Business North November 2021

| 15 The Trevelyan’s team are strong advocates of the lean manufacturing principles and of sustainability. Trevelyan’s Pack N Cool REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Perfectly located on the fertile volcanic soils of Pukekohe, Punch- bowl Packaging’s roots dig deep within the world of horticulture. Proudly family owned and operated with a history spanning 30 years, Punchbowl Packaging is part of a vertically integrated family of compa- nies, spanning everything from orchards to post-harvest facilities to horticultural packaging solutions. Placing the customer at the centre of its universe, Punchbowl Packaging conceptualises, designs, creates and sources packaging solutions from trusted manufacturers around the world, delivering solutions to its customers that differentiate their products on the world stage and market shelves. This was demonstrat- ed 18 months ago when Punchbowl Packaging won Australia and New Zealand Packaging Innovation & Design Awards and went on to win two WPO Worldstar awards. A strong advocate for the environ- ment and sustainability Punchbowl Packaging is striving down the recyclable and compostable path, supporting the ever-increasing need for the circular economy. “We work with our customers to help them find sustainable packaging solutions that add value to their businesses,” says Shane Craig, Punchbowl Packaging’s Managing Director. “I have a view that sustaina- bility isn’t just about the packaging materials. It’s also about how you manage to be sustainable as a business, to keep operating in challenging times and keep employing people.” With the massive demands on labour, particularly within New Zealand’s horticultural sector, the challenge for the team at Punchbowl Packaging was finding sustainable ways to keep the packhouses operat- ing efficiently. “Five years ago we sat down and said we have a range of packaging that’s cool but it’s quickly becoming commoditised. We asked how could we differentiate our offering and make it more valuable to our customers? Can we help to automate the packing process, so that when they buy the packaging they have the option to couple that with a piece of automation technology that will help make the process more efficient.” As well as sourcing off the shelf automation from different countries, over the last two years Punchbowl Packaging has developed its own bespoke in-house automation. Tested in its own Kiwifruit packing facilities, that automation has been added as a commercial offering to its customers. “We have a focus on trying to do things a little differently, trying to be customer centric and understanding our customers’ needs. We’re a very creative business and enjoy challeng- ing new ways of doing things and being challenged and I think that’s why we’ve been successful over the last few years with our drive for sustainability and automation.” Leading the way in packaging