How to Hit the Ground Running in 2022
Busy season is a beast to deal with in a normal year, but just like the past couple, this year will surely add to the degree of difficulty. We’ve got you covered, though. From totes in storage to replacement parts, this is how to take care of business in the busiest part of 2022.
Mix colorant that’s been sitting in storage.
Colorant is made up of three different components: pigment, water and resin. Since pigment is heavier than water, and water is heavier than resin, those components separate over time. That separation is why it’s important to mix colorant that’s been sitting in storage. What happens if you don’t? 1) The pigment won’t be dispersed throughout the tote or drum, which causes inconsistencies in the color of your final product. 2) The resin won’t be mixed in alongside the pigment, which prevents the color from sticking to the mulch.
If you have colorant that’s frozen over the winter, it’ll need warmed up and mixed as soon as possible. We recommend mixing frozen colorant with an approved tote (or drum) mixer for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to use.
Also, order colorant a week in advance.
While the world continues to struggle with supply shortages and freight congestion, inventory can be make or break for businesses. We recommend always keeping two weeks of inventory on hand. You should also set minimums for inventory levels, right now, and put a process in place for reordering while you’re at it. When it comes time to reorder colorant, you’ll want to place your order a week earlier than usual to account for freight congestion.
Don’t wait around for replacement parts.
If you’re looking to get equipment ready for busy season, a call to your territory manager can take care of everything. We can come out to your mulch yard and identify any parts that need replaced on your machine(s). Even if every part looks good to go, we recommend stocking some of the most common replacement parts — arms, blades, color pump rebuild kits — so you don’t have to wait around for a delivery. Stocking basic consumables, like compressor filters, can save the day just the same.
When we come out to your mulch yard, we can also
calibrate your coloring system to ensure the output, color rate and water rate are fine-tuned from the get-go. Even machines that have been running all winter long could use a calibration before busy season. Of course, our team is here to help no matter what happens. We can overnight parts from our own inventory of Colorbiotics genuine parts, but it’s going to save you a whole lot of money to order backups before busy season gets here.
