Pearl of the Middle East - Meypack

ISSUE 01 | 2008 

Naturally healthy 

HIPP PACKS BABY FOOD WITH MEYPACK 

PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY 

THE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE FROM MEYPACK 

The big cheese 

MEYPACK MACHINE PACKS ARLA WHITE 

CHEESE IN DENMARK 

Pearl of 

interpack 2008 

MEYPACK AT THE LARGEST INDUSTRY 

GATHERING IN DÜSSELDORF 

the Middle East 

MEYPACK AND TECHNICA – 

MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF SUCCESSFUL COOPERATION IN LEBANON

Peter Böckenholt 

Managing Director and Owner 

Editorial 

Dear Readers, 

You are holding the fi rst issue of the “new” old Meypack kompackt in 

your hands. After more than fi ve years in newspaper format, we have now 

decided to further develop the Meypack kompackt into a modern magazine 

format. At the forefront of the new kompackt are more detailed stories and 

background information about Meypack’s customers, partners, projects and 

other interesting topics, such as the countries and the respective cultures in 

which Meypack is successful on a worldwide scale. Looking at it that way, the 

kompackt will in turn also become increasingly international as its contents 

will consistently refl ect the path being forged by the dynamically developing 

global markets. At the same time, we know where our roots are and recognise 

their importance. 

Global markets are also being served by Meypack’s Middle East representative 

Technica International. For our cover story, Meypack’s Export and Marketing 

Director Klaus M. Vogel and the Communications Consultant Frederik 

Bernard travelled far to Beirut to speak with Tony Haddad, CEO of the company 

Technica, about the 25th year company jubilee, current projects and the 

company’s cooperation with Meypack. Starting on page 04, you can read about 

the exciting trip taken to a fascinating country perched between optimism 

and internal unrest. 

Optimism can also be clearly registered in the packaging industry: It was 

not only the impressive export activity that contributed signifi cantly to the 

economic upswing in our country but also, the intensive preparations for the 

interpack 2008 have been noticeable in our line of business. After the Fachpack 

and the Brau – two very successful trade fairs for Meypack at the end 

of 2007 – the interpack 2008 (from April 24th to 30th, 2008) is the highlight of 

the industry. Meypack will be presenting its packaging solutions at a stand 

conceptualised to refl ect the importance of this trade fair. Visit us in Hall 14 at 

Stand D15. 

I hope you enjoy reading the articles presented in this “new” kompackt.

04 

12 

01 | 2008 

02 Editorial 

04 Beirut: Pearl of the Middle East 

Report on Meypack’s representative Technica International 

Interview with CEO Tony Haddad 

10 Naturally healthy – as a tradition 

HiPP packs baby food with Meypack 

12 Royally good 

Friesland Foods packs nutritious milk and fruit-based 

products with Meypack technology 

14 The big cheese in Denmark 

Meypack machine packs white cheese for Arla Bov 

16 Absolut Meypack 

Absolut Vodka from Åhus, Sweden packed by 

Meypack machines 

18 Coffee – a fi ne world of its own 

Meypack proves competence in packing coffee 

for DEK, Delica and Café Liegeois 

19 Last but not least 

Imprint 

Meypack Verpackungssystemtechnik GmbH 

Industriestraße 3 

D-48301 Nottuln-Appelhülsen 

Tel.: +49 (0) 2509 - 940 

Fax: +49 (0) 2509 - 948190 

info@meypack.de 

www.meypack.com 

Conception, compilation, design: www.fbkb.com 

Photos: Meypack Verpackungssystemtechnik GmbH, 

Technica International, HiPP GmbH & Co. KG, 

Royal Friesland Foods N.V., V&S Absolut Spirits, 

Wild GmbH & Co. KG, istockphoto.com (Eva Serrabassa, 

Elzbieta Sekowska, Terence Mendoza, Christine Balderas) 

Print-run: 3,000 copies 

Frequency: 2 x per year

04 kompackt 1/08 

High-tech packaging solutions from 

the “Switzerland of the Orient” 

25 YEARS OF PERMANENT GROWTH AND MORE THAN 10 YEARS OF COOPERATION WITH 

MEYPACK ARE THE SECRETS OF SUCCESS FOR TECHNICA INTERNATIONAL

Lebanon is a country of mountains, ocean and in particular, of 

cities. Over the last 50 years, most of the 3.8 million residents of 

Lebanon have been leaving the countryside for life in the cities, 

albeit around half of them live in the capital Beirut. With 500,000 residents, 

Tripoli is the second largest city, followed by Zahlé with 200,000, and Sidon 

& Tyros together with between 180,000 and 200,000 residents. The fi gures are, 

however, all estimates because there has not been an offi cial census taken 

since 1932. 

