Flint Group accelerates investement in Russian Packaging Market
August 19, 2020Flint Group has announced a series of key investment actions in its Russian packaging inks business to further extend support to customers in the region.
Doug Aldred, President Flint Group Packaging Inks, said: “As one of the largest
packaging markets in the world, Russia holds significant growth opportunities
for our business. We’re delighted to announce a series of strategic commitments
to the region to ensure our current and future customers are receiving best in
class product and service solutions.”
With a presence in the Russian market spanning more than 25 years, the company
has confirmed that a new packaging inks manufacturing site is currently under
construction, conveniently located south west of Moscow in the Kaluga region.
The site will become the base for the entire Russian Flint Group Packaging Inks
team, including laboratory facilities alongside technical and customer service
functions. It will also be supported by the Flint Group Global Colour Centre
(GCC) and Flint Group Global Innovation Centre (GIC), located in Poland and
Sweden respectively, which provide 24/7 colour and technical support to the
company’s customers in Russia and the Eastern European region.
Andrei Popov, Commercial Director Packaging Inks Russia/CIS at Flint Group,
commented: “Despite the challenges of today’s COVID-19 pandemic, we can confirm
that the new Kaluga region site will be operational early in 2022. Operating
within such a vast country, the strategic location of the site offers us
tremendous advantages in supply flexibility and lead times, which are
especially important in today’s packaging market where fast response is
critical for our, and our customers’, competitiveness.
“We are wholly focused on being the partner of choice for those operating in
the paper & board and flexible packaging markets. This strategic investment
boosts our commitment to supply chain excellence and reliability for our
customers within the region.”
The new site will manufacture the latest water and solvent-based ink ranges for
the paper & board and flexible packaging sectors and will deliver a number
of new, sustainable ink ranges that are key to future-proofing Flint Group
customers’ businesses. The new facility will provide laboratory testing,
quality control, customer and technical service expertise in addition to a
larger, state of the art, manufacturing footprint. This facility will replace
the existing site in Moscow; Flint Group Packaging Inks’ satellite facility in
St. Petersburg will remain operational.
Customers in the region will benefit from the robust logistics set-up that
Flint Group Packaging Inks has established that enables customers across Russia
to receive a high level of service regardless of location. Even when
considering such a vast expanse, by leveraging the expertise of Flint Group’s
Procurement teams and sustainable supplier model, orders for standard products
can be fulfilled within convenient lead times and terms. Furthermore, customers
will see additional value from stock flexibility.
Mr. Popov concluded: “We have a team with a wealth of industry experience here
in Moscow and to complement the operations of the new site, we are further
investing in our people across the region to enhance our technical and
commercial customer support. With a series of new product innovations coming to
market during 2020 and 2021,