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The tagline of the German
group Packaging Valley, ‘A
Bundle of Confidence’, reflects
the focus and drive behind
this network of 34 companies
operating in the packaging
industry in southern Germany.
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he district of Schwaebisch Hall is located
in the south of Germany, in an area that
is steeped in history when it comes to
packaging machine manufacturing. In a relatively small number of square kilometres a
workforce of around 7000 highly trained and
specialised people are working in all aspects of
packaging. Founded as small family enterprises many years ago, these businesses have
grown and formed a concentration of outstanding packaging machine excellence, with a number of world market leaders among them. To
boost awareness for this globally unique ‘clus-
ter of packaging competence’, the Packaging
Valley Germany e.V. association was formed in
2007. Three years later, 34 of the region’s 40
packaging companies are active members of
the network.
Members are leading the way
The product range of Packaging Valley is highly
diversified, offering solutions for almost any
specific packaging task. Clients will find a range
of customised solutions for the pharmaceutical
and cosmetic sector or the chemical and food
industries, as well as experts for specific pack-
aging processes such as cup filling, generic
filling and closing lines. Customers have
access to suppliers offering solutions around
special machinery, such as the blow-fill-seal
bottlepack and top loading machines, box
erectors, or baggers and closing machines.
In the spirit of partnership pioneers of packaging technology are working side by side with
young entrepreneurs, but all of them are leaders
in their specific domain. Among them, just to
give a few examples, one can find the inventor of
pick-and-place robot packaging technology
(Gerhard Schubert GmbH), the inventors
of blow-fill-seal technology (rommelag®Kunststoffmaschinen Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH),
of fully automated paper hygiene packaging
(Optima Group) or of fast clamping devices for
sorting inserts (E+K Sortiersysteme GmbH).
International platform
Packaging machines from Packaging Valley
members operate all over the world in a multitude of sectors, and all member companies
are highly export oriented and multinational
in their outlook. An export share of more
than 80 per cent is not unusual, with the US
and Europe as key markets. Recently, the
emerging markets in South America and Asia
have begun to play a significant role.
To help members maximise the opportunities
in foreign trade, Packaging Valley places
emphasis on important trade shows within the
packaging industry, for example Emballage in
Paris, PackExpo in Chicago, FachPack in
Nuremberg, Achema in Frankfurt or Interpack
in Duesseldorf. Packaging Valley’s mission is to
generate global awareness for the outstanding
quality and unique combination of its packaging
machinery manufacturers. In order to promote
the name as a hallmark of quality, the name
‘Packaging Valley Germany’ has been protected
as a European trademark.
Furthering professional excellence
Another priority for the network is to promote
technical progress and knowledge exchange
among its member companies. Even though
some network members compete with each
other in the market place, they see a benefit in
combining some aspects of their work if it
brings the potential to offer integrated solutions
to customers.
A brand new three-day event format was
successfully trialed in June this year with the
international ‘Packaging Valley Days’ in
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Schwaebisch Hall. The symposium attracted
approximately 190 visitors from 16 nations
and offered a mix of presentations, panel discussions and company tours. Respected industry experts discussed the importance of finding
the ideal synthesis of mechanics, electronics
and software in the packaging machines of the
future, as well as providing insights into
emerging technologies such as organic and
printed electronics which are set to change the
landscape of the packaging world in the near
future. These new applications for the packaging sector are expected to include new safety
labels that store the date that the package was
opened or register the time of a patient’s medicine intake.
The organisation of specialist industry events
like this not only allows members to develop a
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dialogue with potential customers, but also aids
recruitment by involving students and graduates. The close cooperation with universities
and research institutions is aimed at making a
significant contribution to more effective action
for development, where the individual companies themselves could not.
Central point of contact
The association’s website offers information
about the member companies, a news and
event overview, a job board, and also one
central, easy-to-use point of contact for customers. A single e-mail inquiry sent to the site
will be submitted to the entire member pool
in a neutral manner, resulting in customised
offers and solutions suggested by the various
companies within Packaging Valley.
It is the mission of Packaging Valley to make
the brand a globally renowned trademark.
Awards and future subsidies within the frame of
the Cluster Initiative of the Land of BadenWürttemberg are aimed at boosting the cooperation with the Packaging Excellence Centre in
Waiblingen, which will further the development
of the value creation chain and the cluster network in southern Germany. The Association
intends to expand the packaging cluster by integrating all elements of the entire value chain,
including other packaging material manufacturers and end customers. Further education within
the member companies, conferences and trade
fair participation are important for developing
new technologies and promoting the group’s
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market expansion.
www.packaging-valley.com