Introduction
The use of flexible packaging in the food industry, beverage industry, pet food, and personal care is taking over the markets as it is becoming lighter in weight, strong, offers high barrier protection, and better shelf presence. Agile startups and well-established multinational corporations alike are in search of the ideal packaging solution that would take their product to the next level. Nevertheless, it is not that hard to find a decent pouch, but it is hard to find a flexible packaging supplier that will match your business development stage and unique requirements. We are not going to simply give names in this guide. Five of the best manufacturers are analyzed so that you can find a partner that suits your business today–and grows with you tomorrow.
Amcor: The Global Standard
Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland.
Market Positioning: The unchallenged international leader who serves giant multinational organizations.
Major Products: High barrier laminates, medical grade barrier films, recyclable mono-material (PE/PP) pouches, retort pouch solutions.
Amcor is the giant of the packaging industry with a long history of operation that dates back to 1896. It has an incredible network of more than 220 factories in 40+ countries with its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. Amcor has more than 44,000 employees and annual revenues of more than $10 billion, which is the absolute scale and capacity in the industry. They lead in the flexible and rigid packaging business and have a supply chain whereby centralized global sourcing of resins and aluminum foils is done and dispatched to regional Hub and Spoke centers.
Amcor is known to have enormous research and development strengths. Their Concept-to-Launch platform is able to develop a product out of an idea and produce a final product within 6-12 weeks. Their range of materials is limitless, including standard food packaging to very sophisticated materials for industrial applications and medical use. They have recently made significant investments in the circular economy, collaborating with the leading global brands to develop sustainable flexible packaging standards and offering Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) reports. Their packaging design skills guarantee consumer convenience, as well as fulfill specific needs related to the reduction of environmental impact.
Best For: Amcor is the “Global Standard” because of a reason. They are the best match with Fortune 500 companies and multinational giants who have huge budgets and need a supplier with a global presence to be comparable to theirs. Nevertheless, the strengths of Amcor are most applicable to businesses that work on the global level. In the case of small to mid-sized businesses, the volume limits and corporate procedures that are highly efficient and responsive in serving Fortune 500 clients might not be the most efficient or responsive with more agile and lower-volume projects.
ProAmpac: The Leader of Innovation
Headquarters: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
Market Positioning: A North American manufacturer of innovation and sophisticated flexible packaging products engineering.
Major Products: Roll stock, retort films, spout pouches, shaped pouches, packaging with child resistance, compostable films.
ProAmpac, which was founded in 1971, has become a key participant especially in the North American and European markets, having more than 40 manufacturing facilities and around 7,500 employees. ProAmpac has differentiated itself as an Innovation Leader unlike its rivals who merely seem to compete based on sheer volume. They have a reputation of being engineers especially in their ability to design unique shelf-stopping shaped pouches and functional custom flexible packaging such as child-resistant closures.
ProAmpac also uses a combination of high-definition flexographic printing and HP Indigo digital printing that enables them to accommodate brands with multiple SKUs comparatively fast. Their Design-2-Print offering is designed to streamline the pre-press operation and boasts of such short turnaround times as 4 weeks to deliver on some projects. They also have international joint development laboratories (MACT) which they collaborate with the customers to develop new structures of packaging. Their supply chain strategy is regional sourcing with centralized color matching to achieve brand uniformity. They also have a Minimum Order Economic Depth (MOED) optimization program which assists the mid-sized clients in controlling the costs.
Best For: ProAmpac would be a perfect option when dealing with established brands and middle-to-high volume purchasers that distinguish themselves by distinctive packaging forms or high-tech different features. When your brand depends on differentiation through structural innovation (such as a shaped juice pouch) and you have a sufficient budget to finance research and development and equipment expenses, ProAmpac is a good competitor.
ePac Flexible Packaging: The Rapid Turnaround Specialist
Headquarters: Wisconsin, USA (23 plants worldwide)
Market Positioning: A digital-only disruptor that addresses speed and low MOQs to startups.
