To Johanna Lee-Travis, VP of packaging at CanCraft, a division of Brewers Supply Group (BSG) Canada, a can is so much more than just a vessel holding a frosty beverage.
In fact, she believes the can is a canvas to showcase a brand, facilitate a consumer connection and generate brand loyalty. “Craft beverages in general have so much personality, from people to beer (or other drinks) to branding,” said Lee-Travis. “This area offers some of the best branding and can design in the beverage space. The design on a can is sometimes the first interaction with a consumer and brand personality is key.”
From its operations centre in Guelph, Ont., BSG Canada supplies North American brewers and beverage makers with high quality brewing ingredients. When the opportunity arose to lead its packaging division, Lee-Travis jumped at it. “I had 20 years of experience in packaging and sales, and joined CanCraft as employee number one in 2016,” she said. “I was really excited. The craft beverage community is really connected and communal, and that meshes with my personal values of service and creativity.”
As she sees it, CanCraft’s value is in softening some of the interactions between beverage makers and can manufacturers, cushioning the impact of supply chain challenges in a dynamic marketplace.
Every day, Lee-Travis is supercharged by the entrepreneurial spirit of her customers. From start-ups to established brands, she noticed there was a gap in the way craft brewers and beverage makers were being serviced by the can industry, and she wanted to offer them a better experience. That involved bringing her service-oriented nature and personal touch to what had been a largely impersonal sector of craft brewing. “Yes, we sell cans and lids,” said Lee-Travis, “but it’s more about the great canvas we bring people to take their designs to the shelves.”
Her approach was clearly on target. Since she assumed her role at CanCraft, its customer base has grown from 30 beverage makers to over 500. To serve those clients, her team has increased to 50 people, including graphic designers and operations specialists.
Yes, we sell cans and lids, but it’s more about the great canvas we bring people to take their designs to the shelves.
Johanna Lee-Travis, CanCraft
“There is a wide scope of expertise [at CanCraft],” she said. “We have a commercial sales team that expanded into Western Canada and into the United States. In Guelph, we label cans and do contract decorating. We do distribution for printed cans and offer design services to our customers. We’ll also assess a customer’s design and do a print assessment to help them decide on the best label type. It’s such a pleasure to show up every day and work shoulder to shoulder with some really brilliant people.”
Yes, we can
When it comes to selecting the perfect can for their creative concoctions, beverage makers have three options. Traditional press-printed cans are the most economical choice, but they are only available for large batches of 200,000-plus cans at a time. For smaller orders, there is a choice between a shrink-sleeve and a pressure-sensitive label. Either of the latter options can be ordered for as few as 3,000 cans. No matter which can is selected, they all have unique characteristics to consider.
“Press-printed cans only come with six colours and traditional label styling,” said Lee-Travis. “You can do anything with shrink-sleeve and pressure-sensitive labels – textured finishes, any colour, metallic inks.”
She is also very excited about the industry’s newest innovation, direct-to-can digital printing, which she says ticks all the boxes. “You can print any quantity, print directly to the can with excellent image quality and have an expedited lead time of two to three weeks. We’ve invested in state-of-the-art digital technology and expect to be selling our first commercial cans early in 2024,” she said.
Lee-Travis says CanCraft has a full pipeline of brewers and beverage makers ready to order digitally-printed cans. “It solves a lot of pain points for them. Digital is emerging and it will lead the charge as far as a serviceable option for craft beverages of all types, including functional beverages, ready-to-drink mixtures, coffees, teas and waters,” she said.
As she sees it, CanCraft’s value is in softening some of the interactions between beverage makers and can manufacturers, cushioning the impact of supply chain challenges in a dynamic marketplace. “We love the quintessential craft entrepreneur, wearing so many hats at one time,” she said. “We are here to help.”
