There’s a distinct note of optimism in the air this month with several recent investment stories heading up the news. For example, in the UK, Smurfit Kappa is spending a massive £98 million at its Townsend Hook papermaking mill, and packaging specialist Leyprint is targeting 10.5% year-on-year growth following an investment in a B1 (41in) KBA Rapida offset press; while in France, Amcor Flexibles is increasing its sterilisable packaging capacity; and in The Netherlands, The Loparex Group’s Apeldoorn production facility is to receive an extensive capacity and capability expansion. Investment in manufacturing facilities in developing countries is also accelerating, and the latest news is that Stora Enso is building a mill in China.
This is refreshing news after so many months of reporting the doom and gloom of large, long established businesses going into receivership.
Although Europe is officially in recession, there are positive signs of a pick-up in manufacturing and the service industries and, albeit slight, this long awaited upturn in market confidence in some sectors and countries is very welcome as we approach the most important event in the printing and converting calendar – Drupa 2012.
In this issue of Converting Today, we feature the second part of our Drupa preview highlighting some of the many new and updated products on show for the converting sector.
The Converting Today editorial team will, of course, be at the show and reporting back, in future issues, with further information on the latest tools for improving your customer offer.
Print for packaging, unlike in the commercial sector where it competes against any number of communications options, is frontline marketing, and fully tuned into the shopping channel. As the direct interface between brand owner and consumer, it is variously required to seduce, to inform, to convince and to reassure at different stages en route from the supermarket shelf and into the home. In production terms it is expected to consistently achieve the highest quality standards at the lowest possible cost. With an estimated 75% of all retail products purchased on impulse and over 40,000 different lines in a supermarket outlet from which to choose, attention-grabbing packaging print is the crucial differentiator on-shelf, and ways to achieve this, and keep your customers happy, will be emphasised at Drupa. Read Des King’s ‘last word’ on the subject (Features section).
See you at Drupa!
Felicity Murray,
Editor
Felicity Murray
