Page 28 - Packaging News magazine May-June 2022

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COVER STORY | www.packagingnews.com.au | May-June 2022
Opportunities abound with Currie Group
A buoyant labels market, and a growing number of packaging applications, will be reflected on the Currie Group stand at PacPrint. PKN speaks to Mark Daws, director of labels & packaging ANZ, to find out more.
THE Currie Group stand at PacPrint, the biggest at the show, will make quite a statement, with a brand new look, and some of the latest label and packaging technology on dis- play. And rightly so, with labels and packaging among the strongest per- forming print sectors.
Unlike much of the commercial print industry, both labels and pack- aging fared well in the Covid years, with labels in particular thriving – in large part due to the increased at-home demand for food, beverage and other FMCG products.
Mark Daws, director of labels and packaging ANZ at Currie Group says that while the record highs of self- adhesive label production during the peak of the pandemic have somewhat receded, the industry is still well ahead of where it was pre-pandemic. He says, “Month-on-month it is still well up on pre-pandemic levels for our customers; in general the market is positive.”
According to Daws, both digital and conventional flexo markets are pro- viding growth opportunities. Currie
Group installed four OMET flexo presses in the last 12 months, strong evidence of the ongoing demand for conventional flexo.
“Digital is still very much the domi- nant technology of investment for the industry, the market dictating agility in print runs and shorter lifecycle of consumer products. That said, there’s still significant volume runs that require conventional printing means,” Daws adds. “We’re seeing growth in more filmic-based flexible packaging products, which can also be suitable for mid-range flexo technology.”
According to Daws, the opportunity for print service providers (PSPs) to capitalise on this growth does not solely reside in existing label convert- ers, but also for PSPs servicing other industry segments such as commer- cial printing.
“There is lot of focus on acqui- sitions and/or mergers, in order to capture market share, however, this often breeds opportunities for those outside of the industry to capitalise on new growth segments,” Daws says.
“When it comes to folding cartons, I’m definitely seeing commercial printers, both in Australia and New Zealand, exploring options,” Daws says. “In many cases it’s a safer route, as many have spare capacity through existing assets. The short-run digi- tal carton market is fast expanding, as brands look to increase SKUs and better manage their supply chains – and the new technology gains of the HP Indigo 35K Digital Press are well suited. Daws cites the latest press technology advancements that have the ability to match and automate custom colour management, a key requirement for brand integrity.
The ongoing global shipping cri- sis is driving demand for locally produced labels and packaging, according to Daws, who says cer- tain segments, for instance flexible pouches, are returning to onshore production. He notes that this oppor- tunity has been recognised by global powerhouse, ePac, which recently opened its new Melbourne operation servicing local industry.
In fact ePac, which only set up for business in Australia in November, with two HP Indigo 25K digital presses, has already added a second pouchmaking line, demonstrating its market assessment was correct.
FLEXIBLE FUTURE
When it comes to flexible packaging, Daws says that the industry consoli- dation has resulted in very few wide
And this is exactly where the opportunity exists! The label industry went through a similar transformation, and I firmly believe we will see this present in the flexible packaging industry.”
— Mark Daws