Category: News

Interview of Paolo Schreiber
General manager of Agrosyn SARL

 

Can you introduce yourself and the business of your company? 

Hello I am Paolo Schreiber the general manager of Agrosyn SARL, founded in 1999 by my father and 3 other partners to operate in the Agrochemicals markets. In 2002 I joined the company with the objective of developing sales in the packaging sector. This has been a winning strategy because over the years this  sector has continued to decline while the main sector today has remained the packaging .

 

What size does Tournaire take in your activity? 

As already explained before, the activity with TOURNAIRE has not stopped evolving and has become fundamental. It now represents 90% of our turnover.

 

What is the typology of your customers? 

The typology of our customers is divided into several markets insofar as TOURNAIRE bottles cover several areas of use. The most important is certainly the  perfumery sector , followed by the food ingredients sector without forgetting the  pharmaceutical sector , the chemical industry as solvents – and other “niche” markets.

 

What type of orders do you receive most regularly? 

At the beginning, the most frequent requests are mainly related to the product characteristics and prices. Then to finalize sales, it is often necessary to have more technical documentation;  another characteristic very appreciated by customers is to have the ability to deliver quickly with flexibility.

 

How is the packaging market developing in your area and in particular the packaging made of aluminum? 

Packaging is no longer only intended as before to contain a product, but today it must also be able to protect the content and enhance it on the market. As a result, customers have become more and more demanding about the characteristics of the packaging and we must pay attention at any time to satisfy them.

 

Is the regulation different? How does it evolve? 

In Italy, of course, we follow European rules such as GMP and ISO, but for certain sectors such as the food industry,we have a tradition of specific legislation which obliges the customer to always choose the products that best suit his objectives.

 

Are there any new materials that use aluminum packaging? 

There are specific materials that require aluminum packaging, traditionally the pharmaceutical market , but also more recently other strategic products from the electronics industry.

 

What are the latest developments in terms of environment and packaging? 

The environmental theme has become more and more important also in the packaging sector and recently we have more and more questions about this subject, especially with regard to recyclability at the end of life. For us it is increasingly important to be able to meet these demands in the future.

Interview of Benoît Ramet

Vice President Sales Marketing at Elemental Container

 

Can you introduce yourself and the activity of Elemental Container?

Sure, my name is Benoît Ramet, I’m with Elemental Container, I’m the vice president of sales and marketing and we are the subsidiary of Tournaire SA in North america.

 

How does the aluminum packaging market evolve in the USA?

So like in the US like in many other industrial countries aluminum benefits from a great trend in general as we see more and more company intending to move away from plastic, for instance, to go toward aluminum. Aluminum can be recycled indefinitely and it’s very important to do so and to take advantage of that.

 

What is the typical profil of your client companies?

So we have a very diverse group of customers, they could be for natural products in flavour and fragrance, could be for vitamins, but it also could be for analytical solvents, so the profils are really people that wants to protect there products and aluminum offers great benefits: It’s a prefect barrier to gas moisture and light and its important to realise that it’s an option, and its also extremly light so I would really encourage people to take advantage of those criterias and caracteristics.

 

What are the most frequently asked questions?

So the most frequent request for us is, as we are distributers and have no manufacturing in North America, therefor it’s having the products available. It’s of course all the technical questions but in the end, especially in this environment, what is more important is to have the product available in quantity and quality. So that have been our focus since the beginning of covid unfortunatly, and it’s our every day concerne.

 

What advice could you give to a client thinking of the best type of packaging for his futur product?

When a customer looks for packaging, I would say that they should not only look at the price. It’s very easy to compare prices of different material and just pick the cheapest one. The cheapest one, is not going to be the best strategy if you start loosing the product or the integrity of the product. You work very hard to create the best product out there make sure the extra dollar is going to protect it all the way to your customers and that your customers will be satisfied. Being a little cheap up front might not be the best solution. Give a chance, take the time to do your studies and also to test different packaging and I think, at the end of the day, you’ll see the benefits.

Interview of Letizia Geraci
Sales assistant at Tournaire

Can you introduce yourself and your job ?

