RELYServices·Secondary packagingContract packaging

Secondary packaging · Milwaukee area, Wisconsin

Contract Packaging, Variety Packs & Multipacks

Turn finished products into the packs your customers order, without pulling your production team away from making them.

RELY Contract Manufacturing provides contract packaging from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in the Milwaukee area. We assemble variety packs, multipacks, product bundles and promotional configurations for manufacturers and consumer-product brands, run as controlled, documented programs from first release to recurring production.

Bring an ongoing program, a new configuration or work that has outgrown your current operation. A complete RFQ is not required.

Associates assembling three-flavor beverage variety packs at packing tables, with finished packs stacked on a pallet and flat cartons staged nearby
Variety-pack packout · RELY floor

Program evidence · Case Study No. 19

Packaging experience you can evaluate.

194
SKUs supported
20+
Packout formats supported, including variety packs and multipacks
360,000
Units fulfilled through Amazon FBA in 2025

Results from one beverage customer program. The 360,000-unit figure reflects FBA fulfillment volume, not finished variety-pack output or available packaging capacity.

Read Case Study No. 19

Beyond beverage: 83,122 retail-launch kits For a housewares brand's national retail launch, RELY assembled kits containing bowls and lids, with 83,122 kits documented through March 6, 2026. The program also included a labeling change to support an additional retail channel. Read the retail-launch kitting story

Pack formats

Variety packs, multipacks and product bundling services

Each pack format puts different demands on the floor. Every configuration is built around a clear product mix, quantity, packaging method and verification plan.

Pack formats and what each one specifies
FormatWhat we assembleWhat the pack specification covers
Variety packsMultiple flavors, styles or product variants in one packThe exact assortment and the quantity of each item
MultipacksMultiple finished units grouped into one selling unitPack count, arrangement and outer packaging
Product bundlesComplementary finished products combined for a retail, promotional or e-commerce offerIncluded products, inserts, identification and presentation
Promotional and gift packsSeasonal or campaign-specific product combinationsComponents, finished appearance and release timing
Retail packoutsProducts assembled into a specified retail or distribution configurationCarton contents, labels, case quantities and destination requirements

A variety pack can also be a multipack. What matters on the floor is a clear specification for the finished pack, not the name on it.

Shrink wrapping and secondary packaging

Shrink wrapping can be included for suitable finished products and multipack configurations, confirmed for each pack during program review. Labels, inserts, cartons and shipment preparation can be part of the same scope.

Send a sample or a photo of how the product arrives and how the finished pack needs to leave. We will take it from there.

What we review for shrink-wrapped packs

  • Product dimensions and pack arrangement
  • Film requirements
  • Temperature sensitivity of the product
  • Required finished appearance

Why companies outsource it

When packaging work starts competing with production

Situation 01

Your production team is spending time on pack assembly

Finished product is ready, but employees are being pulled into sorting, combining, labeling and packing. RELY takes responsibility for the packaging operation so your team stays on the production work you need to protect.

Situation 02

New channels need new configurations

A product sold individually may also need a multipack, an assorted pack or a promotional bundle. Each one runs as its own pack specification, with its own labels, packaging materials and destination requirements.

Situation 03

Recurring demand has outgrown an improvised process

A packout that began as occasional handwork has become a production requirement. We help turn it into a controlled program, with a forecast, release quantities, material responsibilities and verification, before more volume is added.

Situation 04

Packaging work needs to move from another supplier

Start with the current specification, a finished sample, the available inventory and the next required shipment. We scope the packaging program transfer around a representative configuration before the wider program moves.

How RELY approaches production transfers

Program controls

Define the pack. Control the changes. Verify the release.

A packaging program needs more than a list of products. It needs a repeatable way to handle variation and ship the right finished configuration every release. We set these controls up with you.

What the program needs to control
Control areaWhat it covers
Pack contentsProduct identifiers, quantities and permitted configurations
Packaging materialsCartons, film, labels and inserts, and who supplies each
Work instructionsAssembly sequence, handling and visual references at the station
VerificationChecks for contents, count, identification and finished condition
Lot and date codesWhat is checked and recorded, and the traceability link between incoming product and finished packs
Changes and exceptionsRevisions, substitutions, shortages and held material
Releases and shipmentsRelease quantities, dates, destinations and reporting
RELY manages

Running the program day to day

  • Assembling packs to specification and work instructions
  • Performing the verification checks selected for the program
  • Maintaining the required lot, date-code and release records
  • Escalating shortages, substitutions and exceptions before work continues
Your team approves

Decisions that stay with you

  • The pack specification
  • Artwork and labeling
  • Acceptance criteria for a finished pack
  • Revisions and substitutions
  • Disposition of held or nonconforming material

Inspection and barcode checkpoints are chosen to fit each program. Traceability and inventory records are settled before production starts, not reconstructed after a problem.

How it starts

From packaging review to recurring production

  1. Understand the product and the finished pack

    Share the incoming product, the pack you need and what you know about volume and timing. We work out the handling, packaging and scheduling the program will need.

    OutputA clear pack configuration and a straight answer on fit

  2. Set up the materials, instructions and controls

    Together we settle who supplies each material, how the pack is assembled, which checks apply and how labeling, lot codes and destinations are handled.

