For PackSynergy CEO Thomas A. Baur, throughout the pandemic period and in the challenging market environment that still persists today, the association has shown itself more than ever to be a strong organization that brings benefits for members, suppliers and customers. “We remain strongly committed to our growth path of the last few years, with particular emphasis on the Italian and French markets as well as on Romania and Hungary”, he comments. The packaging network currently turns over around 500 million euros but as yet has no members explicitly representing it in those countries.
“We’re looking forward to the chance to hold talks with a lot of interested parties from trade and industry at Fachpack. Trading companies who opt to become PackSynergy members can supplement their own activities in the areas of purchasing, knowledge management, sustainability and marketing freely, independently and specifically. That way, they can achieve significant benefits and competitive advantages in the long term”, Baur explains.
All interested parties are invited by the CEO to “exchange knowledge of specific relevance for sales, purchasing and management in a candid and targeted manner with 21 leading fellow players in the European packaging industry”. A trade fair like Fachpack is the ideal forum for prospective partners to obtain first-hand information about the network in a confidential conversation with the PackSynergy management and representatives of its members, and to get a feel for the organization’s vitality and multiple benefits.
According to Baur, the tangible competitive advantages are not restricted to the European sales platform and the substantial purchasing benefits; they specifically also include interaction within the network. “The transfer of know-how, further training and joint development work are high on the list of priorities at PackSynergy. Our Learning Academy provides opportunities for information and training in the form of best-practice examples, hands-on workshops and info sessions. We also seek the involvement of our suppliers and external specialists here. There are regular market calls and expert panels on current trends and developments as well as special task forces to come up with new solutions. This holistic team approach adds extraordinary, and thoroughly appreciated, value for our network partners”, says Baur.
Focus on sustainability
In addition to systematically expanding the network, PackSynergy is focusing strongly in 2022 on the use of sustainable products and solutions. Against this background, the association will be showing a range of selected products from its group suppliers at the Fachpack stand. The Group also launched the PEAS (PackSynergy Environmental Assessment Scoring) project earlier this year, and first insights will be offered at the upcoming fair.
“The idea behind PEAS is to provide our partners with a tool that enables the growing number of sustainable products to be objectively assessed and is suitable for use in day-to-day business. Material efficiency and recycling are central aspects of PEAS. The aim is to reduce the use of materials and keep them in circulation for as long as possible”, Baur reports. According to the PackSynergy CEO, wholesalers in particular are called upon to play an increasingly key role when it comes to materials expertise in the context of the sustainability debate. And it’s here that PEAS should begin.
“We’re aware that we’re still a long way from reaching our goal. But we’re convinced that our initiative will open up a good, important and constructive path for our suppliers and partners and their customers”, Baur asserts.
Synergies with PackSynergy
Looking ahead to three intensive days at the fair, the PackSynergy CEO is confident that the “many direct sales and purchasing contacts our members establish at the stand will pay off”. After all, it’s the dynamism and purpose of PackSynergy members in their respective markets that have made the association so successful. “By creating the synergies, we magnify those effects”, Baur claims, referring to a recently published study by Horváth, the management consultancy, on the packaging industry in 2025. Amongst other things, this study draws attention to sustainability, digitalization, commoditization and pressure on margins as areas for action. Thomas A. Baur is in no doubt: “These are areas where our group synergies can generate clear benefits for individual members”.