Kindu Packing, with a subsidiary company of Kinhwa Plastic Industry Ltd., focuses on manufacturing plastic packaging containers for the beauty and health care sectors. We spoke to Mr. Li Weixiong to get an idea of what it takes to become a viable packaging supplier in the Asian region and learn a little about Kindu's plans for growth in the long term.

Mr. Li, what are Kindu's primary services and products?

We primarily produce cosmetic packaging of all sorts, including lipsticks, lip gloss concepts, mascara packaging, that sort of thing. We are also one of the regions most innovative designers, and we're incorporating a lot of smart packaging ideas into our items, from LED lighting to dual chambers, to pivoting brush heads on applicators. We also do full packaging concept design for brands, meaning we provide all the necessary engineering and technical services that a brand requires to take their product to market. That may include product structure design, mold making, assistance with decoration, or other services.

What would you say makes Kindu different from other companies in the space?

I think that would be our ability to adapt to the needs of the client. Sure, we can provide solid and dependable packaging solutions, but we excel at R&D and innovation. We have a score of patented products that are unique to our company, and we can pass on that expertise to the brands that work with us. Our quality control department is also top notch, we have a very low rate of error on runs and those number s are dropped even further after we've subjected what we manufacture to QC.

What role do you play at the firm?

Currently, I'm Kindu's CEO. Basically, I'm responsible for operating and leading the innovation team. I oversee production to a degree, but I leave the day to day to people that know what they're doing. I think that's one of the reasons we work so well. We trust each other as professionals to do what needs to be done, everyone contributes and everyone knows where they fit in. I set strategy, define overall goals, and set partnerships that are advantageous for us.

Where does Kindu operate?

I have a to travel quite a bit, actually. In the Asian region, we work with a number of major brands in Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Less frequently, I also travel further abroad to cement specific relationships with multinational firms in Italy, the United States, and Germany. Our client portfolio is expanding constantly. Currently, we're in the midst of a big push to become a more international supplier, especially in Europe and the USA. That means taking care of a lot of details that relate to regulations and trade that we didn't need to worry about when we were simply a local entity. We've gone through our growing pains, though, and we've gotten very good at ensuring our products are accessible from all over the world.

Could you name a few of your customers?

Sure, we work with brands like Burberry, Make Up Forever, Sephora, Marc Jacobs, The Body Shop, Beyu, Chambor - there are so many! We also supply a number of distributors and packaging specialist firms like Prima Pack, Intercos, Collcap, and others. 

How has Kindu changed since it opened its doors?

In the past 10 years, we went from a company that primarily produced packaging for the personal care sector to one that is more focused on the cosmetic space. Prior to 2008 we tended to focus on the production of skin care packaging. Then we transitioned to make up when we realized we could offer a lot more there. We had a lot of great ideas and we though we could offer concepts that were simply not found elsewhere. That led to a number of patents, as I mentioned, and we've enjoyed steady growth since.

Any plans apart from your existing international expansion?

We are in the process of automating the production system. We want to minimize risk, and having a high level of technical automation means we can produce more quickly with less errors.

What challenges does your firm currently face, in your opinion?

Market competition. It's pretty fierce. If you take our products out of context, they seem like most others, but when you start looking at production methods, quality control levels, materials used, the level of innovation of the individual items, and whole array of other factors, you quickly realize our solutions stand apart. Years ago, we built an R&D center where we not only develop new concepts, we also train new people so they can participate in the process, based on newly available features and applications.

Will you attend or visit any of the exhibitions this year?

Yes, we find they're great for meeting people face to face. Over what's left of 2016 and in 2017, we will attend a great many shows, in Hong Kong, and Italy, for example. We'll also participate in Düsseldorf and New York. Hope customers old and new will stop by and have a look at our new items.