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Your Order is Our Command
– Film Brings Out the Best in Us

Danafilms Newsletter - February 2010

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At Danafilms we grow to fit your volume. Focusing on a singular goal – quality film – keeps us responsive. To meet the industry head on we put service first, and our film is as good as the people behind it. This means our employees are a top priority. With some veterans around for more than 25 years, we know film as well as we know each other. Our service is unconditional because it’s sealed with experience. We’re proud of our efficiency, and we invite you to be on the move with us. Know that your order is our command.


Take a peek at Danafilms from the inside: Westborough Shipping Manager, John Shepherd.

How long have you worked for Danafilms?
27 years. I started when I was 18 years old. I live a mile down the street, and I love my job. Danafilms is part of this neighborhood, and a big part of this community.

What do you do for Danafilms customers?
I make sure their orders arrive, damage free. In other words, I make the complexity of what we do feel simple for them.

What is the most interesting problem you had to solve for a customer recently?
Sometimes a company has a rush order, and we want to make it happen for them. Just yesterday I had a call where a customer needed to quickly create a logoed item for a very special client of his who had - last minute - decided to attend a food show. We pushed it through, got it loaded and shipped. I can only imagine the smile on his face when it arrived the very same day. And, of course, that means a whole lot of people were grinning at that show.

What do you think customers like best about you?
That I care about my job and make promises I can keep. And that works for me too because they take me seriously.

What is your favorite thing about your job?  
The people I work with. I have three guys who work for me who make my job easy. They make me feel like I have more hands, and that’s exactly what I need since every roll of film comes through this department. In shipping, we’re kind of the gateway to our clients so we get to see the film in action, moving toward its next goal. It keeps my eye on the big picture, and that means I can anticipate what needs to get done before anyone has to ask. The sense that I’m a real part of moving us forward is rewarding, and it means I’m helping our team as well as the customer. Everybody wins.  

Many people at Danafilms would probably say the same thing, but I think I have the best job here because I have a lot of room to come and go between shipments. I like the flexible schedule, and so does my family. Sure, there’s a certain pressure in being at this gatekeeper position, and I actually like that too. Times flies when you’re in the flow.  And I plan on being here until I retire.

What do you do with your off-time?  
I like to go to NASCAR races. I like to watch football. I’ve got an 8 year old daughter, so if I’m not here, I’m at home. My daughter’s in the choir; she takes karate and does cheerleading. She does ALL the kids stuff, and it’s fun to be involved in that.

If you could give potential customers the inside scoop about Danafilms, what would you tell them?
We take pride in our jobs. A lot of the guys have been here a long time. I can think of at least 10 guys who’ve been here over 25 years. Another 10 who’ve been here 15 or 20 years. Knowing each other this well means we have a good time together, and that means we can also work better together.  No one can argue with the power of experience.

Plus, I care about my customers. We all do. I bend over backwards for them because they give me a reason to come to work every day. And it’s this shared commitment that makes Danafilms a strong company after all these years.

I’ve had only a half dozen tough days in 27 years. Not too many people can say that. It makes me want to work harder, give 110% because the rewards just keep growing. In the old days we used to have only a couple types of resins and a couple types of pallets. Now we use 20 types of resins. We make hundreds of different blends.  On a typical day, we ship out 10 to 12 truckloads of quality-assured film. On some days we push as much as 800,000 lbs out of both plants. Working in volume keeps life interesting. And, being part of this history makes me proud. Knowing how much we’ve shaped this industry makes me want to keep pushing forward, whether I’m packaging a custom order or coordinating multiple jobs on a single truck to save the customer a buck.