2_DiscoverBenelux_Issue21_Sep_2015_Q9_Scan Magazine 1 28/08/2015 20:47 Page 82
Discover Benelux | Packaging Solutions | NNZ
Sustainable and customised packaging Product packaging is more than just a piece of material used to encase an item. In the fruit and vegetable sector, for example, packaging should serve not only to protect and maintain freshness, but also to make the product attractive to consumers. NNZ, a multinational packaging company with Dutch roots has been helping clients in this respect since 1922. TEXT: PAOLA WESTBEEK | PHOTOS: PETER TAHL
When NNZ started out as a small, familyrun business in the northern Dutch city of Groningen, they specialised in jute, a natural and biodegradable material still offered by the company today. Later on, other materials such as cotton, paper, cardboard, plastics and laminates entered their product line as the business steadily grew and began to expand worldwide. Today, NNZ has subsidiaries in 18 countries and is a top packaging specialist for a broad range of international clients in the agricultural and industrial markets. They provide everything from packaging for the retail sector for weights of as little as ten grams, to packaging for transport for weights of up to 3,000 kilos. Steering away from cut-and-dried concepts is one of the things that sets NNZ
82 | Issue 21 | September 2015
apart from the rest. The company is committed to precisely catering to their clients’ individual needs by developing customised packaging solutions in accordance to their specific requirements. After careful deliberation with customers and partners, agreements are reached about how to present a product in the best way possible. Working sustainably is high on NNZ’s list of priorities: “We find it of the utmost importance to develop sustainable packaging that ensures a longer shelf life for produce. This, in turn, translates to less food wastage,” says CEO Len Boot. The company is furthermore continuously trying to develop thinner yet sturdy packaging, thus cutting down on the use of resources.
But the element of sustainability extends beyond the materials utilised. Besides operating in ecologically sound buildings, the packaging enterprise has always prided itself on creating long-term partnerships, especially with their valued personnel. Boot: “If our employees are satisfied then this is visible to our clients and suppliers. We want those who work for us to do so with passion and pleasure, in a personal way, and in accordance with the goals we have mutually set.” The combination of NNZ’s customised packaging solutions with sustainability and a solid dose of work ethic has led to a successful company that continues to satisfy clients all over the world. www.nnz.com