Major Products: Stand-up pouches, lay flat pouches, roll stock, certified compostable films.
ePac Flexible Packaging was established recently in 2016 and the company has disrupted the industry by making a complete bet on the digital printing technology. ePac is the Quick-Turn Specialist and operates a fleet of more than 60 HP Indigo 20000/25000 presses and is spread across 23 locations worldwide. Their business concept is to eliminate the traditional barriers of entry of the small business: they have no plate fees, low minimum order quantity (MOQs of 500 pouches and below), and have a quick turnaround time of 5-15 business days.
ePac has a proprietary cloud platform named ePacONE that links their plants all over the world to direct orders to the plant nearest to the customer. Such localization approach does not only accelerate delivery but also minimizes shipping carbon emissions. They can use their digital-only model to have unlimited SKUs, variable data printing (such as unique QR codes on each bag) and on-demand printing to minimize inventory wastage. This is what makes them very agile to brands that introduce new flavors regularly or have seasonal promotions requiring flexible pouches.
Best For: ePac would be the ideal launchpad to absolute beginners, micro-brands, and startups trying the market. They are invincible in case you require 1,000 bags in a short period of time to demonstrate something.
But ePac does not sell Rotogravure (gravure) printing. The unit cost of digital printing does not decrease much as that of traditional printing when you grow your brand and increase your order volumes (e.g. to 50,000 or 100,000 units). Brands that succeed in the market usually realize that they will soon outgrow ePac and will have to change suppliers to continue making profits.
Swiss Pac: The Stock Inventory King
Headquarters: Rumling (near Zurich), Switzerland / Large presence in India.
Market Positioning: The one-stop shop of ready-made stock pouches and generic packaging requirements.
Major Products: Stock stand-up pouches, coffee bags with valves, flat bottom pouches, side seal bags, kraft paper bags.
Swiss Pac is a medium-size group owned by a family and has a strong presence in India, USA, and Dubai. They position themselves as possessing more than 5,000 customers in 85 countries and 7 factories. Swiss Pac is the industry leader in terms of being the Stock Inventory King. They maintain an enormous stock of unprinted ready-made flexible packaging materials of all sizes, colors, and materials which can be shipped out at the shortest notice.
In the case of custom orders, they indicate that the minimum order quantity is 1,000 units and they use a combination of digital and flexographic printing. Their supply chain is very concentrated on their own production facilities of in-house production but the details of their machinery are not as clear as its competitors. It has a convenient 24-hour internet quotation system and it boasts of 7-10 days of production to delivery time through air freight to the Western markets. They encompass a broad spectrum of standard types of coffee, pet food, nutritional supplements with the use of standard pouch types.
Best For: Swiss Pac is the best option in the case of businesses that have generic requirements or need to fill the stock urgently. In case you are just in need of a regular black matte coffee bag with a valve and you just need it next week, Swiss Pac is a good place to visit. They also fit well in brands that desire to purchase plain flat pouches and sticker labels on them. But, in the case of brands that require high end custom pouches, more complex design support or more complex custom structures, a dedicated custom manufacturer may provide a superior brand differentiation.
Baishen Pack: The Ultimate Co-creator of Custom Branding
Headquarters: Guangdong, China.
Market Positioning: The responsive Growth Partner of SMEs and scaling brands, providing both digital and gravure solutions.
Major Products: Custom bags, spout pouches, mylar bags, bottom pouches, biodegradable alternatives.
Baishen Pack was started in 2012 in Guangdong, a manufacturing center in the world, and it has taken more than ten years to master the art of custom flexible packaging. Baishen is a factory-direct professional manufacturer unlike trading companies that have a printing, laminating, slitting, and bag-making process all under the same roof. This integration enables them to provide the factory-direct pricing but with a high level of control of the product quality within the entire production line.
The difference between Baishen Pack and the rest is its Hybrid production capacity. They have HP Indigo digital presses with small runs (MOQ 500 pcs) and sophisticated Rotogravure presses with mass production (MOQ 10,000+ pcs). This dual feature is the largest thorn in the side of expanding brands: you can begin with Baishen on your market tests with digital printing, and when your sales take off, Baishen automatically transfers you to gravure printing to reduce your unit costs by a huge margin, without you having to seek a new supplier.
Baishen also has an extensive customization feature, such as close zippers, tear notches, clear windows, and high quality matte/gloss finishes to enhance user experience. They have a strong supply chain that uses materials ensuring food safety that are approved by the FDA and have sustainable alternatives. They are designed to be fast and convenient: they offer 24-hour online proofs, 7-10 days turnaround on digital orders, and customer service via a 1-on-1 sales engineer (Air/Sea) who is available 24-hours to respond.
Best For: Baishen Pack is the final option to the Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and fast-developing brands. They provide the scalability of the traditional giants with the flexibility of ePac in terms of custom pouch packaging. In case you need a long-term partner, who gives you exact specifications, free samples, and can upscale your first 500 bags to your millionth bag, Baishen is the one that you should have.
