There are some things in life that we just take for granted. For instance when we walk into a hotel we expect to have certain things available to us and information at our finger tips. It all starts when we walk through the front door and approach the front desk. There is usually a sign welcoming you and a front desk agent anxiously waiting to check you in.
When you are standing waiting for the elevator there is usually a fire escape plan on the wall that you can’t help but read.
Once in your room the first thing you do is walk into the bathroom where you will see a sign about how you can help conserve by reusing your towels and not changing your bed sheets if you are staying more than one evening. When you walk back out into the room you grab the TV remote and look at the sign that tells you how to use it and when you jump down onto the bed with the remote and look at the night stand you will probably see a no smoking sign or a smoking sign for that matter.
So within 5 minutes of walking into the hotel you have taken in lots of information and you didn’t even realize it. You take for granted that all this information will be available to you and it is because at Ketchum Manufacturing we make all these signs to help keep you informed.
Ketchum Manufacturing has been in the identification business for close to 100 years and in that time we have manufactured signs for almost every business sector you can think of. One of those sectors is the hotel business! There is a good chance that when you walk into a hotel and are reading the signs that Ketchum Manufacturing made those signs. In-room signage, emergency signage, no smoking or smoking signs, restaurant signs, door hangers and any other signs you can think of!
Ketchum Manufacturing has been in the identification busines for almost 100 years. With that kind of history you know we will have the products you need. We have a wide range of identification products to serve a large variety of industries and consumers.
I am sure in your daily life you have walked by or seen a product manufactured by Ketchum - you just didn't know it. Here are just a few of the great products we sell in what we call our "general id" line.
Heavy Duty Nylon ID Tags
Our most versatile identification tag is our Nylon ID Tag. Due to the bright colours this tag is highly visible and it is heat resistant. This strong and reliable identification tag is strong and reliable, so you can count on it for maximum performance. Ideal for steam traps, inventory, equipment, hoses and industrial machines.
Aluminum & Brass Identification Discs
Aluminum, brass and stainless tags are available in many different sizes and colours. These discs are available blank or stamped with identifying name or number. For added visibility we can also fill with black. Ketchum also has the ability to custom manufacture identification tags to the exact measurement for your specific project.
Plastic Identification Tags
We manufacture identification tags out of PVC plastic. This plastic is ideal for parking permits, equipment lockout tags, retail signage, golf bag tags and a wide range of custom promotional products. There are endless possibilities when you screen print onto plastic! If you are looking for something there is a good chance we can do it...just ask!
Cable Ties & Security Seals
We offer a wide range of plastic and metal security seals and plastic cable ties to prevent tampering. Ideal for hydro meters, utility coompanies and transportation companies.
At Ketchum Manufacturing we pride ourselves on being able to do whatever it takes to get our customers the identification product they need. We have the capability and know how to do custom manufacturing. We offer a complete custom service in the design and production of blanking dies, and the fabrication of distinct custom made metal and plastic identification tags to your exact specifications.
Have you ever wondered about the food you eat? Where it is grown/raised?
When there is a nationwide recall of products due to some sort of disaster within a processing plant do you wonder how the source is found so quickly?
The Canadian government has many food traceability programs in place for various products including livestock and poultry. Some programs are mandatory and others are voluntary but the purpose is to “rapidly and efficiently manage animal disease outbreak, food safety issue or natural disaster affecting the Canadian herd.”
At Ketchum Manufacturing we help with by manufacturing a number of different identification products for many different sectors from seafood to livestock and poultry.
We have become a leader in providing identification products to the poultry processing sector. Based on government initiatives it has become increasingly necessary for poultry processors to identify their products and the poultry tags offered by Ketchum Manufacturing are a great way to do this.
The poultry tag is made for .020 PVC plastic and measure 1” x 1 1/8” in size. These tags can be printed in a variety of different colours on one or two sides of the tag.
Ketchum Manufacturing also offers poultry carcass tagging applicators which provide for a fast and easy method to attach the poultry tag to the carcass. If you are interested in learning more please feel free to contact us.
Have you ever had to either restrain a dog or try to capture one? Well, let me tell you this task can be very difficult when dealing with an unknown animal. You must be aware of the distance between yourself and the animal and during a tense situation this can be difficult to keep track of. That is why at Ketchum Manufacturing we recommend using the Ketch-All Pole. The Ketch-All Pole is a quality device designed for the humane handling and control of wild or domestic animals. Not only does it keep the animals safe - but it keeps you safe too!
The pole snares and restrains quickly while affording maximum protection to the handler. The pole is widely used on dogs by Humane Societies, Animal Control Officers, Animal Shelters, Vets and the Police Department. And I am pretty sure that I saw Billy the Exterminator use it once!
The Ketch-All Pole is available in both standard and extension models. The 4' standard size pole is most useful in a confined area for handling of small animals, used around kennels for use on cats and dogs. The larger 5' poles are popular because of their additional length and larger nose. The 4 to 6' extension pole when extended is used when additional length is needed and when retracted is is used as a heavy duty restraining pole. The 7-12' extension pole when extended is used for resuing animals from waterways, trees, storm drains etc. When retracted is is used as a longer heavy duty restraining pole.
