Tumblar Products Site Visit

What if I told you New Zealand’s largest importer of peanut butter is a manufacturer who uses peanut butter to produce cockroach baits? This fact was shared with me while touring the Tumblar Products site with General Manager, Lucy Buxton and Sales Manager, Rebecca Doubleday.

Tumblar Products are a contract manufacturer who specialise in the manufacture of a range of products across the home and commercial hygiene, pest control and agri-chemical sectors. Tumblar has been in business for over 40 years and has built a wealth of knowledge in the manufacture and packing of various types of products from liquids, gels, extruded blocks, baits and powders. Approximately 80% of the products Tumblar manufactures are exported with the majority going to Australia, China and South East Asia.

As a B2B contract manufacturer, Tumblar’s relationships with its customers are key. Rebecca explained Tumblar have a flexible approach to working with their customers ranging from a pure toll manufacturing relationship through to contract manufacturing where Tumblar utilises its wide-ranging supplier network to source materials. Tumblar also has in-house technical expertise and as such can work alongside brand owners to assist with product development from formulation through to commercial production.

According to Lucy, Tumblar’s real strength lies in its people and the culture which the Tumblar team have built over 40 years in business. Tumblar employs around 50 people and is proud of its long-serving team; the majority of the production team have 10+ years service with the longest-serving team member just clocking 34 years service. Lucy attributes this to Tumblar’s commitment to providing opportunities for the team to upskill and cross-train to operate a variety of different equipment.

Like all businesses relying on imported materials, the last two years have presented challenges which Tumblar has had to overcome to minimise impact of finished goods supply to its customers. Leadtimes for some materials have doubled meaning it is not uncommon for Tumblar to be securing supply of materials six months in advance of production. Tumblar’s ability to react and respond quickly to changes in global supply chain dynamics is attributed to its close relationships with suppliers and customers. Leveraging these relationships has been key to unlocking solutions and maintaining a consistent supply of product with minimal disruptions.

Tumblar left me with an impression of a thriving manufacturing business making a range of unique and diverse products across several categories. Tumblar’s manufacturing capability and ability to be flexible and agile to meet customer’s needs is impressive.

(Note – Traditionally these site visits are posted under our “Show and Tell” forum section for registered members only, but this visit has been uploaded for public view on special request. If you’d like to read about other site visits please feel free to sign up!)