Equip the Facility. Build the Business. Ep 2: Selling the TCO of Material Handling

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Welcome back to Distribution unpacked. I'm Adam Fox, and I am, you know, still here at Rubbermaid. And we are so excited to have Bailey with us. Bailey, tell me everything about you.
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Oh, man, where do I begin? So I'm Bailee Whitley. I'm senior brand manager for our material handling and washroom business for rcp. I've been with the company for six and a half years on the RCP brand business doing all things washroom and material handling.
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Okay, so, okay, let's pretend you're meeting me for the first time, which you are. But let's talk about this. Like, what is material handling?
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Okay. So I always tell my friends I work on big things that move things from one place to another.
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There's so many hidden jokes there.
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Yes. So basically you've got your carts, your tilt trucks, your cleaning carts, your housekeeping carts, all the things that have casters and wheels. If jeopardy ever comes your way and you need caster and wheel fun facts, I've got you. So that's the material handling side of the business. And then on the washroom side, it's all of the items in a commercial washroom. So soap, sanitizer, faucets, fixtures.
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You must be a lot of fun at like a carhartt.
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Oh, yeah, Farmer's.
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You know, place that. I don't know. Yeah, whatever. What's it called? Not one of the farmer feed thing. Oh, what's the thing, you guys? The new product. You guys just came out with our
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stock tanks and feeders.
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It's huge.
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Yes, that's a whole different world, but it's truly just some of the funnest stuff that's out there.
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Your words, not mine.
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Yeah, that's awesome.
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So let's get back to talking about like tilt trucks and cleaning carts and all that kind of stuff. So when we think about the whole world of. Of product that you're. That you spend a lot of time with, I assume total cost of ownership. The TCO story is critical. How do you start? Let's start there. What are the things you guys look for? You look for from a product innovation perspective.
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Yeah. So I think obviously on the durable side of things, on the material hand product front, people will have these carts and products for 10 plus years. So how do we continue to allow them to do that? So looking at our cleaning carts, which super excited about some changes we're doing later this year, there's carts that's 15 plus years in the market. So how do we find the issues that are there and how can we make these carts last a little bit longer. So it's looking at where the common pain points that people have just to extend the overall life of these products. So product life cycle is a huge thing. And then two. I think my favorite part of things is looking at the flow of just someone's day and the touch points. And if you can identify the pain points in those touch points, you're able to move forward and find solutions that people tend to accept things that they don't realize are a problem.
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Sure. Because we've always done it that way.
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Exactly. So it's like, why do you have to do that? I was like, it's always that way. So if we can address that, you can make a big difference in somebody's day.
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So let's talk about a tilt truck. So for those, Explain it to me if I've never seen one. I don't know what this is. I'm listening. What is a tilt truck?
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Yeah. So it is a. It's essentially a large trash can on wheels that you can then dump into a dumpster or you can physically take it out. It's got a frame. Our roto molded tilt trucks have a frame at the bottom, so it's easier to dump and tilt. A couple of years back, we launched our dura tilt frame. So it actually allows that tilt truck to. To stay in the tilted position for longer. What I love about it too is you think about a tilt truck will stay tilted vertically. People have to go in. If you don't get everything out, you have to go in and grab it. You can spray it and clean it, and that tilt truck will stay there. So a tilt truck will just go around an airport, a stadium, and collect the trash from the configures or from the trash cans. And then it'll. Ultimately it's just bulk collection at the end of the day.
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Fair enough. So I know there's some innovation we're going to talk about. So first and foremost, there's now this new lid on it.
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Tell us about that. Yes. Love our new lid. So we took a look at our lids. Our old lids were 30 years old. So we decided for a little revamp of those lids. So we added in four locking latches to those lids. Because again, security is a huge piece, especially in healthcare at airports, just having the ability to securely keep the lid on. And with that new lid, we also added increased storage capacity. So it's 15% higher storage capacity so you can hold more. Again, all about trying to make the job easier and not having to Take multiple trips. And then in those lids, we actually have hidden little pockets for trash bag dispensers. So you're able to hold trash bags on the side of the lid along with having a working station, just making the lid as functional as it can. It's just a lid, but it can hold a really big purpose at the same time.
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Wow. Who would have thought it could do so much?
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Yes.
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So, I mean, I think we like to call them can liners. I think that, you know, it's very important in a professional setting. We call them can liners, not trash bags. We don't want to confuse people. So I know there's a new lid, I know that. But there was also another piece of innovation added to it because I think you guys saw some stuff that was innovative but also incredibly scary.
