It’s already providing numerous packaging solutions for the top healthcare, food, confectionery and cosmetic industries. Masterpack is also FSC certified as part of its ‘greenbox’ sustainability initiative. Another recent milestone was the opening of a sales, warehousing and distribution branch in Cape Town, headed up by branch manager, Kevin Muir.
With its impressive history established, Masterpack now has the future firmly in mind. Its specialised technical and innovations team, under the leadership of operations director Jimmy Moffett, is building international relationships and alliances to assess global market trends, develop new packaging concepts and structures and has introduced a special design and packaging opportunity for its customers, to provide them with a complete brand development solution.
Masterpack is the African member of the Global Packaging Alliance (www.global-packaging-alliance.com), an international organisation of nine like-minded independent packaging producers from several countries including Mexico, Brazil, Australia, the US, India, Russia, Germany and China, that focuses on developing and producing highly innovative packaging solutions.
Member companies share their expertise and ideas in global project management, which is geared towards the packaging needs of international companies. This includes designing and producing packaging for their customers specific needs. Its goal is to support customers’ in launching new brands while significantly reducing time to market.
‘The Global Packaging Alliance, initiated 13 years ago, has grown into a unique network of packaging specialists who work on a strong foundation of trust and honesty,’ remarks Masterpack’s sales and marketing director, Ronnie Mathews. ‘We share ideas and innovations and help one another in various aspects of the packaging process, such as sampling, researching market trends, developing lean manufacturing models, new technology and more. Several of our dealings include global brand names and this has offered Masterpack numerous local project opportunities since we joined in 2008.’
To further its value-added packaging solutions, locally and internationally, Masterpack has recently launched ‘brandpack’, a company with an exciting and unique concept.
‘Our strategy with brandpack – the packaging architects, is to provide our clients with the powerful synergy of packaging design and carton manufacture, ensuring that an excellent idea is professionally built and produced. The Masterpack-brandpack synergy offers our clients a total packaging solution for their brand, which includes the wide variety of packaging components and substrates, together with carton structural design and state-of-the-art printing and finishing provided by Masterpack,’ explains Dairin Ashley, creative director of brandpack. Our membership to the GPA gives us unprecedented access to over 150 years of packaging experience and knowledge to benefit our clients. ‘When creating effective packaging, the key is a successful “first moment of truth”. We’re passionate about building brands through excellent packaging in line with our client’s vision, brand strategy, budget and business objectives. Knowing where to make an effort makes
all the difference!’ sums up Dairin.
brandpack has evolved from an original concept introduced in 2008 by rlc packaging group, German member of the GPA, to complement its world-class packaging capabilities.
With over a century of experience in packaging, rlc, and brandpack Germany, have supported Masterpack wholeheartedly while launching brandpack. However, with a previous successful 28-year background in brand identity and packaging design, Dairin is the driving force, brains and creative talent behind brandpack South Africa.
‘We believe we have a lot to offer customers with brandpack,’ states Masterpack’s MD, Stewart Butler. ‘Not only do we have a world-class packaging company and an incredible resource with our GPA partners, brandpack offers our customers’ a completely new concept that is a critical element for a successful brand launch. By giving customers an overall solution, including substrates that we don’t necessarily use, means we’re also developing an open, trusting relationship.’
Packaging Solutions
Masterpack produces top quality packaging at its pristine factory in Heriotdale, Johannesburg on its state-of-the-art Heidelberg five-colour presses and Heidelberg Perfector, used for the printing of package inserts. Cosmetic grade premium quality cartons are produced on a Heidelberg XL 75 with an in-line double coating unit.
The Heidelberg XL 75 is the only one of its kind in South Africa and its configuration allows Masterpack to offer value-added features to its products. It’s capable of producing in-line UV varnish using a primer and conventional inks. Other applications include gloss print and matt coating, primer and blister coating, gold or silver with overprint varnish, primer and rub-off ink and metal reflex inks.
The XL 75 is complemented with a Heidelberg CD 102 five-colour with coater and a SM 102 five-colour. All machines are connected to Heidelberg’s Quality Control System, ImageControl that spectrophotometrically monitors and controls colour. Heidelberg Southern Africa says it is proud to be associated with a forward-thinking company such as Masterpack, and sees them as a customer that aligns itself with the best of the progressive, premier packaging printers worldwide.
A fully-equipped finishing department boasts recently acquired Bobst diecutters and folder-gluers, supplied by Beswick Machinery, as well as two foiling machines and film laminator.
Cutting dies are produced on the premises with the latest equipment.
‘Our partnership with Masterpack dates back many years,’ comments Bruce Beswick, MD of Beswick Machinery. ‘From the start, it was clear that the company was going places and, as a forward-thinking player in carton packaging, it was the first privately owned company to invest in Cimpack, our CAD system for carton design and diemaking. We’re very proud of our association with Masterpack,’ sums up Bruce.
Lean manufacturing practices start with raw materials; 90% of its raw material is held in reel format and cut-to-size in the company’s sheeting plant.
‘We have full control of our raw material stocks, which give us control of lead times, quality and traceability,’ reiterates Stewart Butler.
Building great partnerships, with suppliers, customers and colleagues has been a critical element to much of Masterpack’s success. Having access to the latest international industry trends and technology has kept Masterpack ahead of the game, both in terms of design and manufacturing quality and, with the launch of brandpack, its already impressive customer offering just got more enticing.
Masterpack
T +27 011 6262726
T +27 021 5514493
www.masterpack.co.za
Beswick Machinery
T+27 011 4332686
Heidelberg South Africa