The majority of Lebanese speak Arabic. English and French are also widely 

spoken and are considered the key languages for communication with Europe. 

In Lebanon there are 17 recognised religious communities. The largest communities 

are the Sunnis, Maronite and Schiites. On November 26th, 1941 the 

French General Georges Catroux declared the independence of Lebanon under 

the authority of the Free French government. Elections were held in 1943 and 

at the end of that year, the new Lebanese government unilaterally abolished 

the French mandate. Directly after the independence of Lebanon, approximately 

20,000 men volunteered to serve under the command of the future 

president Fouad Chehab where they were integrated into the Free French 

Army under Charles de Gaulle and contributed to the success of the Allied 

Forces in Bir Hakeim and near Monte Cassino in the Mediterranean theatre 

of war. After the Second World War, the independent Lebanon was one of the 

founding members of the United Nations. In 1945, during the United Nations 

Conference on International Organisation, which laid out the foundation for 

the United Nations, the Lebanese delegate Charles Malik – along with Eleanor 

Roosevelt – played a dominating role and co-authored essential sections of the

“Innovation stands the test 

of time” – that is the motto of 

Technica International. Since 

1997, the company has been 

working together with the Westphalian 

packaging specialist. 

Technica International – made 

up of over 120 employees who 

design and manufacture automation 

systems for all sectors of 

industry. The specialists from 

Lebanon connect the conveyors 

with Meypack packaging 

machines and in this way create 

a value-added product for their 

customers. 


UN-Charter and Universal Declaration of Human 

Rights. Due to its economic stability and political 

neutrality (1949 – 1969), the western infl uenced 

Lebanon became known as the “Switzerland of the 

Orient” during the 1950s and 1960s. The capital Beirut 

was referred to the “Paris of the Middle East” 

until the civil war in 1975. 

Due to its cosmopolitan culture, the high level of 

education (there are at least four elite universities in 

Beirut with very long traditions) as well as the mix 

of different religious denominations (for example, 

Christians and Muslims have been living side by 

side for years) Lebanon is the point of departure for 

trade between the European and Arabian worlds; 

Beirut has the optimal location and function as a 

metropolis – with people who understand and live 

both the western/European and the Arabian mentalities. 

As a result, the country and its capital Beirut 

have been accorded a mediating function which 

has qualifi ed Lebanon as the gateway to the Middle 

East. 

TECHNICA INTERNATIONAL: 

A COMPANY – A SUCCESS STORY 

Technica International, a machine manufacturer 

from Bickfaya, a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, started 

as a one man show in 1982 and afterwards with 

four staff employees working in a space of 36 m² 

under the direction of Tony Haddad in the small 

town of Dora. In 1984, the fi rst production hall 

was inaugurated. It was also located in Dora and 

measured a modest 60 m². As a result of the war, the 

company moved to Cyprus in 1987. This location is 

still active in the market. After the war, Technica 

returned to Lebanon in 1991. In the Bickfaya industrial 

area, a 600 m² production facility was built 

on a 3,700 m² parcel of land. In 1992, the company 

became active in the export business and started 

its own sales activity in Saudi Arabia. In 1996, the 

facility in Bickfaya/Beirut was expanded into a size 

of 7,200 m² of property and 1,200 m² of production 

area. In 1997, Meypack and Technica began cooperation 

for end-packaging lines, which continues to 

run successfully to this day. The fi rst project was 

Makkah Water in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1999, a 

Technica offi ce was established in Cairo, Egypt. 

In the year 2000, Technica received the offi - 

cial “Sales Partner Status” from Procter & Gamble 

(P&G) of Brussels for all P&G companies worldwide. 

Coop eration with P&G started that same 

year with the fi rst large project for P&G in Cairo. 

In 2001, the property and the production facility at 

the Beirut location were extended once again, this 

time to 11,000 m² and 2,000 m² respectively. In 2003, 

Technica received the designation as an offi cial 

supplier for Danone and executed its fi rst project 

for Al Safi Danone in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in that 

same year.

Technica now has sales offi ces in Saudi Arabia, 

Egypt and Dubai as well as in other locations in the 

Middle East. This refl ects the vision of Technica: 

Technica wants to be the fi rst choice for auto mated 

solutions in the Arab world. It is obvious that this 

goal cannot be realised with innovative solutions 

and strong partnerships alone but above all, it 

is imperative to have a high standard of quality. 

