HARTSVILLE, S.C. -- Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today announced that it has been awarded the primary packaging, retail display assembly and fulfillment of a segment of battery products for Energizer brands.

As part of a companywide plan to improve operations, Energizer joined with Sonoco to develop processes to streamline itsAsheboro, N.C., battery packaging facility. To achieve its productivity goals, Energizer awarded a portion of the primary and display packaging to Sonoco for battery stock keeping units (SKUs), defined as types that run on more manual, hand-packed lines. As part of its total solution approach, Sonoco will also manage the fulfillment process for Energizer on these specific SKUs.

"After a great deal of research and analysis we found the most effective way to accomplish our packaging objectives was to work with Sonoco on a total solutions approach," said Chuck Marckwardt of Energizer. "We'll relocate the equipment to a Sonoco facility where they will manage a turnkey operation—handling the design, material procurement, packaging production and distribution of all multiple SKUs. We felt that Sonoco could best provide this kind of support."

Jeffrey Tomaszewski, division vice president and general manager of Sonoco Display and Packaging, agreed, "This turnkey service, provided at our Rural Hall, N.C., Display and Packaging facility, includes the design and sourcing of materials and packaging, the actual packaging of the batteries and the deployment of finished goods to designated distribution centers and/or direct to customers on behalf of Energizer."

The scope of service includes providing a total solutions approach for more than 30 million primary packs covering more than 150 SKUs, in packaging configurations, including blister cards, shrink wrapped trays and carton products. In addition, Sonoco Display and Packaging will design, source, manufacture, pack and ship thousands of retail displays annually. The first shipment was delivered in March, with complete ramp up of operations expected to occur through the second quarter of 2013.