Denmark’s oldest producer of caps and closures for bottles and tubes is under new management with fresh ideas and the will to take the company in new directions.  Hundreds of heavy injection moulds need to be put back in service, working for new business partners in order to transform the company into nothing but a highly specialized supplier of lids, caps, bottles and pumps to the Scandinavian market.

The excitement over packaging is nearly tangible when entering the facilities of Scandinavian Packaging, formerly known separately as Bøjco and Eraco.  In the same location where Verner Pantons’ famous lamp production used to take place, injection moulding machines now run around the clock, transforming crisp plastic and dyes into elaborate lids and caps for sale throughout Scandinavia.  Something is changing – something in the mix.

The great merger

Expectations were high in 1998 when Denmark’s two largest producers of injection-moulded plastic caps joined forces.  Bøjco was founded back in 1946 by Børge Hagemann-Jensen, and was the oldest company of its kind in Scandinavia as well as the one with the largest assortment of moulds.  Since 1970, Eraco, as the industry’s hot young turk, had grown to have massive production.

When Bøjco took over the twice-as-big Eraco in 1998, they suddenly found themselves with the largest range of moulds in northern Europe and no less than 280 products available, which meant that a huge opportunity for growth lay ahead of the company – along with a need for focus and optimization.

This inheritance would later prove to be a handful.   The newly-gained production volume came at the cost of flexibility and market share was lost over the following 10 years.

A solid foundation

The foundation of the company was still, however, sound.  They still had the moulds, the know-how, and myriad faithful customers.

Today, tides are turning, due in part to new people.  In 2008 the company was sold to Hanne Zinck Jørgensen and Jan Hartvig, both of whom possess many years of experience in the plastic industry.  In collaboration with Bjarke Arlø, former director at Scanbech and Corona packaging, now CEO and partner, production has been optimized, giving the company a new image.

Scandinavian Packaging was successful in establishing trade agreements with some of Europe’s best and largest producers of dispensers, plastic bottles and caps, like Emsar (I), M&J, Plasticks (UK) and Zeller (D), which suddenly transformed Scandinavian Packaging into a unique supplier of complete plastic packaging solutions with in-house cap production facilities.

At full throttle

“We have managed to gather a handful of collaborating companies for whom we can absolutely vouch and with whom we share values”, says Bjarke Arlø, who consistently points to innovation, service and quality as some of Scandinavian Packaging’s key values.

“We are now at full throttle and eager to show the world, and especially Scandinavia, that we are back in a leading position”, continues Arlø, who has just ordered two new Engel injection moulding machines to add to the already mammoth machine park in Borup, Sjælland.  “We are speeding up product development of new caps and lids, focussing on aesthetics and improved functionality when opening and pouring - as, for example, in the salad dressing market.

We are well represented within the food market and in future, will irrupt into the personal care market, chemical and pharmaceutical markets.”

Standard or custom caps

New customers can choose from hundreds of standard products or have a new and unique cap designed, thus distinguishing them on the market.  Working with Scandinavian Packaging, the customer develops his very own cap and has exclusive rights to its use.

“New trends have been unrelenting, ranging from once-popular standing caps, through minimal caps for weight savings, up to now with more common caps, like f.eks model 33/400 and 38/400”, notes Arlø, as at ease as a fish in an injection moulded plastic pond.

“ Before choosing the proper cap, we need to know something about the customer’s desired filling line, barrier properties and, if applicable, heat-filling, decoration, packaging process recycling and consumer use of the product in order to give the best possible advice”, says Arlø, who illustrates his point by showing a variety of different caps and closures.

Saluting Scandinavia

“We want Scandinavian Packaging to get back to where the industry recognises us for our quality packaging and for advising our customers well on market needs and the best technical solutions,” comments Arlø, who also plans work seminars with speakers from England, Germany and Italy.  “We live and breathe for our mission and our business, and hope that within our business agreements with customers, we’ll continue to be in dialogue with them regarding proper product development.”