Therefore, since 1999 Technica has been certifi ed 

according to the DIN ISO 9001:2000 – an important 

criterion in the decision making process for large 

corporations such as Danone or Procter & Gamble 

when deciding to place their packaging requirements 

in Technica’s hands. 

On the Human resources level, the founder and 

CEO Tony Haddad implemented a total re-engineering 

concept, whereby each team member takes 

ownership of his job duties, with total responsibility 

and accountability. This is applied at all levels 

in the organization. According to Tony Haddad, 

the employees identify themselves more strongly 

with the company and their tasks. They become 

motivated and as a result are signifi cantly more 

productive. This was evidenced in 2006 when everyone 

pitched in to load the last machines onto the 

trucks for transport out of the country while the 

war was raging; an impressive performance that 

can only be explained by a sense of total dedication 

and commitment. 

Multicultural and pulsating, 

breathtakingly diverse and 

fascinatingly beautiful: Beirut, the 

colourful metropolis of Lebanon, 

is the centre between East and West

Technica is active in 23 countries 

and has executed nearly 500 

projects for over 200 customers. 

In 2004, the company received 

the highest Merit Award for 

Creativity and Innovation from 

the Ministry of Industry and 

the Association of Lebanese 

Industrialists (ALI) 

The products of Technica International include 

transport conveyors for all applications, packaging 

solutions (in cooperation with Meypack) and 

palletisers. Technica also supplies labelling solutions 

as well as fi lling lines. Technica provides a 

comprehensive after sales service for all solutions, 

a reliable spare parts supply as well as a complete 

maintenance, modernisation and repair service. 

TECHNICA AND MEYPACK: SUCCESSFUL 

COOPERATION SINCE 1997 

Since its beginnings in 1997, the cooperation 

between Technica International and Meypack 

has generated some exciting projects. Thanks to 

the effective teamwork of both machine manufacturers, 

projects for international customers such 

as Al Marai, Danone, Pepsi Cola, APV, Heineken, 

Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola and Nestlé could 

be successfully executed. 

Within the framework of this cooperation, 

Meypack not only just supplies end-packaging 

machines such as wrap-around case packers 

or shrink wrappers but also ensures after sales 

support through its partner company from Lebanon. 

For its own projects, Technica designs the 

entire packaging line and connects the transport 

conveyor system with the Meypack packaging 

ma chines. This is a cooperation that clearly 

exceeds the normal scope of a purely trade and 

The Technica team with CEO Tony Haddad 

The Technica factory in Bickfaya 

distribution business relationship. According to 

Klaus M. Vogel of Meypack, Technica is a strong 

partner with its own engineering and design 

departments and a reliable production division that 

creates completely new applications and solutions 

through this integration. That is, however, only one 

of the reasons for the continued growth of this once 

small company from Bickfaya near Beirut.

Interview 

INTERVIEW WITH TONY HADDAD, CEO OF 

TECHNICA INTERNATIONAL, LEBANON 

Tony, you speak about Lebanon 

being a gateway between the 

European west and the Arab world. 

How would you describe that? 

Well, I am referring to the moderating 

position that Lebanon has been playing 

between Europe and the Arab world 

throughout its history. In Lebanon, there 

are a large number of superbly trained 

and educated people who speak Arabic 

as well as European languages, in particular 

English and French. Furthermore, in 

Lebanon we are exposed to and understand 

the western mentality and its work 

habits. Being part of the Arab world and 

speaking the same language, we also are 

very close to the social and work habits 

of the Arab world. This “Gateway Function” 

makes Lebanon an ideal meeting 

point between both worlds. That is why 

we at Technica have our headquarters 

here, from where we can coordinate the 

cooperation with our European partners, 

such as Meypack, but also from where can 

operate our own sales offi ces in countries 

such as Saudi Arabia, GCC, Egypt or other 

North African countries. And last but not 

least, Lebanon is my homeland and that of 

my family – that certainly also plays a role 

in the decision to be located here. 

2007 is now behind us and we are 

now fi rmly into 2008. How would you 

describe the past year for Technica 

and what is the outlook for 2008? 

For us, the year 2007 was a very good 

year; or more precisely it was a record year 

in the company’s 25 year history. We were 

able to further develop our own ma chines 

and secure new cooperation partners. 

