According to Tony Uranin, the plant superintendent at Crown, the closure of restaurants and lockdown measures led to people stocking up on groceries, resulting in a high demand for Aluminum cans. This demand remains strong to this day, and the company is struggling to keep up with it.

As part of the 2023 Progress Awards, Crown has been recognized as this year’s Innovator in Manufacturing. According to Uranin, Crown’s plant is among the most cost-effective in the company’s division. Despite tough competition, the company’s sales have been consistently strong, and they are expected to remain so throughout the year. Uranin has observed that some of their competitors’ plants have been shutting down or reducing production, but Crown’s business has been thriving.

TYPICAL WORKDAY

On a typical workday, the Bradley plant has the ability to manufacture up to 6 million 12-ounce cans and can produce around 4,000 cans per minute thanks to its efficient labor force. The plant’s warehouse contains approximately 35 million to 60 million stamped and printed cans at any given time, with an average of around 47 million cans on-site.

Crown collaborates with industry giants such as Pepsi, Coke, Dr Pepper, Budweiser, RC, as well as local breweries like BrickStone Brewery. Uranin attributes the plant’s ability to maintain low costs to its hardworking employees who consistently deliver top-quality results.

RECYCLED ALUMINUM

Crown prides itself on using only 100% recycled aluminum for its cans. According to Uranin, the time it takes for the aluminum to be processed and ultimately returned to the plant as a finished can is roughly 60 days. With three production lines in operation, the plant consistently transforms sheet aluminum into a perfectly shaped, finished can through a series of pressing and repressing stages.

However, the lid of the can is not attached when it is shipped to the beverage production site. Crown sends the lids along with the pallets of cans, and the site where the drink is bottled or canned adds the pull-tab lid.

BEING PART OF THE COMMUNITY

Crown has prioritized increasing its visibility in the greater Kankakee area since Uranin began working with the company four years ago. The company has become involved with the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County to promote aluminum and metal recycling and educate the community about these practices.

Crown plans to continue raising awareness by partnering with BrickStone Brewery to distribute cans of water to attendees at the upcoming Friendship Festival in Bourbonnais. The company will also participate in the Manteno Oktoberfest in September with a similar initiative.

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