Whatever your use or need the Ketch-All Pole can work magic!
Are you having trouble with signage in your hot cases? Do you keep dishing out money for signs that get ruined after a single use of decide not to have signs at all and instead have to answer question after question from customers wondering what each item is?
Well at Ketchum Manufacturing we understand and have a solution for you. We have been able to source a Polycarbonate material that resists heat up to 220 degrees F. We don't like to launch a product without knowing that it will work for our customers and so this material endured rigorous testing by our R&D department. I could tell you some stories but I think they are better left unsaid. However I will tell you that you do not have to worry about these heat resistant tags - they will do the trick!
We are able to custom print these heat resistant tags to include your company logo or product information. You can choose any of our available shapes and sizes or even have your own die made to customize these heat resistant tags even further for your own needs. Here are some examples of some heat resistant tags we have done.
Traceability and Eco Certification have become buzz word in the food supply industry in recent years. Consumers are much more demanding and selective in their weekly grocery purchases than ever before. When I began working at Ketchum Manufacturing some time ago we had a nice little niche business where we sold marketing tags for fish. Little tags that identified the company that grew or caught the fish to help distinguish their product from a similar one sitting beside it at the seafood counter. At the time it seemed as if only the biggest or most advanced thinking companies were doing this brand recognition marketing and they were certainly the minority.
Wild fisheries like the Alaska Salmon fishery spent lots of money branding their wild product as superior to that of farmed fish. The salmon farmers then countered with campaigns that spoke to the benefits of a source of seafood which did not deplete the natural stocks. All of this drove even more business to Ketchum. Maine Lobstermen battled Maritime Lobstermen and buy local campaigns were introduced. As the years went by there were new causes of the day that inspired marketers to action and kept the Ketchum presses running. Tags that spoke to the health benefits of oils found intheir product spurred business for a season or two only to be replaced with themes around organic, naturally raised, humanely caught, and many more. On and on it went and all the time Ketchum continued to be the world's most popular source for the tags used to deliver these evolving marketing messages. And then it happened...three different events that changed the face of seafood marketing forever.
The first was COOL (country of origin labelling) legislation. Both the US and Australia introduced legislation makiing it mandatory for companies to identify the country of origin of the product they were selling. Then major retailers led by Walmart began to demand that all of their suppliers met stringent criteria before they were invited to supply product to them. These two items alone changed the landscape. Now it wasn't just the forward thinking companies that tagged product, it wasn't just the big companies. Everyone knew they had to adhere to these new demands and if they had to invest in materials to do so, well they were at least going to add some brand recognition at the same time. So the boom began and business was BOOMING. The Walmart's of the world demanded their suppliers to source product responsibly. Consumers wanted to know not just the source of the seafood that they were buying but information on how it was fed, raised, and harvested. Or if it was wild was it from a sustainable source and was it humanely caught and handled. Eco certification groups prospered as companies clamoured to get certified and when they did, it was a tag and signage they used to promote their attributes.
So as the consumer demanded, governments legislated, stores mandated, and companies like Ketchum prospered as the seafood section of your grocery store exploded with information to help your purchasing decisions. And then it happened, the third event. The world's economy collapsed. The seafood suppliers margins tightened further, the consumer now has less food dollars to spend, governments have relaxed legislation, and retailers have price wars to hold onto their market share. As often has been the case in the past the market shifts, it corrects itself, and the world returns closer to what it was before. But this time however, in this seafood industry something is different. Although the consumer may have less to spend their demands for socially acceptable source products has not diminished. They demand high quality product and want to know the products history. Companies have campaigns in place that you can trace your seafood back to the individual fishermen and find out dates and methods of catch, the boats used and the high school the fisherman attended. The retailer has the same high level of expectations and stringent guidelines for its suppliers that it introduced in the last 5 years or so. Are we mid trend waiting for the inevitable correction? I don't think so. Traceability is here to stay. Consumers have embraced traceability, it has become the new normal. The world is smaller than it once was and what impacts one part of that world is no longer viewed in isolation. So we wait to find out what the new marketing buzz words will be, but environmental sustainability and the product traceability that assures it appear to be more than buzz words and would apprear as if they will be around for awhile.
With the turning of the calendar to 2012 the countdown begins to a major milestone few companies ever see. Ketchum Manufacturing Inc. founded in Ottawa Canada will turn 100 years old next year.
With “start ups” and “hi-tech virtual companies” that don’t exist outside of cyberspace dominating the last decades business pages, the bricks and mortar surrounding Ketchum Manufacturing remind us of a different time. I often chuckle when I read emails or pass by business awnings that state “EST. 2005” claiming 7 years is history and a business achievement to be celebrated.
Ketchum the little company that could …. has. For 99 years now Ketchum the identification company has remained a constant in the identification industry it has indeed reinvented itself many times over during its long life to date. The latest was the heart wrenching decision to leave its home in Ottawa for its more spacious facility in Brockville Ontario some 80 kilometers south along the US border. This move made to accommodate the company’s continuing growth ironically happened in 2005.