With partners such as Meypack, we were 

able to realise projects, a number of which 

were very big, comprehensive and technologically 

sophisticated, such as Al Marai 

or Health Water Bottling. Consid ering that, 

one can say that 2007 was real export year 

for Technica. And 2008 is show ing signs 

that this trend will continue. 

Tony, what is special about Technica? 

What makes you so successful? 

I think that the key to our success is 

that we are not a simple reseller or trading 

agent for a company like Meypack 

pack aging machines but rather that we 

have our own engineering and production 

expertise. We do not just design and 

manufacture transport conveyor systems 

but incorporate these in packaging lines 

that we then offer as a new complete solution. 

In this way, we offer a value-added 

product which is not offered by anyone 

else in this market. Another reason for 

our success is the high motivation and 

the good training and education of our 

employees. We work as a team, with a 

sense of responsibility towards each other, 

which has contributed to a signifi cant 

increase in productivity. 

Let’s stick with the issue of “employee 

motivation” – what measures does 

Technica and do you undertake to 

keep your team motivated to deal with 

this enormous growth process? 

We invest in our staff, not just with 

money but with time and trust. Our 

employees receive training regularly on 

technical as well as managerial levels. Furthermore, 

we live and work here by the 

principle of shared responsibility. Every 

member feels responsible for the success 

of his team and consequently for the success 

of the whole company. Our teams 

take responsibility for fi nding solutions 

to new problems and new challenges. In 

this context, I no longer feel like a controlling 

managing director but rather play 

a moderating role. My leadership style is 

to motivate the staff to give the best of 

themselves, and when results are not as 

good as expected, we analyze the gap and 

design corrective and preventive actions. 

We are hard on the problem, soft on the 

people. The atmosphere is very open and 

transparent. I am convinced that this form 

of employee management has contributed 

signifi cantly to the development of Technica 

and continues to remain essential. 

Tony Haddad, thank you very 

much for the interview.

Georg Hipp founded the 

company “Nährmittel Hipp” in 

Pfaffenhofen on July 1st, 1932. 

In the mid-1950s, HiPP was the 

fi rst company in Germany to 

industrially produce baby food in 

tins and since 1959/60 has been 

selling its baby food in glass jars 

due to hygienic considerations. 

In 1964, Georg Hipp’s son Claus 

Hipp entered the business and 

took over the reigns in 1967. 


Without a doubt – the longestablished 

company HiPP 

is one of the real trailblazers 

when it comes to aspects of environmental protection, 

sustainability and biological responsibility. 

After all, it is no wonder – the company began as a 

small rural enterprise and a bakery. Over 50 years 

ago, the company HiPP committed itself to organic 

farming. With great care and extremely high expectations 

of quality, Claus Hipp personally gives his 

word that his products are healthy, biologically 

valuable and of the best quality; products, that are 

consistantly and traditionally grown and produced 

in harmony with nature. 

HIPP GIVES AN ORGANIC GUARANTEE 

The organic guarantee given by HiPP embodies 

both a seal and set of rules for maintaining the 

high standards of quality that HiPP sets for itself, 

which go above and beyond the criteria set by the 

Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food 

and Agriculture to receive the offi cial organic seal. 

HiPP only uses organic raw materials that have 

been grown according to the regulations set out in 

the EC regulations for organic farming. Above and 

beyond that, to ensure 100% quality, all raw materials 

used by HiPP are strictly tested (for example 

for contaminants, pollutants) before they are processed. 

In order to detect and identify pollutants 

and contaminants, HiPP utilises a testing databank 

that can recognise over 850 of these harmful 

substances. Only after all of these control tests have 

Assuming responsibility 

for the environment and 

for life: HiPP 

BIOLOGICALLY VALUABLE PRODUCTS, FIRST CLASS QUALITY AND THE 

SUSTAINABLE TREATMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HIGH 

ON THE HIPP AGENDA 

been passed does a product receive the recognised 

HiPP organic seal. 

The strict and controlled processing of the HiPP 

products is matched by equally meticulous and 

careful vegetable cultivation. Growing the vegetables 

is carried out only in the most natural manner 

– synthetic pesticides are strictly forbidden. This 

traditional style of cultivation however requires 

a high degree of manual labour (which in some 

areas is expidited by mechanised support, such as 

in weeding). To prevent the growth of weeds, the 

company resorts to employing traditional farming 

methods. For example, plants that tickle the 

pallettes of pesky pests are planted around the 

perimeter of the fi elds to divert their attention 

from vegetables growing in the fi elds. To prevent 

late blight in potatos, rock powders are sprinkled 

upon them to fortify them and bind moisture. HiPP 

is also adamantly against any form of fertilisation. 

