A new generation Macro Stretch Film is proving to be a major success across the fresh produce industry, according to its Australian creators. Propak Industries originally developed the concept in the late 1990's alongside Italian company Galloplastik, with the latest generation of the product only being on the market for around 18 months.
"It's a film that can give the ventilation required for produce," Propak Managing Director Garry Sandercock said. "With that we also developed a machine to apply the film. That machine is purpose built for growers and packers, so it actually reduces its palletising and labour costs. There are over one hundred machines in North Queensland alone. They have found a quick payback on the machine through saving time and money."
The Macro Stretch Film comes in two forms for both machine and hand-wrap application. Mr Sandercock says the advantages of the film is not just the ease of packing, but clients also can reduce their wastage, as less wrapping is required to safely transport the produce, and it looks more presentable.
"There are other machines on the market, but they have been designed for normal pallet wrapping, which haven't taken into account of what growers are after," he said. "They need maximum ventilation and maximum stabilisation to cart the produce around Australia to get their product to market. We can stretch it further so that you get bigger ventilation and it will contain the load tighter. Now the product is built with the reinforcement incorporated in the base, so it's not two products blended together it is one product."
He says the product has been approved by major supermarkets, Coles, Woolworths and Aldi, and is already being used across wide sectors of produce.
"We changed the market for avocados, we changed the market for tomatoes, we changed the market for mangoes and we are now changing the market for bananas," Mr Sandercock said. "Which is amazing because the banana industry is hard for growers, and we can help them achieve less damage without compromising cooling or load stability. We also do stone fruit and we have happy clients using our system. We have got companies such as SPC, we've got juice factories. We also have lemon, lime and other citrus growers. All produce would benefit using this Macro wrap and Propak Industries Produce designed Wrappers."
Propak does not advertise this product but reputation and word of mouth have spread so wide that Mr Sandercock says he is constantly 'flat out' serving new and existing customers. Galloplastik looks after the European market and America, while Propak has the Asian market. It has had interest from South Africa, New Zealand and Singapore, but the company is already busy with the Australian market ensuring "high quality care" for its current customers.
"We care to give the right result and are here to help and service," the managing director said. "We stand by our product. We always say 'if you put our system in and are not happy and it doesn't give you what you want we will take it back', but let me tell you we have not had to take back one single system."
For more information:
Garry Sandercock
Propak Industries
Phone: +61 8 8443 3522