of note organization, the symmetry of the carefully placed pens and highlighters and the strategic placement of the OUTDOOR show print out. Salt Lake City in August...the Pied Piper will be there!
Steamy and sunny conditions lead to chapped and stressed lips. Keep them puckerable, use some spf lip balm!
The Pied Piper
Friday, June 29, 2012
A vast vat bath
As I wandered back into the batching area before the heat of the day kicked in I saw Chris heating up the area anyway. Steam in the air and steaming soapy water pouring out of one of the tanks as clean up was underway. Cleanliness is next to Godliness!
It is vital to have equipment total clean and able to pass inspection before they put another group of ingredients into the tanks and vats. It is what you do on a Friday morning at 6:00 AM.
The Pied Piper
Thursday, June 28, 2012
To hot to handle?? To cold to hold?
If wonder what it is like to work in a batching area cooking secret recipes for the hot fill lines in a factory and the outside temperature nears 100 degrees Fahrenheit, wonder no longer....
HOT,HOT,HOTTER, HOTTER, HOTTEST!
I give the boys in batching, Chris and Lee, a lot of credit for standing in and making us tick. Way to go boys!
Unfortunately my office is air conditioned and I don't get the benefits of overheating and sweating all day.
But blogging is thirsty work so it is iced tea time!
The Pied Piper.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Slippery Facts about Mineral Oil
I was snooping around in the batching area yesterday as they were working on a super secret recipe for a sporting good manufacturer for whom we are making a new wonder product and I saw the boys put in some Mineral Oil. And while the product they were making was not a cosmetic, I thought I would address the issue of Mineral Oil in cosmetics.
Mineral oil provides
many benefits for skin and hair. .
Is mineral oil safe for cosmetic use?
Mineral
oil is a common cosmetic ingredient that can be found in many skin and hair
products. Over the years as natural products have grown in popularity, a number
of beauty experts have criticized the ingredient and questioned its safety. Misguided thinking.
Cosmetic Grade Mineral Oil
Mineral
oil is a derivative of petroleum that is clear and odorless. The cosmetic grade
mineral oil has been refined into a substance that is hypoallergenic,
noncomedogenic (your new word for the day, means won't clog pores) and has many conditioning properties. After
refinement, it does not resemble the same properties as petroleum or industrial
mineral oil.
Cosmetics
expert and beauty journalist, Paula Begoun, wrote on her website that cosmetic
grade mineral oil is "one of the safest and most nonirritating
moisturizing ingredients ever found." She points out that many of the
critics of mineral oil are misinformed about cosmetic mineral oil and are also
selling a natural alternative product. She also questions their motives.
The
beauty industry often uses mineral oil as a conditioning ingredient because it
is well-tolerated by people with sensitive skin, is noncomedogenic, and seals
moisture into the skin effectively. Many of the most moisturizing body lotions
contain mineral oil.
According
to the Beautifulwithbrains.com site, many critics of mineral oil called it pore
clogging and claimed it could suffocate skin. The site points out that cosmetic
grade mineral oil will not clog pores and is nothing like the highly
comedogenic (pore-clogging) industrial mineral oil.
Cosmetic
grade mineral oil is occlusive and forms a barrier on the outside of the skin
to hold moisture in. It does not suffocate skin. However, mineral oil shouldn't
be used in a product that has pore-clogging ingredients because it could seal
them in. There are also people who frequent acne boards, like acne.com, who
experienced break-outs from using products with mineral oil in them
You are in safe hands with us!
The Pied Piper
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Avid golfer, Undisclosed handicap.
Saukville, Wisconsin,1/27/12
USGA Woman’s Open,
Blackwolf Run and Alliance Packaging Group take sun exposure seriously!
Alliance Packaging Group is the authorized manufacturer of SPF
Lip Balm, SPF Sunscreen and SPF face Stick for the USGA Woman’s Open at
Blackwolf Run,the Kohler, Wisconsin golf course. APG an FDA approved high quality Lab and
manufacturer is pleased to be the providing these logoed items for the
tournament. The host club, the USGA and
authorized vendors will be selling the collectable items at the event, July
5-8, 2012.
Alliance Packaging Group is a premier manufacturer of lip
balm, body and skin care products specializing in formulation and private label
products, Alliance Packaging Groups CEO Linda Kamal , an avid golfer with an
undisclosed handicap, said “we are so pleased to have been allowed to make our
products for this premier event, especially as it is so close to our
manufacturing facility. The hands free
face stick will certainly be favored by the players as a way to apply needed
sunscreen without using their hands.”
Alliance Packaging Is also celebrating State of Wisconsin
recognition as an official Woman Business Enterprise.
The Pied Piper
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Playing with steel drums
Chris and Lee have been playing with steel drums in the back. Not the musical kind but the 55 gallon of materials kind. As I wandered through the storage and batching area I noted over 200 black and blue barrels holding somewhere between 5000 and 10,000 gallons of raw materials.
What are in those barrels? The basis of much of our creation and manufacturing! We have barrels upon barrels of things like Petrolatum, Mineral Oil, Tea Tree Oil (special stainless barrel for that) and Olive Oil.
Those drums may not be the kind you can play but they are sweet music to us...we make our lip balms, sunscreens, lotions and oils form those drums.
The Pied Piper
Thursday, May 31, 2012
The life of lips.
Let’s talk about lips.
You can give lip service, leave lip prints, chew on them,
kiss them, lick them, like them, bite them, paint them, cut them, pinch them,.. lips can chap, age,
weather, crust, burn, crack, bake, brown,
balloon, swell, sing, swallow, push, beckon, blind, warm, wet, whistle, sigh, sunburn,
smile, frown, gape, spit, sneer, snarl, smirk, moisten, pout, purse, plump, cool, dab
and be injected amongst other things.
And what is the best thing you can do for your lips? Apply lip moisturizing balm on a regular basis
and get them kissed on a regular basis!
Lip Balm in lots of flavors!
The Pied Piper
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