Ketchum started as a livestock identification company and remains a major player in that industry today. What has changed is that what was once a company serving the local agricultural community first spread regionally, than nationally, and now competes in almost every market of the world. As time marched on Ketchum expanded its manufacturing capabilities and entered into other industries. Our metal stamping led to contracts with the Canadian military and soldiers heading to war had Ketchum Military ID Dog tags with them. We still bid on those same contracts today.
However, today Ketchum Manufacturing Inc. manufactures and distributes a much wider range of identification and promotional products utilized in a variety of industries throughout the world. Besides our renowned livestock Identification products we also produce Pet Control, Meat & Poultry Products, Seafood & Aquaculture Tags, Forestry & Mining tags, Industrial Identification tags such as tags for steam traps and piping, Parking Permits, Food Processing , Retail Store Signage, Grocery signage and price tags, Museum/Visitor Admission Tags, Lab Animal Products and more.
For example if you’re staying in a hotel room the “Do Not Disturb” sign may have been produced by Ketchum. If you’re in the grocery store and looking at a price tag there is a good chance Ketchum made it. Or take a look at your dog or cat and it’s entirely possible that the rabies tag they wear was produced at Ketchum Manufacturing. And of course the tag hanging from that cow’s ear as always was most assuredly produced by Ketchum.
That’s how we have grown decade after decade and stayed relevant. Reinventing who we can sell to as much as changing what we sell to them. After all there have been 18 US Presidents, 19 Canadian Prime Ministers, and 4 Monarchs in Great Britain since Ketchum’s reign over the identification industry began. It has seen two world wars, saw Babe Ruth traded to the Yankees and then finally saw the Red Sox end the curse they endured for doing so. For our Canadian blog readers Ketchum was already in its 4th year when 6 teams got together to create the National Hockey League.
All of that to say this, isn’t it comforting to know that some grand old institutions still exist? We are immensely proud of what we have accomplished so far and as we prepare to pause and look back on what we have achieved our promise to our customers is that we will always continue to move forward as well.
Here are some of our historical catalogue covers.
RFID readers, also known as radio frequency identification readers are becoming more common place in the agricultural sector. The RFID reader allows information to be captured from devices that have imbedded electronic information. In the livestock industry such technology is available in the form of RFID ear tags and microchips. Due to traceability programs, and an increased pressure to keep accurate and updated health records producers need to become more familiar with and adopt RFID reader technology into their operations.
RFID readers themselves come in many different models, shapes, sizes and price tags. Here at Ketchum we make two RFID readers available to the industry. Both readers offered have been tested in the field and offer different advantages and are targeted for different types of customers with very different needs.
Royal Reader (RT-3540-163)
The Royal Reader is a wonderful tool for those operators who simply need a way to read tags when processing animals. This reader does nothing fancy, simply scan and read the tag and the ID’s are stored in the readers memory. The unique colour display offers great visibility in both bright and dim light situations. At the end of the day stored ID’s are easily transferred to an excel format for further manipulation. All this in a neat little device that fits in your shirt pocket!
Syscan EID Reader (RT-3530-163)
For those operators needing more complex readers which can communicate with scale heads and computer via Bluetooth, the Syscan reader is what you need. This CCIA approved reader is ruggedly built to withstand the weather, water, and some impacts. The reader will vibrate as well as give off an audible sound telling you the tag has been read. You can even prompt the reader to ask you specific questions allowing you to input health actions for a given animal.
Have you ever noticed how neat and tidy the shelves are in the meat section of your local grocer? All the shelf dividers used to separate the chicken from the beef from the pork etc. Shelf dividers make for an inviting purchasing experience for shoppers.
At Ketchum Manufacturing we make these shelf dividers. We have many different shapes and sizes to choose from and you can brand your divider with your own logo and artwork. We have made thousands and thousands of shelf dividers for many different customers over the years.
- Maple Leaf
- Farm Boy
- Crystal Farms
- Johnsonville
- Hershey's
I could go on forever but I won't!
What we realized with all our experience is that some customers require shelf dividers to help merchandise their stores but do not require large quantities. So new this year we now not only offer custom shelf dividers we also offer standard dividers in a 14" and 30" version.
If you are in the market for shelf dividers Ketchum Manufacturing can help. Contact us today to learn more.
Is there a particular area in your building that always seems to be slippery? If so Ketchum has a product for you. WYK Safety Sorbent is specifically made to absorb and provide traction to slippery conditions created by an assortment of liquids. Simply sprinkle some WYK product over the slippery area, sweep it up and the mess is gone. You can even leave the product on the floor to provide traction and reduce the chances of someone getting hurt.
WYK Safety Sorbent is a blend of natural ingredients that absorbs liquids from any surface. It is ideal for use on acids (except hydrofluoric), caustics, oils, solvents and toxic liquids. Safety Sorbent is unique - it absorbs liquids and retains them by chemical hydration which eliminates secondary spills caused by leaching.
Safety Sorbent works like a concentrate; you use less and have less waste for disposal. Tests show that Safety Sorbent is up to 10 times more efficient than traditional sorbents. This will save you time and labour and reduce your overall clean up costs.
For more information on WYK Safety Sorbent and Pricing contact Ketchum Manufacturing Inc.