The notorious mold and pest infestation that 

so often plagues carrots is fought with a natural 

weap on: wind. Carrots are planted in a windy location, 

enabling the wind to blow through the rows 

and keep the crops swept clean. 

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: SUSTAINABLE 

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT FROM HIPP 

Whoever places such a high priority on producing 

biologically valuable products is also highly 

engaged in working for a sustainable environment. 

For over 50 years, HiPP has been actively

supporting environmental protection – which has 

manifested into a comprehensive environmental 

management. Since 1995, HiPP has been documenting 

its activities in an annual environmental 

report and has since then been validated according 

to EMAS (eco-management and audit scheme) and 

certifi ed according to DIN ISO 14001 since 1997. 

HiPP has received many awards for its environmental 

management, most recently in 2006 with 

the B.A.U.M. Environmental Award (German Environmental 

Management Association). 

HIPP TODAY: SUSTAINABLE, INTERNATIONAL 

– AND WITH MEYPACK PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY 

Already active in 1899 and offi cially founded in 

1932, the company HiPP sells approximately 230 

products in all corners of the world. The company 

has production facilities and cultivation areas 

in Germany, Austria, Hungary, Croatia and the 

Ukraine. Over 1,000 employees ensure that the 

products produced by HiPP continue to be of the 

highest quality and are at one with nature. 

on this machine, the frequently necessary machine 

changeovers have been simplifi ed as much as possible. 

Out of consideration for the environment, particular 

attention was placed on an energy effi cient 

shrink tunnel. As a result, this shrink tunnel is not 

powered by electricity, as is ususally the case, but 

rather by gas. A second machine of the same type 

will be put into operation at the HiPP production 

facility in Hungary. 

For the production facilities in Austria, Meypack 

installed a double lane, high speed VP 530-2 SW 90 

TM 60-2 tray-shrink wrapper in the second half of 

2007. The machine packs jars and glass bottles containing 

baby food and children’s food into various 

sized packs. Depending upon the chosen task, the 

products can be packed in trays with or without 

fi lm as well as just in fi lm as multi-packs. Due to the 

large number of different products being packed On a running conveyor: Baby food in glass jars packed on a Meypack VP 530-2 SW 90 TM 60-2

Chocomel is the hot chocolate 

that is prepared with the 

Senseo® machine. The hot 

chocolate capsule is placed in a 

special Chocomel capsule holder 

that is compatible with the 

Senseo® machine. 

Located in Meppel, in the Netherlands, 

the multinational company 

Royal Friesland Foods N.V. develops, 

produces and sells a wide range of diary products 

and fruit beverages for both private and professional 

consumers as well as for the food industry. 

The company is committed to producing high 

quality products that can be part of a healthy diet; 

products, made from milk or fruit that can be 

consumed at any time of the day. After all, every 

person is dependent upon a balanced diet, consisting 

of vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals. Only 

through an optimal combination and regular daily 

consumption can a person remain healthy, fi t and 

spared from symptoms of nutritional defi ciency. 

Friesland Foods produces and sells the convenience 

food products suitable for an active life in all parts 

of the world. Together with the companies Campina 

and Unilever, Friesland Foods has developed a logo 

to identify healthy food products. Products containing 

reduced levels of fat, sugar and salt carry 

the slogan “Ik kies bewust.” 

Royally good 

FRIESLAND FOODS STANDS FOR NUTRITIONAL MILK AND FRUIT PRODUCTS – 

AND PUTS ITS TRUST IN END-PACKAGING FROM MEYPACK 

Friesland Foods is an association with 10,700 

members, including primarily Dutch agriculturalists 

who are both suppliers of and shareholders 

in the company. Since 1879, the company has 

grown continuously through mergers and takeovers. 

Today, Royal Friesland Foods is one of the 10 

largest dairy companies in the world. 

DOUBLE HIGH SPEED FOR FRIESLAND FOODS 

A Meypack end-packaging system consisting of 

two machines was installed at the German production 

facility of Friesland Foods; it belongs to Royal 

Friesland Foods N.V., which is headquartered in 

the Netherlands. Meypack delivered a combined 

packaging system in the summer of 2007 for the 

facility in Kalkar. On a specially designed VP 511 

with a custom designed paddle chain infeed and 

“pick & place” elements, the Chocomel brand of hot 

chocolate capsules is packed in groups of either 4 or 

8 into folding boxes. After exiting the VP 511, the 

lying boxes are erected by an erecting conveyor and

“Pick & Place”: VP 511 packs hot chocolate capsules in folding boxes 

then packed into either wrap-around cases or trays 

by a VP 451 K tray & wrap-around case packer. 

