Australian printing and converting specialist Immij has continued to expand its packaging print portfolio, with a focus on providing flexibility and fast turnaround to its growing SME customer base.
Agility when responding to new trends, changing consumer preferences, or market dynamics, can often mean the difference between a brand’s success and failure. And when it comes to making changes to packaging, whether structural or graphic in nature, a short lead time can really play in its favour.
Enter Immij, whose Melbourne and Sydney printing and converting operations – which include an in-house design team, modern UV offset press technology, carton finishing and tray forming equipment – are focused on delivering that speed-to-market difference.
“We find a lot of our clients are making last-minute changes to artwork as their forecasts for particular products change, so thanks to our in-house imaging and design studio, and our flexible one- to two-week turnaround printing and converting service, we can make that adjustment very quickly,” says Group GM Mark Randles, who splits his time between the Melbourne and Sydney operations to keep his finger on the production pulse.
Randles notes that most packaging printers competing in the sector are offering four- to six-week turnarounds, putting Immij well ahead of the pack. “When there’s an urgent delivery, that’s where we come into play,” he says. “A lot of clients in Melbourne and Sydney have come across to us for this reason, when they couldn’t risk disruptions in the supply chain.”
Randles cites the food sector as a case in point, where ingredient labelling needs to comply with regulations, and last-minute updates often need to be made if an ingredient change was made due to a supply issue.
The fast turnaround factor also applies to Immij’s prototyping service, which is run in-house and offers a quick mock-up on a concept that ultimately helps drive speed to market for a product launch. With access to years of creative expertise in the Immij design team, the company is also well-equipped to offer designs that go beyond form and function to create stand-out in a crowded market.
Immij’s flexibility and fast turnaround are complemented by certifications in quality (ISO 9001) and colour management (ISO 12647-2), while both production plants are accredited with environmental (ISO 14001) and FSC certification. In addition, intellectual property, including data and artwork, is guaranteed to be kept safe, thanks to the company’s information security management (ISO 27001) certification.
Sense and sustainability
Across all the market sectors Immij services (pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, health, FMCG, beverage, food, automotive, horticulture, fresh produce and confectionery), sustainability is close to the top of the list on any brief the team receives.
“We’re always looking at helping businesses make informed choices on how their packaging products are able to be reused, recycled or compostable,” Randles says. “We currently have a major iconic brand wanting to change a reflective coating on its secondary carton as it’s not recyclable, so we’re working on alternative materials, finishes and designs that will create strong shelf impact without the negative eco impact.
“In another example, we’ve completely redesigned the packaging for a multinational ball point pen brand to remove the plastic clamshell packaging, making it fully kerbside recyclable while creating a more accessible pack for the consumer.”
Immij has also been proactively innovating sustainable change for the horticulture sector – specifically for potted plants with a short shelf life, like herbs. Using a water-repellent board, Immij has developed a recyclable cardboard plant identifier tag to replace the typically used polypropylene tag, which has the potential to remove a significant amount of plastic from landfill and the environment.
Randles says that Immij has proposed the new tag to growers, with one of the largest groups currently trialling them. Retailers like Bunnings are on board, which will recommend them to suppliers to use. Meanwhile, the company continues to innovate, and will soon release a prototype for cardboard secondary packaging for orchids, that will not only protect the plants, but will improve shipping efficiency too.
Custom cartons and trays
Relatively new on the Immij floor is a carton tray forming line for food service sector, which offers food retail customers the opportunity to personalise or brand the food-grade trays, whether it be for sushi, dim sim, hamburger clams, hot chips, popcorn and more.
“The products are ideal for the service sector, and especially good for brand visibility at big outdoor events. Recently we had one of our major clients produce dim sims rolled out in our trays printed with their branding at the Geelong Football Stadium,” Randles said.
The tray former also has application for the fresh produce sector, and Immij has designed and printed some neat-looking prototypes for cherry tomatoes punnets, mushrooms, cucumbers without any plastic windows.
Another nifty innovation is an easy-to-assemble carton carry tray designed for beverages at cinemas and other events, that also offers the opportunity for branding. In fact, the company’s carton portfolio is extensive, from lock bottom, crash lock and auto lock options, to counter display, hanging display and shelf ready cartons, to mention a few. It also prints and converts postal or gift boxes and cartonboard sleeves and wraps.
Immij is embarking on an ambitious growth strategy aimed at increasing sales by 25 per cent over the next 12 months. This involves significant investments in capital equipment and recruitment to drive efficiency, enhance capabilities and expand market reach.
With its sizeable product offering, and single-minded focus on providing SME customers with speedily delivered sustainable solutions, Immij is fast-establishing a solid, eco-friendly footprint in the packaging arena.
This article was first published in the September-October 2024 print issue of Packaging News, p38.
