Welcome to our newsletter! Creating the Grizzly Bag was an accomplishment I’m really proud of. I had never worked with any manufacturer before, other than getting my truck outfitted, and this was even before working with dumpster manufacturers. I had especially never worked with overseas manufacturers.
After a couple of years subcontracting for Waste Management's Bagster and analyzing the numbers and customer feedback, I set out to create my own version. I needed a manufacturer that would produce a small enough quantity to test things on a reasonable budget.
This was around 4-5 years into my business. We were probably doing about $1 million in annual sales at that point, but we didn’t have a large reserve in the bank. The business was profitable, but not for this kind of endeavor, so finding an affordable way to test it out was crucial. I went to Alibaba.com and started talking to a Chinese manufacturer. As you can imagine, it was challenging—the language barrier meant we relied on Google Translate, and the time difference slowed down communication.
We ordered our first batch of 125 bags, an identical replica of the Bagster, just to test efficacy and design. Since it was a small order, we paid more per bag, but it was a good way to start. It took a few months to arrive, and they were just plain white bags. After testing that order, I saw the manufacturer could produce what we were looking for, so I decided to make some design changes.
I wanted a more consumer-friendly, residential look, opting for a more square shape. This version was about 5 cubic yards compared to the Bagster's 3 cubic yards. I placed a new order with the same manufacturer for 500 bags, which lowered the cost per bag but was still pretty pricey. That order took about six months to turn around and ship to my small warehouse. With the larger order, I had to go through tariffs, port fees, and other things that didn’t apply to the first order.
When the 500 bags arrived, they had to go through customs due to the weight, quantity, and price. To save some money, I decided to pick them up from the dock in New Jersey myself. That was an experience—I was among freight trucks and delivery personnel with no clue about the paperwork and procedures. I had to consult with professionals beforehand to ensure my paperwork was filled out correctly. The worst-case scenario would have been getting all the way there, only to be turned away.
Luckily, I found the right port, spoke to the right people, and they released my order. They loaded it onto my pickup truck (just barely fitting under the ladder rack, which we used in our gutter business). The drive back from New Jersey to Connecticut was rough with a full payload of dumpster bags, but we made it back to the shop. When we saw the bags, it was great—they were our branded Junk Pro bags, complete with graphics.
After selling a bunch of those, I started refining the design further and came up with the final Grizzly Bag. I wanted it to be bigger, more square, and about 8 cubic yards when fully loaded. I added handles on all four corners at both the top and bottom, making it easier to lift with a crane and tip out so the bag could be reused. The final design featured "Grizzly Bag" branding on all sides, and I set my sights on expanding nationally, partnering with other haulers as the provider for dumpster bags.
This process is grueling, takes a long time, and the sheer cost of placing an order large enough to lower the per-bag price was a huge undertaking. But we figured it out. We ordered about 1,500 Grizzly Bags, and this time I paid for professional delivery to our warehouse—thank goodness, because it took about eight months for the manufacturer to produce, ship, and deliver them. We had to pay the entire $45,000 cost upfront, which we financed at a decent rate.
This Grizzly Bag was—and still is—a great product. I only need to sell about a third of the Grizzly Bags I own to make the same money I was making running my trucks with the Bagster.
Now, I’m building long-term customer relationships, and the repeat orders for Grizzly Bags are incredibly high. Once customers use them, they want to use them again. It’s freed up a lot of inventory for our dumpsters, making the bags an excellent way to expand inventory without buying more roll-offs.
They’re a great option for people who need a small dumpster. We set up the service so they don’t have to worry about weight limits or rental duration, and it’s working really well. Grizzly Bags have become a good chunk of our business.
This experience taught me valuable lessons about product development and listening to customer feedback. If you’re considering designing your own product, start small, test everything, and be prepared for challenges you didn’t anticipate—from navigating overseas manufacturing to managing customs and shipping. Getting it right takes patience and persistence, but it’s worth it if the product solves a real customer need.
Whether it’s a physical product or a new service, keep this in mind:
Start Small: Begin with a limited quantity to test the product. This minimizes risk and gives you room to refine your design without overspending.
Customer Feedback is Gold: Use customer insights to guide product improvements. They know best what works and what doesn’t.
Build Partnerships: A reliable manufacturer is invaluable. Take time to find a good fit and establish a strong working relationship.
Know Your Numbers: Understand your budget and financing options. Making an initial investment may be necessary, but do it strategically to protect cash flow.
Launching a new product or service is a process, but when done thoughtfully, it can unlock new revenue streams and deepen customer loyalty.✌️
Justin Hubbard
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