Skip to content
‹ Back to IndustriesEngineering & Construction

What Innovations Are Shaping Beverage Variety Pack Automation?

With variety packaged beverages gaining in popularity, Uptime tapped two Douglas Machine veterans in the beverage packaging industry for their insights on how secondary packaging companies are supporting this burgeoning sector. Todd Welker and Mike Uphoff joined host James Kent to share the transforming beverage industry trends. A shift in variety packaging from glass to…

This story was produced through MarketScale. See how Engineering & Construction teams put it to work with Partner & Channel Enablement.

Share

Free workspace

Turn your Engineering & Construction expertise into content.

Record interviews, organize footage, and write with AI on a free trial of the MarketScale platform for qualifying companies. No demo required, no credit card.

Try it Free

With variety packaged beverages gaining in popularity, Uptime tapped two Douglas Machine veterans in the beverage packaging industry for their insights on how secondary packaging companies are supporting this burgeoning sector. Todd Welker and Mike Uphoff joined host James Kent to share the transforming beverage industry trends.

A shift in variety packaging from glass to aluminum cans could hold the key to one of the reasons for the uptick in beverage variety packs today. As Welker explained, this change allows producers to run faster with more variety and higher efficiency than when doing variety packs with glass bottles.

“With the advent of all the new products coming out, flavored malt beverages, RTD cocktails, seltzers, etc., those products’ sales are driven by variety packs, so more and more folks are looking to get into that than in the past,” Welker said.

To handle that customer demand, Douglas Machine is adapting its technology. “We’re innovating along with our customers to meet their speed and automation requirements,” Uphoff said. “Not everybody requires high-speed solutions, so we continue to offer low-speed, low-cost systems for those whose needs are more moderate.”

There are numerous considerations for beverage manufacturers as they transition to offer variety packs. One crucial factor Uphoff contributed was the type of format customers were demanding. In addition, manufacturers need to know what labor costs need to be absorbed, what floor space this offering will require, what capital is available, and what technology and staffing is available and supportable to make this a reality.

With some amount of education needed to get up and running with an efficient and cost-effect beverage variety pack system, Welker and Uphoff recommended consulting with packaging experts like Douglas Machine, who can guide manufacturer’s through the process and make the best recommendations for success.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Twitter – @MarketScale

Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale

LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale

Your experts belong here

Every story in MarketScale Engineering & Construction starts with a company putting its project engineers, superintendents, and estimators on the record. Buyers are already reading this topic. The only question is whose experts they find.

Owners shortlist firms they already trust, and your field leaders become the reason your name is on that list.

Book DemoSee how it works15 minutes, straight to a calendar.
B2B Weekly

The week in Engineering & Construction, and sixteen other industries, every Monday.

Ten stories, one-line takes, five minutes. Free.

Engineering & Construction: are you visible to AI?

Before they reach out, Engineering & Construction buyers ask AI engines which vendors to trust. Explore how your experts, customers, and partners can become useful content for buyers and AI search.

Free Trial

You just read one Engineering & Construction expert. Your company is full of them.

This article was produced through MarketScale. The same platform turns your project engineers, superintendents, and estimators into the articles, video, and social content Engineering & Construction buyers are searching for. Start a free trial and see it with your own people. For qualifying companies, no credit card, no demo required.

NPS +73 · 1,000+ creators · 38+ countries

What your free trial includes

Hands-on access to the MarketScale platform
Media requests to your crowd, remote recording, AI writing tools
No demo required. No credit card.
For qualifying companies. Company confirmation required.

More Engineering & Construction Insights

NMHC survey: 37% raised pricing on projects on hold

NMHC survey: 37% raised pricing on projects on hold

NMHC's September construction survey found 37% of respondents repriced shelved projects upward, versus 17% in June. Starts slowed too: 29% of firms started fewer projects, and a growing share saw labor and material costs outrun inflation.

  • 01Upward repricing of projects held three to six months rose from 17% of survey respondents in June to 37% in September, while downward repricing fell from 38% to 14%.

Sep 28, 2026

CMHA’s 2026 report estimates paver and wall production

CMHA’s 2026 report estimates paver and wall production

CMHA's 2026 Hardscape Production Report combines confidential survey data from 41 manufacturers with broader industry estimates to track segmental concrete pavement and retaining wall production in the US and Canada.

  • 01CMHA surveyed 26 pavement and 38 segmental retaining wall (SRW) producers, with many making both products, combining confidential data with broader industry estimates.
  • 02NALP forecasts mild to moderate 2026 growth with regional variation, as inflation pressures consumers and landscapers struggle to hire qualified crews and maintain margins.
  • 03Manufacturers expect future product innovation around sustainability, stormwater management, design flexibility, and installation efficiency.

Sep 28, 2026

EPA’s $251M loan backs Pure Water, boosting supply for ~105K

EPA’s $251M loan backs Pure Water, boosting supply for ~105K

EPA approved a $251 million WIFIA loan for the Pure Water Project, an advanced purification plant in Los Angeles and Ventura counties expected to add capacity and reliability for about 105,000 customers and provide the region’s first local water supply. Under WIFIA terms, deferring principal until construction is substantially complete is expected to save about $13.6 million.

  • 01The $251 million Pure Water loan includes deferred principal payments following substantial completion of construction, a structure EPA expects to save about $13.6 million over the life of the loan.
  • 02For a utility planning potable reuse, the repayment calendar is a benchmark worth asking for alongside the interest rate and the loan size.

Sep 27, 2026

Explore More Engineering & Construction Insights

Read more expert perspectives from across Engineering & Construction.

Browse Engineering & Construction Hub

For B2B teams

Your experts could be publishing here

Stories like this one run on content MarketScale captures from real practitioners. See how your team's expertise becomes coverage in Engineering & Construction and beyond.

Book a Demo

Or call us. No forms required. We pick up. 214-945-2512