Page 21 - Packaging News Magazine July-Aug 2020

July-August 2020 | www.packagingnews.com.au KURZ | COVER STORY
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different world right now, but Kurz has swiftly adapted to the new norm. Self- isolation has meant remote work for most of my team, and at our Adelaide production facility we are running split shifts to minimise contact. Although our Malaysian production facility was forced to close for almost a month, with our manufacturing sites in the US, Europe, and Asia, we were able to maintain supply throughout, resulting in almost no change in our ability to meet customer needs.
With people and business in lock- down, there has been an increasing need for more communication. Instead of customer visits we’ve used Skype and phone calls to maintain relationships with our customers; our parent company in Germany has pro- vided a range of online product train- ing sessions for our team; and we’ve recently introduced the Kurz Webshop, an online platform for ordering our graphic products. It’s clear from the number of customers now using this platform, that this new sales channel was long overdue.
YOU SEE KURZ TRANSFER COATINGS EVERYWHERE. IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ONE APPLICATION, WHICH ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF AND WHY?
It’s hard to go past Kurz’s contribution to the new series of Australian banknotes. The beautiful Kinegram featured in the clear window of every banknote, provides colour, animation, and decoration – all while providing unparalleled protection from counter- feiting. It is a testament to the credibil- ity and reputation of Kurz that the Reserve Bank of Australia chose us to deliver such a major security feature.
KURZ CLAIMS ITS TRANSFER PROCESSES ARE THE MOST SUSTAINABLE. WHY? Sustainability is nothing new to Kurz. Chairman and CEO Walter Kurz drove the implementation of furnaces and steam turbines to trans- form manufacturing waste into energy to help power our factories over 25 years ago. This has since been rolled out across all manufacturing sites, regardless of local environmen- tal requirements. More recently we have seen solar farms installed on
manufacturing plant roofs to further reduce fossil fuel reliance.
Kurz presents its customers not only with environmentally accept- able products for an ecologically ben- eficial technology but commits itself towards responsible environmental protection. We accept responsibility for our own actions and voluntarily practice more environmental protec- tion than required by law.
Kurz products only contain a min- ute amount, typically a 0.02μ layer, of metal (pure aluminium). How much aluminium is that? From the alumin- ium contained in a household roll of foil, we can produce between 7-12,000 sqm of actual transfer coating. This doesn’t disrupt sorting at a recycling station and allows the stamped prod- uct to be recycled if the original sub- strate supports this.
When compared to other technolo- gies like metallised inks and metallic substrates where coatings are between 0. 2μ up to 2μ in thickness, Kurz transfer coatings use 10-100 times less metal and have higher de-inkability and recycling capabilities.
MAIN: Kurz: Leading sustainable and innovative surface decoration and brand protection in Australia for 50 years.
ABOVE: Brand protection plus good design aesthetics.
ABOVE LEFT: Proud leader: Stephen Pratt, MD of Kurz Australia.
BELOW: Kurz offers digital technology solutions.
HOW ARE MARKET NEEDS SHAPING OR CHANGING THE INDUSTRY? Brand fragmentation and the demand for customisation is driving smaller run sizes, providing challenges for the supply chain to anticipate colour trends, customer needs, forecast requirements and deliver tomorrow, if not today. In a global business like Kurz, it brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “think globally, act locally”, especially in relation to managing our own inventory to meet expanding requirements while reducing customer delivery times.
These changes are driving interest for inline digital embellishing solu- tions currently in the market. They allow for traditional or digitally printed sheets to be embellished and/or foiled without the requirement for tooling and dies – reducing cost and lead time.
Now more than ever, brand owners understand their brand’s value and are looking for innovative ways to protect their investment from the increasing scourge of counterfeiting and piracy. Technology solutions such as Kurz Trustconcept allow brand owners to protect their prod- ucts without compromising brand image and well-designed packaging. There is no doubt the cost of imple- menting such solutions far outweigh the often-irreparable damage to a brand or business.
Overall, brand owners, designers and converters are all trying to do the right thing when it comes to sustainability, recycling, and the circular economy. This will remain a high priority for the Kurz family and our business, as we mark our first five decades and continue to support the industry. ■