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Yes. So this is one of my favorite ones we've ever come out with. So I always think of you on your way to the airport here. Sure. You walk around the airport, you see a tilt truck, someone pushing it. You always see some DIY liners attached to the tilt truck. Because if there's a constant with a tilt truck, it's going to be liners in a toll truck. But there's never actually been a solution that incorporates a place for the liners and for those bags in the actual cart itself. So it's a simple insight there, but we were able to add a ergonomic handle and caddy. And the caddy's got a built in bag dispenser so people can physically dispense the bags on the go. And it keeps the tilt truck looking a lot better than a bunch of DIY bags around the tilt truck. So you think of now going around the airport, you don't have to see 100 trash bags tied together. So that was really the insight is how can we one, make the user experience better. But then two, just overall facility images as people are walking through the airport.
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And so not only that, but I think there's also something. There's a place now to put maybe a chemical or a cleaning material or something. Yes.
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So you can put a pocket for spray bottles. It's also got one of our favorite things right now, which is our quick clip. So you can actually put a stick good. On the actual caddy and attach it so you can grab it and go. So you'll see that quick clip line is something we're incorporating in a lot of new things that we're doing right now with our cleaning carts. We just did it with our housekeeping carts. So really having a system for our stick goods, stick goods for those of
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us that don't speak.
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So a broom, a dustpan, anything with a larger pole that you need to connect and then you can go so your mop, your brooms, all that.
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I cannot wait to go home and start using the term stick goods from the broom. That I have no clue.
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Yeah, it sounds very official. Yeah, sticks for sure.
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And then I think, I mean, we obviously have one here with us in the room today and obviously our folks listening can't see it, but there's a historic brand that just got slapped on these now.
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Yes. Yeah. So they are now brute branded, which is really exciting. So what the brute brand comes with number one. It's going to come with that 10 year limited warranty. So these products have been in the market for years and they already lived up to the brute brand and the brute standards. So we really just made it official. So now all of our tilt trucks are roto molded tilt trucks, which is just a different type of manufacturing process. Those will be brute branded and they'll have our new Dura tilt frame, the one that'll stay standing. So super excited. We rolled that out a couple years back and just really proud of us standing behind the brand and these products.
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That's awesome. That's awesome. And I think the other thing that's really cool is you guys spent a lot of time talking about ergonomics.
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Yes.
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And how that the, the impact it has on the frontline associate who's using them. Any thoughts on that?
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Yeah, it's again, it's things that people don't notice that they're having to do. And I think that was the biggest insight. So in the product development cycle, as we're working through things, we're physically getting these prototypes and samples out to users to get feedback on and understand if we're going the right direction. So I think when they saw the new frames, they were able to see just how much easier it was to clean out the tilt truck, to dump the tilt truck. So it's little things like that that they didn't even realize were an issue before that. Now we've had an approved, improved solution. And then on the ergonomic tilt truck handle and caddy, we actually made a more ergonomic handle so the handle is taller, so that way it's easier to push or pull. So that's another piece of the ergonomics factor we tried to add in for this one.
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So you're a ton of fun to go to, like the airport With.
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Oh, yeah, I'm unhinged at the airport. Yeah.
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And nothing to do with travel. Just watching things unfold.
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Yes. Oh, yeah, I'm watching. Like, I'll get to the airport early just to kind of look around, talk to people. I was just in Nashville a couple weeks ago and I saw an ergonomic handle and caddy out and about.
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Please tell me you didn't acosta.
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No, I just watched from afar. It was very early in the morning, but I was so happy taking photos. I think that's the best feeling ever to see something that. That was the exact insight of someone at the airport.
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And then. Were you escorted out of the airport?
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No, I made it on my flight. Okay, good.
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That's important. So, okay, so we go from the tilt truck, and obviously that's removing things. And then I think there's the new cleaning car, which is all about cleaning things. And I mean all the same concepts about ergonomics, the TCO story and reducing strains and all that. So tell me some of the fun new stuff happening with the cleaning car.
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Yeah, so I think with the cleaning car, I think of that as we've got the marquee product in the space already. So how do we. And it's again, goes back to the puns on wheels, but we're not reinventing the wheel, we're just helping the wheel move a little bit better. So we know we have the right product, but there's things we can improve on. So we have a new hood indoors. The hood is now going to be 35% quieter. So you think about health care opening, closing that hood. It's little things like that that can make a big difference. So.
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So the hood is the thing on the top.
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Yes.
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So help me understand why is that important versus, I guess, for lack of a better term, when there isn't one.
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Yep. So hood's going to be important for security and health care. So you're actually able to lock the hood indoors, so then you can physically move away from the cart if you need to. So that's a must have in health care environments. So our high security cart, that's the bread and butter, is the health care space. So we really wanted to understand how can we improve that experience even farther.
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So is that a require? You said that's a requirement of healthcare facilities to have it locked. Is that part of like, just in case the chemicals get out?
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Yeah, just so patients can't physically access the cart. So open cart, someone can go in and grab something if they wanted to. So just having Everything locked. So you'll see on the cart, the doors are locked, the hood's locked. Anything that someone could physically go and grab is locked away.
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And for an EVS team, frontline, that's critical.
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Yes, 100%.