My name is Letizia Geraci and I have been working for Tournaire for 1 year. I am a sales assistant, in other words, I am in charge of customers. I am based on the plastics site which is located in Chalons sur Saone.

Why did you choose this job ?

I chose this job because it corresponds well to my taste for customer relations, I like to be close to customers to meet their needs. This job allows me to speak foreign languages for which I have an aptitude.

Why work at Tournaire ?

After having worked for large groups, I decided to join Tournaire, which is a human company, and which has a strong international presence. This company has a long history, which proves its durability.

How is your role important for the commercial management ?

My role is the point of entry between the customers and Tournaire, this proximity is the gateway between the customers and Tournaire, it allows me to answer the different questions as well as possible. We try to provide the most relevant solutions to our customers’ different needs.

What is your assessment after 1 year at Tournaire ?

Tournaire is a family business where you are easily integrated, the environment is benevolent and friendly. The outcome is positive because I have a role that corresponds to my expectations.

 

Goods are currently subject to increasingly stringent logistical constraints due to a context of international competition and the need for flexibility during transport. Multimodal transport, repeated loading and unloading, interim storage… all of these are so many occasions when a product might be damaged on its journey from manufacturer to user. Outer packaging and transit packaging are a key link in this chain: let’s see how Tournaire can not only help you protect your product but also its sales packaging.

 The role and type of packaging

Transported merchandise is subject to many types of constraint:

Mechanical: risk of crushing when stacking containers, collisions between products/packaging/outer packaging or with cargo handling equipment, friction, exposure to big differences in pressure (changes in altitude, non-pressurized cargo holds for air transport)

• Environmental: exposure to temperatures between -10 and +40 °C on intercontinental journeys, high levels of humidity, exposure to UV rays,
• Pollution of various types: dust, fine particles, insects, acid rain, humidity, etc.

That is why packaging is crucial for protection. Primary, secondary and even tertiary packaging solutions should be studied and optimized to guarantee maximum protection while generating minimum waste, in accordance with European Directive 94/62/CE relating to packaging and packaging waste and its more recent updates, which are even more stringent.

Primary packaging, generally the sales packaging, is in direct contact with the product. It is the product’s first layer of protection and is the smallest item of packaging in use.

Secondary packaging, or outer packaging, is used to group products together. It is an orderly arrangement of primary packaging units for the purposes of larger scale distribution and protection. It should also offer a way of achieving optimal stacking, and its surface should be such that a multiple of it fits into a transit packaging unit. Most often, it is comprised of boxes or lugs.

Tertiary or transit packaging is designed to facilitate the handling and transport of secondary packaging. The aim is to limit handling and damage linked to transit. Most often, it takes the shape of pallets, stacks of pallets or large boxes. Containers used for road, rail, maritime and air travel are not considered to be tertiary packaging.

Depending on the size and nature of the packaged product, there may be even more layers of packaging. Conversely, for bulk industrial products, a pallet crate and an IBC may be sufficient.

 

Protection adapted to each level 

There are many protection solutions which will be chosen depending on the product to protect, the type of packaging, and constraints relating to the usage or logistical chain.

A variety of materials are used: metal, cardboard, plastic (polyethylene, polypropylene, PET, polystyrene, polyurethane, etc.), wood, etc. The choice is based on compatibility with the product or association with the primary packaging, the nature of the protection required, the appearance or identification sought, the packaging and unpacking environment and other elements related to the sale or use of the product and its packaging.

Implementation technologies may be more or less complex: press-forming, folding, cutting, welding, injection, moulding, extrusion, blow-moulding, weaving, etc. They may require changes to the packaging line.

Finally, there are different levels of protection adapted or not to each type of packaging: primary, secondary and tertiary, as mentioned above.

Unitary protection involves separating / isolating / protecting products, sometimes sorting primary packaging units individually. Each element is individually protected by pre-shaped foam, a cardboard tray, a thermoformed tray, a brace, a perforated sleeve, an air cushion, etc.