Both machines are made completely of stainless 

steel and built according to the proven Meypack 

CleanDesign ® Construction Principle. 

Two additional machines of the same type will 

be installed this year at the production facility in 

Kalkar. 

FRIESLAND FOODS 

AT HOME IN MARKETS 

WORLDWIDE 

The most important markets for Friesland 

Foods include Europe, the Middle East, Asia and 

West Africa. The company is extremely successful 

in these international markets with products such 

as condensed milk, milk powder, soya milk, pasteurised 

milk, butter, cheese, coffee cream, yogurt 

drinks, energy drinks, milk & fruit snacks as well 

as fruit juices. The needs of these various regions 

are of course not all identical. In Europe, Asia and 

Africa, these milk products are extremely popular 

with consumers and are primarily behind the 

company’s sales increases. 

Royal Friesland Foods employees approx. 15,300 

people (12,300 in 2004), a majority of whom work 

outside of the Netherlands. The leading brands of 

the company are Appelsientje, Bonnet, Chocomel/ 

Cécémel, Completa, CoolBest, Debic, DubbelFrisss, 

Dutch Lady, Extran, Frico, Foremost, Friesche Vlag, 

Frisian Flag, Fristi, Milli, NoyNoy, Peak, Pöttyös 

Túró Rudi, Rainbow and Taksi. 

On June 7th, 2004 Her Majesty 

Queen Beatrix granted the 

former Friesland Coberco Dairy 

Food Holding N.V. the right 

to use the title ”Koninklijk“ 

(meaning royal). From this date 

onward, the holding company 

has been known as Koninklijke 

Friesland Foods N.V.

Olympia Snac 

4 onions [250g 

clo 

Arla Bov is a company belonging 

to Arla Foods amba of Denmark. 

Behind the company Arla Foods 

amba are the Swedish company 

Arla and the Danish company 

MD Foods. Since the year 2000, 

these two companies have been 

jointly presenting themselves in 

the market under the name of 

Arla Foods amba. 


Arla Foods is one of 

Meypack’s biggest customers, 

with installations in Denmark, 

Sweden and England. The most 

recent project was realised in 

Denmark at Arla Bov, a company belonging to Arla 

Foods amba. Behind the company Arla Foods amba 

are the Swedish company Arla and the Danish 

company MD Foods. Since the year 2000, these two 

companies have been jointly presenting themselves 

in the market under the name of Arla Foods amba. 

Arla Foods is a Swedish-Danish dairy corporation 

with its headquarters in Viby, near Århus, in Denmark. 

With over 20,000 employees, the company is 

the largest producer of dairy products in Europe 

and is one of the largest dairies in the world. 

Denmark, Sweden and Great Britain are among 

the company’s most important markets. Over 70% 

of the turnover is generated in these three countries. 

Besides Denmark, Sweden and Great Britain, 

Arla Foods has subsidiaries in the most important 

export markets. 

MILK AND CHEESE PRODUCTS PACKED 

BY MEYPACK PACKAGING SOLUTIONS 

Fresh white 

cheese from 

Arla Bov of 

Denmark 

Meypack installed a VP 453 

inline case packer at the facility 

in Krusa. This machine, constructed 

entirely of stainless 

steel, packs the beloved Arla 

white cheese sold in rounded, rectangular containers 

into trays with lids. A specially designed 

infeed system guarantees that the containers are 

fed into the machine gently and without the use 

Gently packed thanks to pressure-free infeed of the products

of pressure. With this “tray-lid”-application, the lid 

is positioned inside the tray and depending upon 

the customer’s wishes, can simply be inserted or 

secured additionally with adhesive. The machine is 

equipped with motorised adjustment points, which 

enable the machine to be automatically changedover 

within an extremely short time and ensure 

that the format settings remain unchanged. 

WHITE CHEESE OR FETA CHEESE – THAT IS THE 

BIG QUESTION 

Feta has its origins as a cheese produced and 

stored in salt brine. That means that in the process 

of producing the sheep’s milk cheese (sometimes 

goat’s milk cheese), the whey (the watery part of 

the milk) is separated without pressure from the 

curd (cheese), which ripens in a salt brine. This also 

bestows the feta cheese with its typical, intensive 

taste. Up until the year 2007, similar types of cheese 

from other countries were being sold as “feta” in 

the European Union, even though the majority were 

produced from cow’s milk. According to a decision 

handed down by the European Commission, only 

white cheese produced in Greece from sheep’s milk 

or goat’s milk and ripened in salt brine is allowed 

to carry the name feta. 

