How Blue Ridge Industries Helped Better Bungee Restore Supply, Improve Product Quality
Key Takeaways
Backorders can signal deeper process problems. Extensive backorders across nearly Better Bungee's entire product line pointed to underlying issues with tooling, documentation, and production processes, not just capacity.
Blue Ridge Industries (BRI) restored supply for Better Bungee. As a contract manufacturing partner, BRI helped work through a substantial backlog of customer orders and improved product availability.
Learning the product first made the difference. BRI reviewed samples, engineering drawings, schematics, and tooling details, then reconstructed documentation and mapped how inserts and components worked together.
Engineering support improved the product itself. In some cases, BRI modified tooling to improve part quality and performance, delivering consistent quality at a competitive cost.
The partnership addressed the cause, not just the symptom. The work cleared the current backlog and was aimed at preventing a recurrence.
When demand for a product outpaces a manufacturer's ability to keep up, backorders are rarely the whole story. For The Better Bungee, a maker of premium polyurethane straps and cords, extensive backorders across nearly its entire product line pointed to deeper questions about tooling, documentation, and production processes.
Blue Ridge Industries (BRI) stepped in as a contract manufacturing partner with the engineering depth to address both the immediate backlog and the underlying causes. This case study shows how BRI restored supply, improved product quality, and built a partnership that continues to grow.
Situation
Founded in 2015, The Better Bungee manufactures premium polyurethane straps and cords used for securing, organizing, and transporting equipment across a wide range of consumer and industrial applications. The company serves global customers with products known for their durability and performance.
As demand for Better Bungee products grew, the company faced a significant manufacturing challenge. They were in search of a partner that could help resolve their current situation and improve processes to avoid it in the future.
By the time Better Bungee began discussions with BRI, the company was experiencing extensive backorders across nearly its entire product line. BRI’s experience and reputation as a trusted partner for everything from concept to fulfillment made them an ideal choice.
Solution
BRI approached the opportunity as more than a backlog issue. The team invested time upfront to understand Better Bungee's products, proprietary materials, tooling requirements, and production processes. Closely working with Better Bungee's technical team, Blue Ridge reviewed samples, engineering drawings, schematics, and tooling details to ensure a successful manufacturing outcome.
BRI engineers carefully reviewed and evaluated Better Bungee’s equipment, reconstructing documentation, organizing tooling, and identifying how the various inserts and components worked together. This effort allowed production to proceed in an efficient and effective manner, alleviating the current backlog and preventing a future recurrence.
From this initial phase, the partnership quickly grew. Blue Ridge's engineering and operations teams collaboratively worked with Better Bungee to improve manufacturing performance and identify opportunities for product enhancement. In some cases, the BRI team modified tooling to improve part quality and performance.
Results
The partnership had an immediate impact on Better Bungee's operations. Blue Ridge helped the company work through a substantial backlog of customer orders, restoring inventory and improving product availability. Beyond solving the immediate production challenges, Blue Ridge delivered engineering value that improved the finished product itself, delivering consistent quality at a competitive cost.
That success is deepening the relationship. Better Bungee is preparing to bring the remainder of its molds to BRI, making Blue Ridge its trusted contract manufacturing partner moving forward.
BRI helped to:
Eliminate significant product backorders and improve inventory availability.
Enhance tooling and product performance through engineering support.
Establish an ongoing collaborative partnership focused on continuous improvement.
Position itself to become Better Bungee's trusted contract manufacturing partner as Better Bungee’s business grows.
For Better Bungee, BRI delivered more than eliminating a backlog. By combining engineering expertise, hands-on problem solving, operations and fulfillment knowledge, and a commitment to partnership, Blue Ridge helped transform a supply challenge into an opportunity to improve product quality, restore customer fulfillment, and support future growth.
As the relationship continues to grow, BRI and Better Bungee are exploring new ways to deepen their partnership and support Better Bungee's business from the plant floor and beyond.
About the Author
John Felty (LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-felty-3b3aa524/)
John Felty is a Sales Engineer at Blue Ridge Industries (BRI), a 100-person, 25-press injection molder in Winchester, Virginia, serving OEM and industrial customers across a range of markets. He came to BRI after more than 15 years in corrugated packaging sales. His role covers outside sales, quoting, and contract negotiation, along with hands-on marketing, including BRI's brand refresh, website relaunch, and the content that connects the company with the right customers.
What carried over from packaging to molding was the approach rather than the product. John builds the relationship first, works to understand the problem a customer is actually trying to solve, and walks them through the technical side without the noise. For him, sales is about more than orders. It means taking the time to understand customers' needs and providing tailored solutions that drive their success for years to come.
