Schoeller Allibert Chief discusses growth through innovation
One product which they will be showcasing to show this is their new 2017 Miniload Container which is designed for automated handling systems. The modular crate can take up to 50kg unit load with less than 5mm deflection on all types of systems, which ensures good circulation of the crate within the automated system, even after extensive use.
Newly appointed Chief Strategic Growth Officer Ludo Gielen talked about the strong period of growth the company predicts ahead, led by its Product Innovation strategy and its recent investments in production capacity in an interview.
You’ve talked about a strong period of growth ahead for Schoeller Allibert. What trend are you referring to?
I firmly believe in the future of reusable plastic packaging and containers, as well as in the possible growth of Schoeller Allibert. The market of “returnable transport packaging” or reusable and sustainable packaging barely forms one percent of the worldwide production of all packaging products, which means that the growth potential of Schoeller Allibert is enormous. This is our mission to persuade the industry and the consumer that returnable plastic packaging is the safest, strongest and most sustainable alternative to disposable single-use packaging made of cardboard and wood.
How did you prepare Schoeller Allibert to achieve that in terms of R&D?
We are continuously working on the development of a wide range of new products that are aimed for optimising the workflow of our customers in a sustainable way. But it is not only our job to design and create innovative and sustainable C2C products (cradle to cradle) of the highest quality, we also must mould them into a model that is financially feasible for the industry and acceptable to the consumer.
That is why we have the largest R&D program of the industry, located in 3 places around the world, which accounts for 5% of our turnover annually. Our main Technology centre is also fully integrated in one of our production plants in the Netherlands, which allows us to create better products, with a reduced R&D period, and a complete anticipation of our production needs and costs.
And in terms of production capacity?
About production, we strongly expanded our capacity last year with the opening of a brand new production plant in Poland that addresses a full portfolio of products for customers in the CEE region, especially for the Automotive market. The fact that Schoeller Allibert is facing strong growth is also becoming increasingly clear in Beringen, Belgium. There, we have recently started the construction of a new Belgian facility that will be a model factory for the future facilities of the group.
We are also investing considerably in the field of technology, more specifically in Big Product Mould Technology. Our production, that will ensure the supply for the Benelux region, northern France, West Germany and the UK, will mainly focus on our larger products destined for, amongst others, the fruit industry and the petrochemical industry. The first products will be ready in the summer of 2017. We have a couple of very busy months ahead of us.
For more information:
Isabelle Dejeux or Hugues Bantigny
Allison+Partners agency
Tel: +33 6 08 16 91 28
Tel: +33 4 72 00 87 87 3/3
Isabelle.dejeux@allisonpr.com
huguesbantigny@allisonpr.com