    OutputMaterials, work instructions and checks ready for the first build

  3. Confirm the pack before expanding the program

    Use a representative configuration to confirm the assembly method, finished appearance, verification steps and production assumptions. Agree on what the initial release needs to demonstrate and who approves the result.

    OutputAn approved pack and a documented basis for every release that follows

  4. Run the recurring release schedule

    Releases run to the approved pack, with changes handled through one process both teams know. New formats are added the same way, so the program can grow without losing control.

    OutputRecurring releases of the approved pack, with reporting your team can track

Case Study No. 19 · Beverage

One beverage program. Many pack configurations. One defined operation.

The starting constraint

A beverage brand was running Amazon FBA fulfillment in-house while demand and product variety grew. Daily order preparation competed for leadership attention, production labor and floor space.

What RELY took on

Responsibility for the brand's FBA fulfillment work, including variety-pack and multipack configuration, labeling and shipment coordination.

Documented controls

Packout definitions and work instructions in place before the ramp, with lot and expiration-date verification during kitting.

Measured scope

194 SKUs, more than 20 packout formats and five to seven ship-to destinations per order. RELY fulfilled 360,000 units through Amazon FBA for the brand in 2025.

Result

As the brand's FBA volume grew 359% over six months, the program grew with it at RELY instead of returning to the brand's production floor. The growth reflects the brand's own demand.

Finished three-flavor beverage variety packs lined up on a roller conveyor on the RELY floor
Finished variety packs · Case No. 19

Supplier qualification

Supplier qualification and food-handling scope

Quality system

ISO 9001:2015 certified

Certificate 263741

RELY's ISO 9001:2015 certification covers contract manufacturing and assembly.

View ISO certificate (PDF)

Food and beverage programs

Wisconsin food warehouse license

License 559147

Licensed as a Small Non-Potentially Hazardous Food Warehouse for applicable canned goods and dry merchandise.

View food warehouse license (PDF)

Service scope

Secondary packaging of finished product

For food and beverage programs, RELY handles secondary packaging of finished, packaged products. The service does not include food formulation, filling or food processing.

Have a supplier questionnaire or program-specific requirements? Share them whenever available. We can work through qualification alongside the program review.

Location and related work

Wisconsin contract packaging for Milwaukee-area and Midwest programs

RELY operates from Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, in the Milwaukee area. Buyers can see the operation, review samples and walk through the proposed work in person.

N59W13401 Manhardt Dr, Suite 300B
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051

For programs elsewhere in Wisconsin, across the Midwest or with national distribution, we plan inbound product, packaging materials, release quantities and outbound destinations together, so the packaging step fits your supply chain.

Discuss your product flow and packaging requirements

Packaging sits inside a broader contract-manufacturing operation. Assembly, kitting, inspection and rework can be scoped alongside it when a program needs them.

FAQs

Contract packaging questions

What is secondary contract packaging?

Secondary contract packaging is outsourced work that groups or prepares finished products in an additional package. Typical work includes assembling variety packs, building multipacks, adding labels or inserts and preparing retail configurations. For RELY food and beverage programs, products arrive already packaged. RELY does not fill or process food.

What is the difference between a variety pack, a multipack and a bundle?

A variety pack combines different variants, such as flavors or styles. A multipack groups multiple units into one selling unit, either identical or assorted, so a variety pack can also be a multipack. A bundle combines products into a defined offer, often with complementary items. In every case, the pack specification determines how the work runs.

What quantity should we provide for a quote?

Start with finished packs per release and your expected repeat demand, then tell us what goes inside each pack. Finished packs and individual product units are different quantities, so give both if you have them. A rough forecast is enough to begin.

What affects packaging cost?

Cost is driven mainly by pack complexity, the number of configurations and volume. Other inputs include handling requirements, packaging materials, verification steps, changeovers and any storage or shipping work in the program. A sample and a forecast are the fastest route to a useful price.

Can you work with our existing packaging materials?

Yes. Customer-supplied products and packaging are common. We confirm the materials suit the process, then settle ownership, delivery timing, replenishment and who covers shortages before production starts.

Can RELY support lot and expiration-date requirements?

Yes. Lot and expiration-date requirements are addressed during program setup. Tell us whether you need product-code checks, finished-pack records or links between incoming lots and finished output. We confirm the verification method and records we can support before production begins.

Can packaging and fulfillment be handled together?

Yes. Packaging can be combined with fulfillment and shipment preparation, as it is in Case Study No. 19. Share your destinations, release pattern and retailer or marketplace requirements and they become part of the program. Our fulfillment services page covers inventory, order releases and shipment.

How quickly can a program start?

It depends on the configuration, material availability, the approvals involved, setup and capacity at the time. Give us your required first shipment date at the start and we will tell you what it takes to meet it.

More kitting, packaging and fulfillment questions

Show us the pack you need to build.

Start with a non-confidential product description or photo and whatever you already know about volume and timing. We can work through the configuration, materials, controls and release requirements with you.

A complete RFQ is not required to start. Need an NDA first? Tell us.

Call 262.276.0050 · info@relycm.com

Please do not send confidential drawings through the website form or ordinary email. If an NDA or controlled file-sharing link is needed, tell us and we will set up the appropriate next step.