Feta enjoys a long tradition in Greece. Since time 

immemorial, feta has been considered a delicacy 

and a coveted item of trade, not the least because 

Protected from all sides: VP 453 packs white cheese in trays with lids 

it has been touted as an aphrodisiac with strength 

enhancing characteristics. Feta has also been used 

as an offering to the gods. The art of producing 

cheese was built up and refi ned by Roman slaves. 

The Romans developed a large array of baked 

goods containing cheese and diverse variations of 

cheese salads. Even the Roman legionnaires carried 

feta cheese along with olives, bread and raisins as 

provisions in their fi eld packs. 

Since the 19th Century and particularly in 

Europe, cheese production has been subject to 

scientifi c research and innovation, especially to 

improve the shelf life of cheese. Often in close 

cooperation with cheese craftsmen, engineers have 

developed cutting frames, beaters, curd separators, 

electrical cutting devices and agitators, huge vats 

and boilers, cooling units and other aids used in 

producing cheese at industrial capacity. 

CONVENIENT AND PRACTICAL – MEYPACK’S 

“WASH-DOWN” CONCEPT FOR SIMPLE CLEANING 

It goes without saying that especially in the 

dairy industry, the purity of the entire production, 

fi lling and packaging line plays an immensely 

important role. In order to cope with the regularly 

scheduled cleaning processes, the Meypack packaging 

machine was produced in a “wash-down” 

version. This means that bearings and guides 

have been built of rust-free stainless steel and the 

hot-melt applicator has been equipped with special 

hose connections and nozzles that are protected 

from water spray. This technically sophisticated 

packaging machine has been rounded out with a 

high capacity ZM 600 magazine for the tray and lid 

blanks. 

Meypack Representative Denmark: 

Weimar Nicolaisen A/S 

Hjulmagervej 11 A 

7100 Vejle 

Denmark 

Tel.: +45 (0) 3886 - 3533 

Fax: +45 (0) 3886 - 1606 

info@weimar-nicolaisen.dk 

www.weimar-nicolaisen.dk 

Contact person: Briand Andersen

The V&S Group is a Swedish 

distiller with its headquarters 

in Stockholm. “Absolut Vodka” 

is the most important and most 

well-known brand produced by 

the V&S Group. The company 

is one of the largest producers 

of spirits in Europe and one of 

the ten largest companies in the 

alcohol industry worldwide. The 

CEO is Bengt Baron. 


If one were to pose the question from 

where a large brand with cult status and 

worldwide recognition has its roots, one 

would not immediately think of the small, idyllic 

town of Åhus in southern Sweden. For over 100 

years, the V&S distillery has made this town its 

home, producing its internationally renowned and 

respected brand of “Absolut”. V&S has achieved 

this not only by producing a fi rst class product but 

also with excellent marketing. Early on, the Swedish 

company placed high priority on the design of 

the bottle and made this a central focus of every 

campaign – worldwide. 

The distillery’s long history in this relatively 

small town has left a considerable yet in no way 

overbearing mark on the townscape of Åhus. One 

recognises the dominance of the company but sees 

that the structures have grown slowly over the 

years, such as the two 30 metre high towers that 

High spirits 

from Åhus 

THE CLASSIC YET COOL BRAND “ABSOLUT VODKA” 

– WITH OVER 100 YEARS OF TRADITION – PUTS ITS 

TRUST IN MEYPACK’S PACKAGING TECHNOLOGY 

soar above the city and stand as the town’s landmark, 

visible even from a distance. 

THE SECRET RECIPE OF “ABSOLUT VODKA”: 

CONCENTRATING ON THE ESSENTIALS 

In 1979, V&S wanted to enter the American market 

– with the brand “Absolut”. After carrying out 

countless design studies, the company decided to 

run with a simplifi ed bottle design and a simplifi ed 

product brand (Absolut) as well as with a simplifi ed 

campaign for the US market. In hindsight, this proved 

to be a very wise decision, which has contributed 

signifi cantly to the worldwide success of the 

brand “Absolut Vodka.” Reduction and simplicity 

formed the core message behind the brand. It is 

about vodka. Period. “Absolut Vodka.” Pure vodka. 

A team of designers, including the renowned Swedish 

designer Hans Brindfors, was responsible for 

this successful marketing concept. Mr Brindfors

was also responsible for the marketing campaigns 

of IKEA, Arla and Kelloggs, among others. 

