Company Report: Detmold Packaging Group

You know those Big Macs from McDonald’s that you love? How about those footlongs from Subway? Or maybe you’re more of a coffee person and prefer a fancy blend from Starbucks? Well, if you’re in Europe, South Africa, Australia or the Pacific Islands, the containers your favorite snacks come in are likely manufactured by The Detmold Packaging Group.

The Detmold Packaging Group specializes in the conversion of paper- and board-based products for a diverse range of clients in Australia and throughout the world. Along with fast food containers and coffee cups, The Detmold Packaging Group also produces wrapping paper, shopping bags for retail stores, and retail food packaging for products sold in grocery stores.

The Detmold Packaging Group recently purchased several new pieces of equipment for its plants in South Africa, Indonesia and China but, due to the global economic crisis, its emphasis is mainly on maintaining stability. Though remaining sustainable is of chief importance at this time, The Detmold Packaging Group does have its eyes on possible markets in India, where it’s been approached to supply food packaging for Subway; and on the Middle East and Vietnam.

COMPANY HISTORY

The Detmold Packaging Group was founded in 1948 in Adelaide, SA, by Colin Detmold and was initially named the C.P. Detmold Pty. Ltd. By 1951, Detmold’s paper converting factory began operating, turning out products such as toilet paper rolls and wrapping paper.

It didn’t take long for The Detmold Packaging Group to outgrow its factory. By 1956, it had built a new one and its employee level was up to 16. Ten years later the company decided to branch out and sell its products outside of the South Australian sphere, opening an office in Melbourne.

Growth was steady throughout 1970, when the business relocated again to Brompton, SA. Nearly 40 years later, the Brompton location is still the head office of The Detmold Packaging Group.

By 1985, the company expanded to Southeast Asia, opening a sales office and manufacturing plant in Singapore. The Detmold Packaging Group began servicing the fast food industry in the region, providing McDonald’s Asia with bags and burger wrappers.

In the past decade, The Detmold Packaging Group has experienced rapid growth and geographic expansion, most recently into Europe and North America.

PASSION FOR PAPER

The Detmold Packaging Group has roughly 1,650 employees and generates an annual AUS $360 million in revenue. The company has an interpersonal development program and has instituted strategies to attract talented, qualified employees. Staff of The Detmold Packaging Group are given great benefits, including the opportunity to work worldwide.

In all, The Detmold Packaging Group is comprised of six small companies: Detmold Industrial, Detpak, Detpak Engineering, D and D, Paper-Pak and Detmold Flexibles.

This means from hot and cold drink cups, high-end retail bags, burger wraps and paper to film-based rewind for the pharmaceutical and FMCG markets, and bags and pouches and buckets for food, The Detmold Packaging Group has its clients covered.

The company places a particularly large emphasis on quality.

“We are committed to quality in every aspect of our operations,” states the corporate website. “This commitment extends not only to what happens in our organization, but also to the many partner companies that supply goods and services to us throughout the world.”

“Service to our customers is equally critical,” the company continues. “We are committed to ensuring that we meet and, if possible, exceed the expectations and needs of our customers. Our customers are the reason why we exist.”

Being an industry leader, The Detmold Packaging Group also feels the need to set a strong, responsible example for other such companies, naming - among other things - the future health of the planet as a major priority.

“The Detmold Packaging Group is a responsible leader in our industry and the communities in which we operate,” says the company’s 2008 annual report. “We demonstrate our commitment through the actions that we all take, rather than just what we say.”

Its report goes on to say, “We have a passion for paper and we believe that we all benefit from its attributes. We partner with people who value innovation and quality and who are prepared to shoulder their responsibility for the environment. We champion paper as the preferred packaging medium because, in our view, it is the most responsible resource to use for this purpose.”

SUSTAINABLE, RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS

Sustainability and environmental responsibility is likely to remain at the forefront for The Detmold Packing Group, as the economy remains unstable and as the demand for green living grows increasingly more fervent.

“We invest in local communities and our recruitment process and business strategies assure long-term benefits to employees, their families and the communities in which they live,” says their annual report. “To our owners and investors, we provide the certainty and longevity that comes from sustainable and responsible business.

“The Detmold Packaging Group will actively support all of its customers with their programs to use environmentally-friendly packaging. This will be carried out by developing new processes and introducing the use of new materials in the manufacture and distribution of the package,” states the company.

The Detmold Packaging Group will also control its own manufacturing sites by continuing to reduce the consumption of harmful substances and by reducing the production of process waste. Through this approach, the company aims “to ensure that it has minimal impact on its communities and environment.”

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