2021 Year in Review - Look Back with LeKAC

WARNING: We will be discussing the COVID-19 Pandemic extensively in relation to our 2021 experience. We would also like to take a moment to remember all members of our community who have been impacted. We are with you through all of this, and hope 2022 is brighter.

In last year’s review, we talked about how challenging 2020 was, and how we were looking forward to what 2021 had to offer! I don’t think many of us quite expected the COVID-19 pandemic to be this serious for this long. I know, I know, wishful thinking – but we thought we’d work from home for a few months and slowly transition back into the office over the course of the year.

Fortunately, in this year of unforeseen events, we were still able to accomplish quite a bit! There were ups and downs of course, but not quite as down as last year. So let’s get into it, shall we?

LeKAC turns 15

Yes, you read that right! At the end of November 2021, LeKAC Sourcing Limited turned 15 years old! It’s a huge accomplishment, and we’re so happy with our progress since LeKAC’s inception. We wouldn’t be here without the help of our employees – both past and present.

From a university dorm, to opening an office in Montreal, to eventually bringing the business to Toronto, we can’t believe how much the company has grown over the years.

We are so proud of the culture we have cultivated in our company, and hope to continue expanding and growing together.

Update on COVID-19

At the end of 2020, we were all working from home, donated PPE to various institutions and were just all around trying to focus our efforts on the industries that had the highest demand for packaging. Industries such as takeout and safety.

Now with another year of the pandemic behind us, we feel like we have a better grasp of everything. In order to preserve some sense of normalcy, we staggered a return to the office on a limited schedule once it was safe to do so.

In an effort to accommodate our beloved clients, we introduced video appointments, and also went through regular cleaning of our offices in-between any client meetings.

A lot of our clients were able to bounce back from the pandemic’s initial decline and started placing packaging orders again. Although we can’t see the end of COVID yet, we’re hopeful that everyone will keep doing their part and stay safe during these times.

Blogs of interest: How to Handle Packaging During the Coronavirus Pandemic, COVID19 and Packaging: What You Need to Know, COVID-19: Donations Making a Difference

Shipping Crisis of 2021

A major obstacle we’ve had to overcome is the disruption of our supply chain! Shipping costs have been on the rise since 2020 due to a shortage of shipping containers. LeKAC is not the only business to suffer from this issue – it’s a global problem!

Ports around the world are congested, and the recent flooding in BC has only made matters worse. With many ships being left anchored offshore for an extended period of time, their return to their hub has also been delayed, meaning not only are there fewer vessels, but they’re leaving later than they usually would.

One good thing to come out of this is that it’s forced us to source products locally! While we are still developing multiple vendor relationships, we are so happy that these connections are happening at all!

If you need products urgently, you may want to consider premium shipping services – they’re costly, but they may help.

In order to avoid being impacted by the shipping crisis, we suggest placing your custom packaging order as early as possible! We don’t see shipping costs going down anytime soon, so don’t wait too long!

Blogs of interest: Reasons Why Shipping Costs are Increasing, Flooding in B.C.: What You Need to Know, China’s Energy Crisis

Tackling New Industries & Concepts

In 2021, we continued approaching specific industries and concepts – this helped us determine what each type of business needs and what their products are like.

We set a record for ourselves, coming up with 6 (yes, SIX) new catalogues within this year. Although we already had clients in each of these industries, it really helped us understand how we could provide them with the best customer service possible. Click on the links below to view each dedicated blog post on the following:

Wine Packaging
Sushi Packaging
E-Commerce Packaging
Fast Turnaround Items
Holiday Packaging
Bakery & Cafe Packaging

Blogs of interest: The Art of Packaging Wine, Let The Good Times Roll – Premium Sushi Packaging, E-Commerce Packaging and the Unboxing Experience, Custom Packaging with Fast Turnaround Times, Sleigh the Packaging Game with Custom Holiday Packaging, Bakery Packaging as Fresh as Your Baked Goods

Meet Lenny & Our Seasonal Zine

Born out of sheer creativity and wanting to cheer up their colleagues, our Marketing team decided to create a mascot for LeKAC! If you haven’t met him yet, allow me to introduce Lenny the LeKAC Leaf!

If he looks familiar to you, it’s because he’s been making appearances on our social media platforms to help educate everyone on packaging! In fact, you can catch him every Wednesday over on LinkedIn sharing useful packaging terms.

Another place to find Lenny? Our Seasonal Zine! At the beginning of each season, we’ll email you a digital magazine with fun activities (holiday-themed Lenny colouring page, anyone?), articles and updates on LeKAC!

Make sure you’re subscribed to the LeKAC Pack to stay up to date and get our exclusive Zine delivered straight to your inbox – we won’t spam you, we swear!

Marketing Services

Speaking of new things in 2021, LeKAC took the leap into offering the following marketing services:

Branding
Social Media Management
Graphic Design

Over the years, LeKAC has been able to cultivate successful client relationships through unique branding, proactive social media usage and engaging graphics! And best of all, we can help your business do the same!

All of our marketing services begin with a Discovery Call – we want to know how best we can serve you. You’ll be able to speak with a qualified marketing expert to determine your wants and needs, and will focus on the direction of your project.

Blogs of interest: Marketing Services – We Don’t Just Do Custom Packaging, What is a Brand Kit and Why is it Important?, What is Typographic Hierarchy?

Welcome to the Team

Although we’ve had to say goodbye to a few team members while they pursue other ventures, we were still able to grow the LeKAC Pack! 2021 has helped us solidify our team in hopes to provide better customer service to you! Please help me in welcoming the following members to our team:

Doris Wan – Logistics & Purchasing Assistant; helping to ensure all orders are on time and in perfect condition, Doris works relentlessly to get everything done!
Philippe Dang-Ho – Business Development Consultant; he’ll talk your ears off but you honestly won’t even care! In the office, we say he’s got big golden retriever energy… book an appointment with him and you’ll see why!
Taylor Tran – Marketing Specialist; the ultimate boss of our social media accounts, Taylor has endless creativity, positive vibes and productivity levels! Not only does she manage our socials and create content, she’s also delving into Facebook & Google Ads!

So What Now?

We’ve got a few things up our sleeves, but you’ll have to wait to find out! Everyone at LeKAC hopes your 2021 was productive, safe and fruitful – but most importantly, we hope your 2022 is even better.