Wassim Labban, Vice President of Rigid Packaging for EEMEIA, SEA, ANZ at Husky, tells Packaging MEA how the company has helped its customers to not only survive but thrive by embracing the changes brought about by Covid-19
Ben Daniel (BD): It’s great to get back to regular business in the wake of the pandemic. How does it feel to reconnect with your MEA customers?
Wassim Labban (WL): We returned to the Gulfood tradeshow in Dubai in November and after almost nearly two years we were excited to be back connecting in person with customers. We had an excellent turnout. It was encouraging to see attendees from all regions, with some flying as long as nine hours to attend the show. This gave us confidence that business is bouncing back while adapting to the pandemic. It’s encouraging to see that Dubai seems to have found the right formula in terms of blending daily life with the pandemic.
BD: How did Covid-19 impact Husky?
WL: We are continuing to see a shift in our business resulting from changes in consumer preferences. Overall, it’s been a dynamic environment and we’ve had to selectively add capacity, shorten lead times and shift production to serve the evolving demands of the food, beverage, consumer goods and medical industries.
Throughout the pandemic we have continued to work alongside our customers. Our service technicians, for example, have provided on-site service and support wherever possible. Another important service development we are seeing is an increasing demand for our Advantage+Elite proactive, predictive and transparent monitoring solution.
We have also been fortunate to have been able to conduct meetings business as usual and have leveraged virtual platforms to ensure we continue to closely engage with our customers on an ongoing basis. Moving forward, we plan to offer solutions to connect with customers in the most effective way possible, whether virtual events, live events and meetings, or a mix of both.
BD: Tell us about Husky’s Advantage+Elite.
WL: In 2021 we focused on building the industry’s most extensive global service and support offering. This included the evolution of our Advantage+Elite proactive, predictive and transparent monitoring solution as standard on all PET and closure systems. To support this, we opened a number of Advantage+Elite monitoring centres around the world. Advantage+Elite works by monitoring systems within customers’ production facilities in real-time to ensure and maintain the lowest total cost to produce. Using remote technology and proprietary dashboards within a closed-loop reporting platform, we continuously analyse a set of leading system variables to anticipate and rectify potential issues before they impact our customers’ productivity or quality. This functionality reduces the variability risk associated with running higher levels of post-consumer-resin, accelerating the shift to manufacture more sustainable packaging. Advantage+Elite is resonating well with customers because it enables a future business service model focusing on asset management and digitalisation to guarantee and maintain commitments.
BD: Consumer preferences, consumption and buying patterns have changed during the pandemic, both on the shelf and online. How is Husky responding to these changes?
WL: Covid turned same-day home delivery, drive-up grocery shopping and other digital retail services from a convenience into a necessity. This brings a wealth of new challenges and opportunities. Faster package redesign and speed-to-market for new products are key to gaining a premium position and growing market share. Producers will need to continue moving forward to not only deliver more diverse food and beverage options, but get them on shelves faster. To meet this need, we have developed PET preform output systems and moulds purpose-built to help our customers be more competitive. These flexible solutions, including our new NexPET system, NexPET mould and upgraded HyPET5e 120 system, are designed to help our customers better respond to changing market demands.
BD: What initiatives has Husky taken in the MEA region to enhance PET recycling and in enabling rPET content into the value chain and closing the circularity loop?
WL: Investing in the production of more sustainable packaging has long been, and will continue to be, a top priority for Husky. We work closely with customers to ensure their products meet specific regional design requirements, particularly regarding recycling. Almost all PET preform systems we sell in the MEA region could be enabled to run whatever percentage of rPET material is required. To reduce the risk associated with running rPET material, our PET and closure systems also include the additional assurance of our Advantage+Elite real-time proactive, predictive, transparent monitoring solution as a standard feature.
In addition to our standard PET system platform, our newest Recycled-Flake-to-Preform technology is offered as a module of our proven HyPET HPP5e system. This is designed to support the closed-loop conversion of washed flake to preform by accepting melt from an upstream provider. This solution facilitates the effective production of preforms made from 100% rPET material by eliminating the drying and melting steps associated with traditional rPET preform manufacturing. Streamlining the process to bypass inhouse rPET pellet production and go directly from washed flake to preform also enables up to 30% energy savings. Finally, we have also helped spread awareness on the recyclability of PET and its advantageous carbon footprint.
BD: What’s the response from MEA markets to Husky’s Multi-Layer Technology?
WL: Today’s increasingly health-conscious consumers are moving away from processed foods, additives and preservatives, reducing their intake of sugar, fat and salt, and favoring fresh foods, personalised nutrition solutions, and plant-based options. This has driven changes in consumer demand, whether it’s smaller packages or more varieties of functional beverages with infused vitamins, minerals and supplements. This requires packages to be designed and manufactured to better protect sensitive content. Our multi-layer technology is an ideal solution for plastic packaging to keep contents fresh and nutrient-rich and can also optimise packages in terms of aesthetics, weight and cost. This provides savings of up to 50% on barrier material costs for some applications.
BD: What educational programmes does Husky provide?
WL: We offer diverse training to customers around the world, both onsite at their facilities and at our headquarters. Courses emphasise practical learning and cover a variety of topics from equipment purchase to ongoing management, ranging from machine operation, maintenance and levelling, to PET mould maintenance and processing, to auxiliary equipment and statistical process control.
BD: What do you see as the greatest opportunities for the packaging industry over the next 5 years?
WL: The future is going to be revolutionided by more digitalisation. Producers who remain competitive will continue to integrate digitalisation into their operations to streamline and automate the manufacturing process, bringing about increased control, precision and speed. Digitalisation will continue to influence what consumers buy, how these products are delivered and how we communicate. To adapt, leading companies must find ways to make transactions faster and more convenient.
Digitalisation is also encouraging growth in popularity of smart packages because of its ability to enable exchange of customer information, traceability and consumer co-creation. This includes increased interaction with consumers, the opportunity for consumers to get involved in the design, shape and labelling of products, and extending communication beyond the initial sale.
BD: What is your message to the regional packaging industry?
WL: Every challenge offers an opportunity to adapt and improve. This pandemic has shown us the potential for growth in other areas of our business as customer needs shift. We are optimistic for this year and feel in many cases the pandemic and its effects are now regularly factored into investment decisions and are viewed as an opportunity to open doors for redistribution or readapting to consumer preferences.
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