How did the idea for Rinck Packaging, Inc. come about?
For Sensible Meals, it was important to us during the COVID-19 pandemic that we could keep everyone – our vendors, our delivery companies, our employees – moving forward, busy and employed. During this time, an opportunity for us to help other local food industry companies arose and I wanted to help them thrive as well. If Louisiana isn’t succeeding, then I’m not succeeding. You want the people around you to flourish, because that way you, your employees, your community – everyone – flourishes as well.
What is your goal for this company?
We want to make sure local companies are staying afloat and innovating. It has taken us years to make all the mistakes, build the facilities and create the right infrastructure to do this correctly. We are allowing other Louisiana businesses to skip all of those steps and go straight into safe, efficient nationwide shipping.
Tell us about Rinck Packaging, Inc.?
I wanted to share my resources with New Orleans. We worked 24 hours a day to prepare and open Rinck Packaging Inc. to help local Louisiana restaurants get their meals to customers nationwide in a safe and efficient way. We have a 60,000 square-foot cold facility, a fleet of refrigerated trucks and hundreds of employees. We have state-of-the-art vacuum seal machines that only two other companies in the whole country have. We have three currently working with different functions, and have just ordered a fourth custom-built machine. The vacuum seal process means that meals don’t need preservatives and can be shipped in smaller containers while remaining safe and untouched from the facility to the customer’s door. We’re also supporting other local businesses by extending the discounted pricing we have earned over the years on materials, shipping and delivery. The only thing we’re charging is a flat fee for labor.
What do you think makes a good entrepreneur?
I believe that being a good entrepreneur and business owner is more than just accumulating awards and making money. It’s about being a leader for other businesses, so that they can see what responsible ownership and having a heart for people looks like.