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And make sure they're hitting all their goals and stuff like that. That's super interesting. You said something earlier about your system where stick goods go on. Tell me a little bit about that.
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Yeah, so that's our. The quick clip system. Essentially what it allows somebody to do is they put the clip around the stick good at the start and then they never have to touch it again and they're able to just put it in the slot and then grab and go. So what's great is you have your whole closet of stick goods. You can have them pre quick clipped and you can grab them, put them on the cart. So the cart actually comes with six quick clips so you can put them in the sl. Ultimately just a more efficient way for tool management and stick good management.
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So basically what I'm hearing is I don't need to see the bungee cord and pulling them.
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Exactly.
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That's no fun.
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Yeah, I know.
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So it's cleaner and nicer. Sorry, what else, what am I missing? You said doors.
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Tell me about the doors.
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They're quieter.
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Yes, the doors. So they're going to be reinforced. So again, the locks super important for security. So we reinforce the lock. We've reinforced the hinge on the actual door so this thing's not going anywhere. So just again trying to look at where the pain points are with the carts from talking with users, talking with people over time that have had these carts for 10 plus years is what else can we do there? So reinforced everything around the the doors and then too with the hood. One thing that's interesting as well is we removed the accordion style at the top. So it used to have kind of a, a lot of places where things could get collected essentially. So it was harder to clean. So now you'll see at the top of it it's a completely smooth surface. So again, in those healthcare facilities or you'll be able to clean a whole lot easier than you used to.
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I'm not going to lie to you. I cannot wait to get to the airport like a facility now and just like stare at. This was bad enough. We look at restrooms and we'll talk about washrooms in a second. But now I have a whole new set of things to look for.
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You're welcome.
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Very exciting. You know, started out urinal screens and towel and Tissue. Now I'm all about, you know, trash removal, things of that nature. We talked a lot about health care. That's been a continual theme and I get that.
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Yeah.
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Help me understand what other verticals are on the market are focused for you or where these products you guys are focusing.
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Yeah, for sure. So I think one of the great things about material handling is it plays in all the spaces. For me, it's the manufacturing, the industrial space. Obviously there's a lot of, again, going back to the big things that need to move things. Just trying to see, especially in those verticals, manufacturing and industrial people are having to move long distances. So that's when we introduce our motorized solutions so you can move more with less effort. So the propulsion platform trucks, tilt trucks. So that's a big space for us on the material handling, handling side. And then tne the stadium, the airport.
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Yes.
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The high vis areas when people are physically going and dumping out the trash, moving it from one place to another.
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Got it. One of the things we talked, we talked about a lot which relates to Rubbermaid is private brands and different things of that nature. You guys are bringing amazing innovation to the market and things of that nature. Help me understand how do you. How does a. How does a. So an SP customer, dealer, a distributor, how does a customer win with the RCP brands?
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Yeah, I think it's truly the durability story. RCP. Any RCP products gonna have the three year limited warranty. The Brute's gonna have that 10 year limited warranty. I think when I think RCP, I think of durability and some things that's gonna last. And I think too, it's the small things in RCP products that seem like you wouldn't notice it. But it's there for a reason. And it's there because of an insight that somebody had to address a pain point. So I think when it comes to rcp, durability is the end game.
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Yeah. Okay, so let's shift for a quick second. Let's talk washroom and all the fun things there. Obviously commercial restrooms, things of that nature. There's a ton that goes in there. And you guys have played in a lot of different spaces, obviously from hand care, air care. And I know there's an innovation coming around. What was one of my favorite products? The T cell.
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Yes.
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Which is now something completely different. Tell me about it.
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Yes. So now it is circular 90. So it is the market's first truly recyclable passive air care refill. So after those 90 days, you are able to physically take the refill out of the dispenser and drop it into the recycle stream. So no disassembly required. Again, first one in the market that's like that. So we are really excited about that transition. And again, I think that line does a good job of showcasing the importance of sustainability, number one. But also, you still have to have the same performance level. So T cell was 60 to 90 days. This refill will last 90 days. So you're not sacrificing a performance issue or problem with sustainability. They go together equally.
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What was the name again, the brand name?
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Circular 90 in the 90s, I assume.
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Has to do with 90 days.
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90 days.
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Oh, how innovative.
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Yeah, you got it.
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Somebody's in marketing. I think that's there's some exciting things happening. What am I missing? What's something everyone should know?
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I think for me, when I look at both material handling and washroom, I'm just really excited about the cleaning carts. I think it's one of those marquee products that you see everywhere. You'll see them at the airports. You see them everywhere. And I think the ability to touch those products and improve something that's been out there for so long is just incredibly exciting. So I think I cannot wait for Q4 for this cart to launch. So that's what I'm looking forward to the most, for sure.
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So sneak peek at Issa.
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Yes, you betcha. It'll be right there on the floor. Can't wait.
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I can't wait to see it. Bailey, thank you so much.
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Yes. Great talking. Yes, thank you. Awesome.