Group protection involves protecting a limited number of packages using cardboard or plastic trays, loads (or rolls), shrink-wrapping or boxes. Often adapted for secondary packaging.

Finally, the overall protection for the transit packaging, often a full pallet, may be provided by adding reinforcements made from cardboard or wood, air cushions, or protective film.

All of these solutions must be considered in the product’s overall manufacturing, transport and usage chain to anticipate, at the earliest possible stage, both the complexity and the cost of implementing them at a production and logistical level. This type of planning is also required to understand how clients will use and reprocess packaging (ease of opening, safety when handling, waste management, etc.).

 

Tournaire protects your sales packaging

As a supplier of primary packaging for sensitive products, Tournaire is especially conscious of all of these issues. The company strives to continuously improve the quality of its protection and packaging, in collaboration with its distribution partners and clients, in order to deliver the best possible service for clients.

We currently offer several levels of protection adapted to:

• the type of packaging
• the logistical chain
• our clients’ usage and packaging constraints
• requirements

Unitary protection: the highest level of protection

Here are some examples of recent solutions. Please contact Tournaire if you are interested in any of them or to study the development of a solution specially tailored to your product and its use

• thermoformed polypropylene trays designed to hold each can individually, an ideal solution for small cans, combining grouping and unitary protection.
• cardboard partitions placed between our cans to separate them one by one, protect them from collisions and especially friction caused by transport.
• cardboard “honeycomb” panels which offer individual protection and offer excellent rigidity to each layer – an ideal solution for more voluminous cans.

For group protection, or outer packaging, there are four secondary solutions:

• Cardboard or polypropylene trays
• Polyethylene shrink-wrapped groups of cans,
• Trays protected by shrink-wrap,
• Boxes

These offer both mechanical protection and insulation from external pollution encountered by goods in transit while providing an optimal solution for organizing primary packaging. They also offer axial rigidity for pallet load wrapping.

The thickness of the boxes, the height of the trays and the qualities of the PE shrink wrap and PP trays are chosen to offer maximum protection to cans and bottles.

Finally, our tertiary packaging involves stacking secondary packaging on palettes. These can be made of wood or plastic, and the entire pallet is secured with shrink-wrap. This stage is designed to make handling easier as well as adding the final layer of protection against pollution and mechanical protection for our products. Indeed, depending on the specifications of the cans, the heights of intermediary cardboard trays have been optimized to offer maximum protection to all our cans in the pallet loading configuration. Furthermore, Tournaire is currently working on an operational solution to offer an even higher level of mechanical protection to our pallets.

Thanks to initiatives to continuously improve our offer and close collaboration with clients and partners, Tournaire is delighted to note that the number of damaged products in its cans during transport and related customer complaints have been diminishing sharply for several years (-64% over four years).

Tournaire is there for you at every stage in your packaging usage line, particularly during the logistical phase: please contact us for a tailored protection solution for your containers of choice.

The packaging, no matter how good it is, if it does not arrive on time and in good condition, can threaten the entire manufacturing value chain. In the current circumstances – see article on packaging in times of crisis – special attention must be paid to the supply chains of packaging suppliers. Tournaire, as a supplier of primary packaging, has always adapted its internal and external supply chains to the specific needs of its customers.

PACKAGING LOGISTICS? A SPECIFIC AND MAJOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ACTIVITY

Sometimes fragile (glass), often bulky (hollow objects), primary packaging requires special attention for transportation. It generates major flows that are sensitive to the severe mechanical stress caused in particular during multimodal transport. Choosing the right external logistics partners and putting in place the right internal organisation to meet the customer’s expectations are the key success factors for a faultless service. The medium-term visibility for customers is often hit and miss and their needs are constantly changing: optimisation of their flows, storage costs and inventory management, lack of space at the production sites, especially for empty packaging, optimisation of inventory costs, lean or just-in-time organisations, protection of the packaging itself, etc.

 

HOW TO RESPOND EFFECTIVELY TO CHANGES IN LOGISTICS REQUIREMENTS?