How to choose a Flexible Packaging Supplier That will Fit your Growth?
Selecting a supplier is similar to acquiring a strategic partner. You do not simply require a vendor but compatibility. Various manufacturers have their focus on the different phases of a brand life. In order to choose the right partner, consider the partners using these four important factors:
Finding the Right Production Capabilities to Your Stage of Business
Each brand passes through various stages of its development, and the technology of manufacturing that is effective at the launch of the first SKU of a startup will be dramatically different than the one that will be needed by a market leader. Getting to know the finer details between the production process methods can assist you in finding a supplier who would be able to meet your volume needs effectively.
- In the case of Startups (Low MOQ): When you are introducing a new product or trying different flavours, cash flow is the key. You require Digital Printing whereby Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) can be as low as 500 units without high plate charges.
- For Mature Brands (Low Unit Cost): When you have a product that is working or you require 50,000+ units, profit margin is the priority. Rotogravure Printing is better in this case; it will require an initial investment in cylinders but will result in significant cost savings on the mass production per bag.
- The Strategic Choice: In case you are an up-and-coming brand that expects to grow in size, it is prudent to seek a supplier who has both. A manufacturer such as Baishen Pack can do your pilot run digitally and move you into rotogravure production as your volume increases, offering a solution that spans a variety of products.
Engineering & Design Support
Flexible packaging is a technical matter (barrier properties, zipper functionality, etc.) that extends beyond the simplistic graphic design. The degree of technical support you need will determine whether you should have a simple manufacturer who just does what you tell him or a consultative partner that will actively streamline your packaging.
- Print-Only or Stock Needs: When you already have a full-fledged packaging design team and are well aware of what you want, a supplier who specializes in stock inventory, such as Swiss Pac, is a handy and efficient option.
- Consultative Needs: This requires a partner that has an in-house engineering team in case you require advice on how to optimize pouch sizes to fit your filling process, or which type of packaging material to use to increase shelf life. Some manufacturers such as Baishen Pack provide expert advice and 1-on-1 design assistance as well as dielines and technical guidance to avoid expensive structural mistakes prior to production.
Quality Certifications and Safety Standards
In the case of packaging delicate items such as food, drinks, or pet food, the quality of your supply chain has a direct influence on the reputation of your brand and safety standards. Verification is not a check box; it is your guarantee for product protection against liability and spoilt products, and the rules might be different according to your target market.
- Global Compliance: Make sure that the supplier is globally certified such as ISO on management and BRC or SGS on food safety.
- Material Verification: It is always important to request evidence that materials are approved by FDA or food grade certified for industrial applications or consumer use.
- Validation: No matter how good the supplier is, it is always advisable to ask him/her to provide pre-production samples. To be sure about the strength of the zipper and the integrity of the seal and the performance of the barrier on your seal machines, a good partner will prompt you to test it before you place a full order.
Communication Speed and Style of Service
International sourcing involves the pace and articulateness of communication potentially being as essential as the physical product. Your supplier has a culture of service, which will greatly determine your time-to-market and your capacity to solve unforeseen problems effectively, and hence you need to align the workflow of your supplier with your expectations.
- Corporate Structure: Huge international conglomerates tend to employ automated portals and standardized procedures. This is stable but may at times lead to slow response times (2-3 days) on certain inquiries involving customer needs.
- Agile Service: When your business is in a highly competitive market with speed to market being the most important factor, then focus on a partner who has a reputation of quick communication. As an illustration, Baishen Pack is reputed to have an agile service model, which usually takes 8 hours to respond and provides direct access to sales engineers in order to resolve problems in a short time.
Conclusion
Your packaging is your visual mouthpiece of your brand on store shelves and your manufacturer is your supply chain backbone.
The leaders of the industry such as Amcor are geared towards the large volume needs of the fortune 500 companies and suppliers such as Swiss pac offer effective solutions to the standardized stock needs. Baishen Pack fills this gap, making it a strategic partner to growing brands that need flexible packaging solutions customized. Baishen has combined the flexibility of digital printing with the affordability of gravure printing to provide a flexible, scalable solution to serve your business development.
Are you willing to get someone who will know about your specific needs? Baishen Pack is willing to support your growth should you desire to develop a long-term relationship that can grow according to your ambition.
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