PACKAGING .....................................................................................................................
The 118-year old Midland, Michiganheadquartered Dow Chemicals Company (Dow) is one of the largest manufacturers of plastics, chemicals and agricultural products. Dow, a plastics technology leader, operates in approximately 180 countries globally and its integrated, market-driven, industry-leading portfolio
of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agro-sciences and plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products and solutions to customers in high growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and agriculture. Logistics News Middle East spoke exclusively to Dubai, UAE-based Ahmad
Kawas, Sales Director, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics in Middle East, Africa & Turkey, on a host of issues relating to the packaging industry as well as hot-button topics including food waste and loss, littering, the global marketplace, sustainability, the environment among much more.
What is the extent of Dow’s involvement market-driven innovation model is Pack driven by major shifts in population with the global packaging industry? Studios, Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics’ demographics, improving socioeconomic Dow is one of the world’s largest packaging collaboration capabilities consisting of a global status in emerging geographies, consumer material suppliers with innovative technologies network of labs, experts and collaboration tools and brand owner demand for increased and capabilities that enable collaborative that provides customers and value chain consumer convenience, and efforts to reduce solution development. members a unique and advantageous position food waste from farm to table. We combine core strengths of R&D, to accelerate the development of nextFor Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics, technical support, worldwide geographic reach, generation packaging solutions. plastic packaging represents a significant broad product lines and industry expertise to Our global footprint with manufacturing business with approximately 30% of its sales deliver sustainable solutions, products and facilities across the world and commitment to in the Europe, Middle East and Africa applications for multiple plastics and adhesives investing in R&D helps us deliver high-class region. Additionally, large scale investment markets. Focusing on flexible and rigid food technologies to support the evolving needs of projects in the Middle East and the U.S. Gulf packaging, secondary and tertiary packaging, our customers. In 2013, Dow invested $1.7 Coast will open up high-volume supply medical packaging, channels of diversified and adhesive polyethylene growth Dow’s continued growth in the food and specialty packaging market applications, Dow is with a highsector is the result of more market-driven strategy and an innovative a leading innovator performance product and technology-led organization. on solutions for mix starting in 2015. better packaging. How is the use of What, in terms of lightweight material innovation, technical development & billion in R&D and Dow Packaging & changing the dynamics of the packaging ingenuity is Dow’s contribution to the Specialty Plastics averages 40 new products industry? packaging industry? launches each quarter – driven by innovations The continued growth in demand for Innovation is critical to keep pace in this fast in packaging. lightweight plastic packaging will be a key moving and highly-competitive marketplace. trend in the consumer flexible packaging Our ability to deliver unique customer products How significant is the global packaging market for years to come. Driven by the and solutions through innovation and industry for Dow generally and the Middle demand for greater convenience, costapplication development is a rich part of Dow’s East in particular? effectiveness and sustainable products, we will heritage and continues to define and Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics serves increasingly see brands offer flexible pouch differentiate us. the global plastic packaging industry as one packs with innovative shapes, closures and At Dow, we innovate through value chain of the largest materials suppliers for this fast- dispensers to complement or replace its collaboration. Suppliers, convertors, machine growing packaging segment worth between $ traditional rigid plastic bottle formats. manufacturers and brand owners alike need to 600 and $ 700 billion worldwide. The PacXpert™ packaging technology is a be in the same universe, talking, exploring ideas Flexible packaging represents around 15% great example. This innovative packaging and working together. of the global packaging industry and is technology offers the transition from traditional A key platform we recently created for this growing annually at 4.5%. This growth is rigid containers to flexible packaging pouches 26 | Logistics News ME | February 2015