The organisation of the distribution network is a key factor in a successful global supply chain. The ideal service level is often linked to the proximity of a close, dedicated partner, who can respond within a few hours or days to urgent or unforeseen needs. Furthermore, the possibility of reserving load capacity in case of a shortage of available transport has become an undeniable advantage for an optimal level of service. This has recently been underscored by the shortages of containers due to the Covid-19 crisis, Brexit and the incident in the Suez Canal. The effective coverage of the markets by this sort of partner is a major driver of success. This is especially true for medium-sized volumes and average frequency orders for standardised articles. This responsiveness comes at a price, justified by the service provided and the savings made on storage and management.

For larger or more personalised flows, a direct link with the producer of the packaging is often the best answer. In this case, the entire service depends on the packaging supplier and particularly on its knowledge of the manufacturer’s or packer’s logistics needs and its organisation’s ability to anticipate and manage the requirements.

 

THE CRITERIA OF EXCELLENCE OF SUPPLY CHAIN ORGANISATION

The organisation of logistics is intimately linked to, or sometimes even integrated into the industrial organisation and one cannot be effective without the other. The commercial structure, upstream and downstream, is also a vital part of the chain. It helps to anticipate customer needs and therefore organise industrial and logistical flows. The quality and the integration of commercial, industrial and logistics management software also constitutes an essential platform for successful interaction between different entities. If the customer is listened to and the right amount of creativity and responsiveness is applied, then high-performance and varied tools and services can be provided. These supply chain tools can take many forms: dynamic inventory management, retail store, consignment stocks, just-in-time flows, truck deliveries at set times, delivery slots included in the customer’s schedule, fixed buffer stocks available on demand and many other tools. The stronger the coordination between the two partners, the greater the benefits provided by all these solutions. This is achieved thanks to a clear and detailed set of specifications combined with the agile and effective organisation of the packaging supplier.

 

TOURNAIRE IS AT YOUR SERVICE TO PROVIDE A MADE-TO-MEASURE LOGISTICS SERVICE

With nearly 200 years of experience serving a wide range of sectors, including 70% for export, Tournaire brings you logistics services to meet your needs thanks to:

• its global distribution network with over 35 partners near your factory
• its industrial and logistics firepower
• its attentive sales force
• the careful selection of its hauliers and transit agents.

A long history connects Tournaire to the perfume, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. These industries have different practices and seasonalities. This has enabled Tournaire to implement original logistics solutions over time, such as a retail store for local customers, but also dynamic stock management for standard products. These tools are available to customers to enable almost immediate deliveries of major standard articles. This involves moving thousands of pallets every year and more or less ‘lean’ management. With several hundred standard packaged articles, it is a constant challenge. The rapid availability of the standard Tournaire range is a guarantee of success for its sales network, and even more so for its customers whose seasonality and urgency of needs are not always predictable.

For customers with specific articles or who have greater volumes, consignment stocks can be arranged. Tournaire also proposes, where relevant, a nearby buffer stock. The Fragnes site is specialised in the production of multi-layer expanded packaging. This major entity within the Tournaire Group has developed close relationships with its main customers who can benefit from just-in-time deliveries (48 hours), or even the inclusion of set delivery times in a dedicated logistics interface.

All of these services have only been made possible by a clear understanding of the customers’ needs and the logistics service providers’ ability to rapidly respond to them. These best practices result in effective services, all the more so given that they require the partners to comply with a demanding set of requirements over the long-term, guaranteeing the protection of the primary packaging. The Tournaire quality system is ISO 9001 certified: making it possible to control and adapt the performance of every link in the logistics chain.

Another major link in the effectiveness of the logistics chain is provided by the ERP management system. For example, at Tournaire every article sold is identified by a barcode. The code, linked to its place in the stock – also managed by a barcode – not only makes it possible to ensure First In – First Out (FIFO) stock management, but also to optimise storage capacity and speed of loading and helps to monitor the traceability of the products.

These few examples of tailored logistics organisations show just how much Tournaire takes the satisfaction of its customers seriously, as much for the performance of the packaging delivered, as for the quality of service provided. Do not hesitate to contact your usual sales representative so that we can build a solution to meet your packaging logistics needs together.