Page 20 - Packaging News Magazine July-Aug 2020

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COVER STORY | KURZ www.packagingnews.com.au | July-August 2020
Beyond the surface
In celebration of half a century of innovation and growth at Kurz, we put Stephen Pratt, managing director of Australia and New Zealand, in the spotlight to find out about the company’s past, current, and future direction. He tells PKN how Covid-19 has changed the way this family business has operated for 50 years and what hasn’t changed at all.
KURZ is the world’s leading supplier of metallised transfer products for decorative, functional and security purposes. Over five billion people each day encounter surface decora- tion using its products. Kurz prod- ucts are widely specified for appli-
cations in the automotive; plastics and cosmetics; whitegoods and electronics; pharmaceutical; and food and beverage industries globally – and this year, the company is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in Australia, with MD Stephen Pratt at the helm.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT KURZ AND WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF THE JOB?
I’ve been at Kurz for six years, but it feels like yesterday that I was engag- ing with my industry contacts to understand more about the company that had captured my interest because of the products it offered and the val- ues it upheld.
We are fortunate to be involved in many major projects with our custom- ers who work across varied industries. I still get excited when I see our
products appear on labels in bottle shops, on the packaging of products on supermarket shelves, on my wife’s cos- metics, and on the banknotes in my wallet. It’s the ways in which our trans- fer decorations are used to elevate and differentiate products that inspires me.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN DURING YOUR TIME AT KURZ?
Two of the most impactful changes I’ve seen are digitisation and sustain- ability. Everyone is moving to digital workflows and digital printing is growing exponentially – so now there is an increasing requirement for pro- duction scale digital finishing solu- tions to close the digital loop from order to delivery.
Sustainability is not a trend, it’s a clear direction that consumers, brand owners and industry are committed to. Kurz is not only producing transfer foils capable of being recycled, but we are also recycling waste to generate energy in our production plants. Locally, we have recently installed solar panels at our Adelaide produc- tion facility to generate electricity, fur- ther reducing our carbon footprint.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO
KURZ’S GROWTH?
Three things: trust, depth of range and consistency – and these tie into growing market demand for brand authenticity and security. Brand owners want assurance that their brand logos and design will look the same whether they’re produced in Paris, Hong Kong, San Francisco, or Sydney. Having formulations and shades for almost any substrate is another key differentiator. Whether the application is on a label, for outer packaging, for plastic cosmetic tubes or to decorate an automobile, the abil- ity to produce a consistent result regardless of substrate has led to a deep level of trust from brand owners in Kurz that their brands will always put their best face forward.
HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED KURZ?
Throughout the past 50 years, Kurz has always been there for our customers. We are all living in a completely