AGPP General Manager Lakshmanan Ganapathy explains Packaging MEA, the company’s recent investments and why he believes reducing imports is key to boosting local business
Expanding into adjacent markets is tougher than it looks. When AlGhurair Printing and Publishing (AGPP) moved into packaging print in 2018, it was
no surprise that one of UAE’s leading printers would extend its reach towards new sectors.
Packaging MEA Chief Editor Ben Daniel caught up with AGPP General Manager Lakshmanan Ganapathy to find out what progress has been made.
General Manager Al Ghurair Printing & Publishing, Dubai,UAE
Ben Daniel (BD): Congratulations on the successful installation and start of our new Heidelberg offset press with IML printing and converting facility. Can you give us the technical specs of this unique equipment and its capabilities?
Lakshmanan Ganapathy (LG): Sure! The Heidelberg XL106 – 10P+L(X4) IML is a high-performance, versatile machine capable of producing a vast variety
of products at speeds of 18,000 B1 sheets per hour. The feeder is equipped with a Heidelberg CutStar to feed directly from Reels as well as sheets. The machine can print up to 10 colours straight with conventional sheetfed offset
inks and heat-resistant aqueous varnish coating for in-mould labels (IMLs). It is also equipped with UV curing to print 10 colours plus inline varnish coating for packaging jobs. The same machine can also print 5/5 colour perfecting using conventional offset inks or LE UV inks for high-quality magazine/catalogue/
book production. It is an all-in-one machine with no quality or performance compromises.
BD: Many label printers and converters have invested in flexo-based IML print
technologies, while you have gone for an Offset-based technology? Tell us why and what advantages do you find with this technology as opposed to flexo?
LG: The investment decision to produce IMLs came from presentations at the IML seminar in Dubai in 2018. We were impressed with presentations on IML production by Heidelberg and IML raw material supplies by Taghleef Industries and Huber Inks in 2018. The use of IM labels in the MEA region is still in its early stages of growth with less than 1% share of the entire GCC label market and less than a 4% share of the global IM label market. It has plenty of room for growth. Hence we wanted to ensure our investment is in a versatile machine that can produce a variety of other products until IML demand grows and takes up the full production capacity of the machine. Offset printing is our forte and Heidelberg has also confirmed the majority
of the IML printers in Belgium, Turkey and Greece use conventional sheetfed offset printing for IML production. The IM labels printed using conventional
sheetfed offset inks are perfectly flat, dimensionally stable and perform well in the high-speed moulding machines with robotic feeders without any static issues.
BD: What are the advantages of IML compared to traditional wraparound
or self-adhesive labeling? Is there a market for IML in the MEA region, and
who are you targeting as potential customers?
LG: IMLs give greater protection for brand owners and make it more challenging to counterfeit products. They also reduce packaging weight, especially on thin-walled containers. IMLs are well suited to food applications
because the label is protected from water, ice and other environmental factors. In the MEA, all dairy and ice cream manufacturers have already adopted IM labels and are currently importing them from Europe. Paint companies are also using IMLs and they are also our target customers.
BD: Al Ghurair specialises around commercial, digital, and newspaper print
and finishing. Why are you expanding into labels?
LG: Commercial and newspaper printing volumes are on a steep decline. Digital printing volumes are not big enough for a large manufacturing operation like ours. Packaging is a growing sector and we wanted to enter into
a market where other players in the region have not ventured yet.
BD: Can you give us a brief idea of the investment behind this expansion?
LG: US$2.75million
BD: Any other investments done in the recent past?
LG: AGPP has always focused on making the right investments to reduce imports, to contribute to the economic growth of the region. Our goal is not to take away business from other local printers; we have always grown by providing a local printing solution for imported products. We also focus on bringing in exports from the entire Arab world and Africa by providing high-quality printed products with cost-effective solutions and short turnaround
times. In addition to IML production, we have also invested in a machine for producing high-quality offset printed Kraft paper bags with twisted paper rope and flat handles. These are currently imported in large volumes.
General Manager,
Heidelberg Gulf Est.
In-mould labels (IML) is a very efficient procedure for the labelling of plastic containers. To print the IML labels you need to have a highly qualified printer with the best printing machine and the right process. Heidelberg and Al Ghurair Printing and Publishing were a perfect match to offer the clients a unique label product that is used for the food packaging (dairy products, ice cream, salads, etc.) as well as for cosmetics, chemistry and DIY stores.
Al Ghurair wanted to have maximum flexibility, with a machine that runs at a very high-speed delivering performance at the highest quality. Heidelberg could offer the best combination of a UV and a conventional 10-colour press with Cutstar, perfecting, coating, and extended delivery that delivers the most challenging labels with ease. Heidelberg and Al Ghurair are the best partners for sophisticated projects offering unparalleled quality for the printing and packaging industry in the Middle East.