KIRKCALDY-based end-of-line packaging solutions provider Kwikpac has its sights set on further growth following significant investment in machinery and products as well as undertaking a major rebranding exercise.
In the previous issue of Packaging Scotland, we reported that the firm has created a new logo and website to mark 30 years in business. KwikStrap strapping and equipment, KwikFilm stretch film & machinery, KwikTape adhesive tapes, and Kwikpac eco-friendly packaging have been established as distinct offerings within the business, which works with a variety of sectors from construction and manufacturing to food/drink and pharmaceutical.
Packaging Scotland recently sat down with marketing director Allan Harmer and marketing manager Laura Mackay to find out more about the company’s growth trajectory.
The Kwikpac story began in 1993 when the Harmer family relocated from Doncaster to Fife and started a small business after acquiring some stock. The first premises comprised a small base in Dysart and, after many years of steady growth, Kwikpac relocated to its current purpose-built facility in Randolph Industrial Estate, Kirkcaldy, in 2008. Four years later, the building next door was acquired to satisfy the need for more capacity, and a further extension was added two years ago.
A major milestone occurred in 2021 when Kwikpac acquired Sheffield-based Paktech Services, meaning the firm can now offer strapping tool servicing, installations, training, replacement parts, strapping machine and pallet wrapper installations and repairs.
To highlight the durability of its products, Kwikpac sent a bottle of whisky into space, which returned undamaged thanks to a range of protective packaging products including foam and strapping!
One recent area of considerable growth for the company, which has over 30 direct employees, has been in online sales.
Laura explained, “We launched a new website in 2018. Before that, we had no online sales presence. It’s had a huge impact. Whether people order online or come directly to us (after initially viewing the products on the website), business has boomed since then.”
The website lists details of a wide array of products – from steel and polypropylene strapping, pallet wrap hand film and shrink wrap, all the way through to eco-packaging, cardboard boxes, bags/sacks, protective paper, and high-performance tape. On the machinery side, strapping, pallet wrapping, case taping, lifting/handling, and paper cushioning and void fill packaging machines are supplied.
“We’ve installed a lot of machinery to increase productivity and efficiencies in large bottling plants, food processing manufacturers, the timber industry, and brick and block and roof tile manufacturers in the construction industry – both wrapping and strapping machines,” Allan explained. “We’ve also put a lot of machines into the steel industry to increase speed of production. That’s why our backup engineers are so important because if there’s downtime in these places, it costs them a lot of time and money.”
Versatility and providing a large range of products has been key to Kwikpac’s success over the years. If one sector is quiet, that will likely be offset by a boom somewhere else. Even during the pandemic, the business continued to grow due to its work in key sectors including food and medical.
One area Kwikpac strives to stand out in is sustainability, with its ethos of ‘save more, waste less’.
“Our high-performance stretch film will perform better so you reduce the amount of film used,” Laura stated. “It’s good for the environment. Same for strapping – we have products made from recycled products and they’re recyclable too.
“We have various accreditations, including EcoVadis and SafeContractor. We think that’s very important to be assessed externally to keep improving.”
One way in which Kwikpac helps customers on their own sustainability journeys is by offering a bespoke packaging audit.
Allan explained, “We have a machine film specialist who’ll go in and demonstrate how much saving can be made by reducing film thickness and using our high-performance films. The benefits to the end user are phenomenal. They’re saving on waste, saving on time, saving on efficiencies, and saving on value as well. So, it’s a win-win situation all round. We have that expertise, which is really setting us apart from the competition.”
Allan added that there is ‘hardly a product now’ that Kwikpac stocks which would trigger any payments under the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax relating to recycled content.
The launch of Kwikpac’s new branding was celebrated during a staff away day event in Edinburgh earlier this summer. The aim of the branding is to reflect the company’s ‘solutions provider’ approach and modernise the brands and website following the development of new products.
“We’re steadily growing, and the rebrand of our website, including our new strapping, wrapping and packaging brands is already increasing our visibility and elevating our position as a leading UK packaging solutions provider,” Allan stated.
The latest innovations include Grip Film, described as a self-gripping film system that utilises a dispenser to provide safety benefits for users and is suitable for all commercial pallet applications. You can wrap the pallet more quickly and save more film because the company’s Kwikfilm has a superior yield.
Another popular innovation has been Kwikpac’s Dunnage air bag system, which guarantees secure loads during transportation. The drinks industry, in particular, use this product as a void filler in shipping containers.
“We’re innovating all the time to make things safer, more efficient and sustainable,” Allan said.
“A lot of our customers are looking for an end-of-line solution. They’ve got a product coming through their manufacturing line and want to know how to pack it quickly and cost effectively. That’s where we come in. We can assess the situation and design the correct machinery for their packing line.”
Looking to the future, Laura believes the increasing prevalence of online business will present huge opportunities for Kwikpac. “We do supply a variety of different products – mostly strapping and wrapping; we do also provide a range of different protective packaging,” she explained.
Allan believes many of the opportunities for growth will relate to the machinery and product innovation side of the business.
“We offer the whole end-of-line packaging operation, which is a huge benefit to every customer,” he said. “And they value that. Because we’re servicing, we get the opportunity to provide the next machine if they need an additional machine or need to replace it once it gets to the end of its life. And there’s a lot of machines out there getting to the end of their lives. The machinery is bespoke because we build to whatever the customer is looking for.”
