With its R&D activities, innovation power, machinery and technology support from Ultrapak, Netpak is one of the 5 biggest players in the reusable shopping bags market in the world. Netpak, which steers the reusable bag industry technologically, will grow even more with the digitalization works and new markets that are in the process of being completed.
Netpak, which left 40 years behind in the PACKAGING industry, followed the trends in the world in the early 2000s and started to search for alternatives to disposable or non-recyclable products and started to produce environmentally friendly packaging in 2005. Netpak, which carries the nonwoven fabric to the automation production lines with ultrasonic welding, enabled the 100% recyclable and reusable nonwoven technical fabric to find a place in the packaging industry.
“From the first automation production that created a global economic impact on the industry, our goal has been to continue this innovation and expand its usage area.” Netpak Board Member Özgür Avcı stated that they currently have 52 patents and utility models, thanks to the R&D studies they have initiated in line with this goal, and that this innovative process is accelerating.
Pointing out that Netpak makes a difference by producing and developing the technologies and machines used to produce environmentally friendly products within its own structure, Özgür Avcı said, "Netpak has started to produce technology in national and international markets with the technology company Ultrapak, which he founded in 2017." He shared his knowledge and answered our questions.
CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT NETPAK'S PRODUCT PORTFOLIO AND SECTORAL POSITION?
Netpak specializes in carrying bags produced with automation from Polypropylene (PP) raw material and Nonwoven and Woven fabrics. Our products are used in retail, food services, the apparel industry and wherever life is on the move. Today, our bags add value to life and our country in environmentally friendly markets and stores of 40 countries around the world. Our country is the second largest producer in Europe in the plastics industry. The basic condition for capturing a more value-added market in carrying bags beyond this position is the creation and introduction of technology by us. Shopping bags produced in the Far East by hand sewing method have become widespread all over the world and our country does not get enough share from this market. As a result of its technology-focused investments, Netpak has steered the world's companies that produce carry-on bags with automation systems and has become one of the largest in the world in this regard. While Turkey's general export kilogram value is $1.37, the average export kilogram value of the packaging industry is approximately $2; With our value-added products, our average export value is around $ 3.5. We are striving to bring this value to our country with all our technical and marketing infrastructure in order for our country to become the world leader in the recycled bag sector.
Collecting awards with its innovative products
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF R&D AND INNOVATION AND NEW PRODUCTS AND PROJECTS FOR NETPAK?
As a company that has positioned innovation at the center of our existence, the subject we enjoy talking about the most is that the products produced with the technologies we have developed have now found a place in our lives. With the infrastructure provided by having a serious experience in the sector, we are able to offer products that can meet the demands of the sector with our R&D power at the right cost. While efforts are being made to reduce the use of disposable products all over the world; 'Pratik Market Bag', our newly developed reusable product that reduces the carbon footprint, 'Packaging Crescents' awarded by the Packaging Manufacturers Association (ASD), 'Asia Star' and 'Asia Star' awarded by the Asian Packaging Federation (APF) and World Packaging Organization ( WPO) was awarded the World Star awards. Our company has received over 40 awards.
It will expand its market with different geographies and new products
HOW ARE NETPAK'S TARGETS FOR 2021 AT NATIONAL AND GLOBAL LEVEL?
Significant growth is expected in the reusable shopping bags market during the 2021-2027 forecast period. The increasing interest of individuals in this sector is the biggest reason for the development of this market. Considered one of the most important players in this market, Netpak has been prioritized by multiple independent research institutions in the world for its innovation power within the scope of upcoming technologies in the market, R&D activities and product launches. Within the framework of these evaluations, in the emerging market; Combined with our strategies and in-depth knowledge in the geographical and business segments, we are one of the top five companies to be mentioned on a global scale. We are in the position of technologically directing the other four companies that are large and expected to grow. Being aware of our strong infrastructure in this newly developing sector, we will focus on new products to emerging markets and market expansion in unused geographies. With the support of our significant technological power in global cost analysis, we will concentrate on our market by optimizing production expenses, labor and raw material costs. Expanding our export network, which reaches today from East Timor to Sweden, where we are the market leader, and from Lapland to continental America, will be the greatest value we will bring to Turkey. By re-examining our supply chain, downstream buyers and sourcing strategies with our expanded export department, we will strengthen our market position by using factors such as target customer and brand strategy more effectively in our sales channel.
Ready for digital and sustainable market conditions
CAN YOU GIVE INFORMATION ABOUT NETPAK'S SUSTAINABLE VALUE CREATION AND DIGITALIZATION WORKS?
The process we are in has enabled human beings to gain a detailed analytical view on the environment. By re-determining its needs, the sector discovered the problem areas and as a result started changes in its strategic packaging. Environmentally friendly approach will be the driving force for sustainable value creators like us. We must turn trends into opportunities for our world. Trends that will cause the market to change will require a flexible evaluation of marketing strategies and industry analysis. At this point, we have been investing for a long time in our infrastructure that will manage the process digitally, from field to production, from traceable delivery to customer returns. We are very close to catching Industry 4.0 processes in our production. We have finished our resource planning program and we continue to work on data binding for full cycle use. When our software infrastructure is finished, we will strengthen our global position and talk about production facilities where physical geography has lost its importance for us. In 2015, world leaders agreed on 17 global goals to achieve three key missions by 2030. Ending extreme poverty, combating inequality and injustice, and correcting climate change for sustainable development, which includes all of these... While this process is being completed, all people need to know the goals and fulfill their responsibilities. Netpak will continue to work for 12 goals in its task.
Ultrapak develops innovative machines for eco-friendly bag production
MR. ALI AVCI, AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF NETPAK, CAN WE LISTEN ABOUT ULTRAPAK AND ITS WORKS FROM YOU, AS BOTH YOUR PARTNER AND YOUR SOLUTION PARTNER?
The world packaging industry market is 670 billion dollars. The sector is growing at an average of 3 percent per year. 41% of the market is plastic, 31% is paper and cardboard, 15% is metal and 7% is glass packaging. Environmentally friendly product production and use regulations, recycling obligations, and cheap product sales have made R&D activities widespread in our country as well as in the world. The packaging industry is expected to grow about 10 times more. In this growth, the fact that all machines are purchased from abroad and there are only distributor companies in our country cause foreign exchange loss. With its 40 years of experience, Ultrapak Makine is the sister company of Netpak, which is shown as a pioneer in its sector in Turkey and one of the top five companies to grow in the world. Founded in 2017 as one of Netpak's subsidiaries, Ultrapak continues its activities by building the company philosophy gained from Netpak on continuous development and innovation. Ultrapak carries out studies to systematize and institutionalize its R&D processes in line with the machines it has developed and its past knowledge. Ultrapak, which takes part in Netpak's environmentally friendly bag production process with the support of technology and machinery, contributes to reducing Turkey's current account deficit, increasing its exports, and becoming a technology exporting country, not a machinery importer, by developing domestic and national technologies while doing these studies. Ultrapak, which set out with the goal of producing a carrying bag for non-woven fabric using the ultrasonic welding system, produced Turkey's first domestic nonwoven carrying bag cutting machine. Developing this technology in line with the needs, Ultrapak continues its efforts as an R&D focused company with the aim of designing innovative machines and presenting them to the world market.
Netpak will further advance its strong position with digitalization -
innovation and new markets.12.08.2021