INDUSTRY INTERVIEW: Hardigg Cases
Stephen Smiaroski
Government Product Manager
Hardigg Cases
Stephen Smiaroski is the government product manager of Hardigg Cases, a division of Hardigg Industries Inc. Hardigg Cases is a leading manufacturer of government airtight and water-tight shipping and storage cases. The company specializes in providing packaging solutions for the military and military suppliers of information technology, communications, medical, weaponry, aerospace and transportation logistics. More than 500,000 Hardigg cases are in use by the military, with a large percentage in use every day in Iraq, Afghanistan and other harsh environments.
Q: Why are equipment cases an important topic for military IT and communications specialists?
A: Cases are extremely important to the warfighter because the case is the equipment’s first line of defense against sand, dust, water, humidity, shock and vibration. The warfighter must have technological equipment that is in good working condition and ready for action. Hardigg Cases knows that when IT and communications equipment is deployed downrange, it must work. We have over 50 years experience in engineering packaging systems designed to protect sensitive equipment. Hardigg Cases uses this experience to do everything possible to ensure that the packaging adequately protects the equipment to be ready for action. We protect the equipment that protects the warfighter.
Q: Can you tell us about Hardigg and its role in the equipment case industry?
A: We have been in the military packaging business since 1954, specializing in providing reusable packaging solutions to the military for worldwide environmental conditions. Jim Hardigg began manufacturing cushion systems for aluminum case manufacturers using foam-molding technology. He then began to experiment with roto-molding reusable shipping containers, and revolutionized the design of plastic cases. Norm Barstow, our chief packaging engineer, patented the anti-shear feature, which, under impact, prevents the case from stressing external hardware.
Hardigg Cases has grown from a small company of three employees to more than 400 associates, with an engineering department, test lab facilities, foam and cushioning system departments, state-of-the-art injection molding and roto-molding production facilities, mold manufacturing and machine shop. We have an extensive dealer network that is well-educated in government packaging, and we have fostered relationships with major IT and communication suppliers. Hardigg Cases is now a leader in the “user-friendly” military case market.
Q: What unique benefits does Hardigg provide its military customers?
A: We provide customers with choices, such as standard solutions that are predesigned, battle-proven and readily available through our dealer network or GSA Advantage. Hardigg Cases also works with customers having specific requirements to custom design a packaging system that meets their exact needs. We have over 350 case sizes and we continue to add new sizes every year. In 2007 we will have launched 20 new military products and about 150 new military product configurations.
Hardigg Cases also provides local support and custom manufacturing from our regional Hardigg Case Centers located in Massachusetts, Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Washington state, California, Canada, and Kent, England. Our case centers stock a wide variety of Hardigg products and have the ability to customize as needed.
To further help our military customers, we have put together product lines for specific government markets, including military IT and communications, medical, weaponry and transportation logistics.
Q: Your company offers both standard and customized products. What are the benefits of each approach, and for what conditions is each best suited?
A: Hardigg Cases has a standard military product line that comprises designs based on input from multiple military users and our package engineering experience. Cases for a variety of equipment and configurations are available as standard products: single laptops, multi-laptops, monitors, printers, secure faxes, server cases, field desks, footlockers, 463L pallet cases, STE phone cases and so on. Standard products are available on GSA Advantage and many of the products are in stock for rapid delivery.
Custom case products require engineering design specific for each customer. The possibilities for custom design include, but are not limited to, modifying exterior hardware, specialized shock mitigation systems, size modification of existing cases, specific shock and vibration requirements, and designing new molds based on the customer’s requirements. A Hardigg Cases representative and a Hardigg Cases packaging engineer will work closely with the customer to design a custom packaging system. Depending on the specifics of the custom design, lead times and costs will vary. However, many custom cases ship from Hardigg Case Centers in one to two weeks.
We are more than a case company. We provide packaging solutions that protect the equipment protecting the warfighter for worldwide transport, storage and rapid deployment. ♦
