Yaffa Media's national sales manager Sharon Amos was on the packaging and processing beat at Foodtech Packtech in New Zealand last week, gathering soundbites and snapshots for the PKN news team. Here's Part 2 of our report.
(In case you missed it, you can read Part 1 here)
Foodtech Packtech enjoyed a triumphant return in its first showing since Covid, with many Australian companies – including members of APPMA, the packaging and processing industry's peak organisation – crossing the ditch to support their business operations in New Zealand.
On the HMPS stand, we spoke to Adam Read, who said, “New Zealand is one of the largest markets for us as a customer base, and given our proximity, it is one of the most important markets for us outside of Australia.”
He added, “As for new products we have on show here, we have a pre-made bagger that will run up to 12 bags per minute, and is variable in size from 100 grams up to about two kilograms. It is an entry-level machine that we hope will work for smaller businesses looking to get into packaging equipment.”
On the Selpak stand, we spoke to David Lloyd and Darren Gay about what the company hoped to achieve at the event.
“We want to keep our profile where it needs to be and show the New Zealand industry that we are here to supply high quality packaging machinery,” the duo said.
“We are showcasing tried and proven Yamada equipment for weighing and metal detection – they are well proven and well-respected brand, and we are displaying a multi-head scale and a combination checkweigh.”
On the Contech stand, Michael Alaoui said, “It has been a while since we have been active in the New Zealand market, and an opportunity came up after Covid, and we decided to come down and have a look around and be part of the show.
“Here in New Zealand, we’re the only licensed builder for interlocked spiral belting. There’s a big demand for it and it is a growing industry. We manufacture bespoke solutions.
“Australia is very similar to New Zealand on a lot of things; there’s that closeness and familiarity with each other. We understand the needs and the requirements for this region, so we feel like we are servicing another part of Australia here.
“Also, we have recently become an APPMA member, and it has been great and it has been a long time coming. There are advantages to being part of this network, and we are taking the next step to be a part of that.”
For Caspak, the timing of the Foodtech Packtech show was ideal, as Jonathan Flett explained.
“Caspak is a national company and we haven’t exhibited in the last four years due to Covid. We’ve also just done a rebranding exercise of the company, so we thought it was the perfect timing to get back out into the market and show people everything that we do,” he said.
“Most of our business is in the FMCG space and we also incorporate that knowledge with our pet food solutions as well.
“In terms of new things, we are bringing to the event, mostly around the bag-in-a-box (BIB) business that we do into taint-free water packaging. There has been a couple of big players that have moved out of that market and we have stepped back in.”
On the Flowcrete stand, Jan Joubert explained the company's motivation for participating.
“The technology we have available is really good for the food industry because of its anti-bacterial properties right through the entire system, which won’t allow any moisture or bacteria to delaminate the material,” he said.
“We also have the BASF international certificate to prove that it all meets the environmental and hygienic standards out there.
“The whole idea of our presence here was to show that we have adaptable systems, so if it is cost-driven or food-grade systems or a quick return to service system, we can modify to meet the requirements of the client.”
On the SEE (previously Sealed Air) stand, Aimee Bagshaw said it had been some time since the company had a stand at this show.
“We decided that it was a good time to showcase all of the new products we have coming out,” she said.
“Sustainability has been at the top of everyone’s talking points, and it is a huge thing for us, so we are showcasing both of our plastic and paper options, and we have had some great innovations of late.”
On the Visy Technology Systems stand, Steve Jowett said,“The New Zealand market is very important to Visy, and for us, as a supplier of innovative packaging solutions, we are keen to share all of the new innovative products that we are bringing to market with our customer base here in NZ, as well as to find new customers for our products and services.”
He added, “In terms of new things to showcase, we’re displaying our Visy liner-free labelling system, which eliminates the traditional backing paper waste that’s common to labelling. And as a result, we are able to offer a more sustainable solution to the market.”
On the Punchbowl Packaging stand, Aiden Sharp said, “What we are here to do is to showcase what Punchbowl Packaging, Punchbowl Automation and Jet Black Fans have on offer. We have the whole team under the one umbrella today to make sure that there is something for everyone that stops by.
“We have a few different things to showcase in all different sections, such as our high-volume and low-speed fans, which are fantastic for different kinds of issues with ventilation, temperature and mixing the air in a large building in a very cost-efficient way.
“We also have some of our automation on display for conveying bag and box equipment, as well as case packing. And finally of course, our packaging itself, which is anything from horticultural packaging, to take-away consumer packaging, and much more.”
For Rhima's Mark Hollingsworth and Brian Jack, Foodtech Packtech was “all about reconnecting with our customers and building our brand, and it has been good to be back in the food technology area again”.
“It is nice to meet potentially new clients and try to meet some of the needs that people that come here want to achieve. We are going out there and see the customers at their premises, and their applications to find out what their requirements are, and that is really what we are about.“
Rounding off our whistle-stop tour of the showfloor, J L Lennard's Tony Dinallo said, “We believe that the New Zealand market is a very important for us, and we have many customers both in the north and south islands, and we have a product range that suits the various categories that are available.