V&S ABSOLUT SPIRITS – 

A TRADITION OF DISTILLING SINCE 1879 

V&S Absolut Spirits has been producing “Absolut 

Vodka” from grain in the southwestern Swedish 

town of Åhus since 1879. The company places a high 

priority on the premium quality of its products as 

well as on the purity of its vodka. Today, “Absolut” 

is the fourth largest brand of spirits in the world. 

The product and the brand were developed by the 

Swede Lars Olsson Smith in 1879. 

“Absolut Vodka” has become well-recognised 

internationally thanks to its unique bottle design 

and the simple brand name “Absolut.” The design 

of the bottle resembles a Swedish medicine bottle. 

The Swedish government took control of the 

alcohol industry in 1917. Shortly thereafter, vodka 

was being sold across the country under the name 

“Absolut Renat Brännvin.” In the 1970s, the name of 

the relatively unmodern brand was shortened to 

“Renat Brännvin.” In 1979, the former name “Absolut” 

was re-introduced and the brand was modernised 

to become what is now known worldwide as 

the premium brand “Absolut.” 

QUALITY MEETS QUALITY: “ABSOLUT VODKA” 

PACKED BY A MEYPACK PACKAGING MACHINE 

In 2007, a second production facility named 

“Absolut Satellit” was completed in Åhus. The 

entire project was run by Hakan Nilsson and his 

engineer ing team. One part of the new project is a 

brand new bottling line including a Meypack high 

Over 100 years of tradition: The V&S distillery in Åhus, Sweden 

Fully automatic partition insertion system of the VP 531 

speed VP 531 packaging machine equipped with a 

fully automatic partition insertion system. 

This case packer packs the well-known “Absolut” 

bottles, ranging in size from 700 ml up to 1,750 

ml, into either 3x2 or 3x4 formations. To protect 

the bottles, the machine has been equipped with a 

servo-pusher dividing system to gently divide the 

products into formation as well as three fully automatic 

partition inserters. 

The VP 531 case packer that packs the glass bottles 

into wrap-around cases is also outfi tted with 

an automatic blank loading station, which removes 

the blanks from the pallet and feeds them automatically 

into the blank magazine. 

Meypack Representative Sweden: 

Advanced Packaging Nordeuropa AB 

Peppargränd 11 

13536 Tyresö 

Sweden 

Tel.: +46 (0) 8 - 6496994 

Fax: +46 (0) 8 - 6491170 

btn@advanced-packaging.net 

www.advanced-packaging.net 

Contact person: Bart Ten Napel


The fi ne world of savouring coffee 

MEYPACK PROVES ITS COMPETENCE IN PACKING COFFEE 

FOR DEK, DELICA AND CAFÉ LIEGEOIS 

At the latest since its introduction to Europe in 

the 15th Century, coffee has been one of the most 

widely spread delicacies. By 1517, the fi rst cafés 

were already operating in Istanbul. After strong 

opposition from the Islamic clergy and states, the 

fi rst European coffee house was opened in Europe 

in 1554. Between 1645 and 1689, coffee houses were 

opened in Venice, Oxford, Marseilles, Paris, Bremen, 

Berlin, Hamburg, Regensburg, Leipzig and London. 

The fi rst Viennese coffee house was established in 

1683 after 500 sacks of coffee were looted during 

fi ghting against the Turks. From this point onwards, 

fi ne coffee houses spread to all of the large cities 

of Europe and the world. Coffee consumption by 

the upper echelons of society spread and in doing 

so, coffee became an important trading good along 

with spices, herbs and precious metals, although it 

was subject to strict import and trade regulations. 

THE COFFEE TRADE – BOTH THEN AND NOW A 

GLOBAL MEGA MARKET 

Today, coffee is grown in over 50 countries 

around the world and is – despite its massive drop 

in price – still very important economically. After 

oil, coffee is the second most important trading 

product, with Brazil being the world’s largest coffee 

producer with an annual volume of over 2,000 million 

tonnes of coffee beans. Behind Brazil, the other 

largest coffee producers include Vietnam, Indonesia, 

Columbia, Mexico and India. 70% of the world’s 

coffee still comes from small scale enterprises that 

sell their production to bulk buyers. The most 

important purchasing countries include Germany, 

the USA, France, Japan and Italy. 

MEYPACK’S COMPETENCE IN 

THE END-PACKAGING OF COFFEE PRODUCTS 

Over the past years, Meypack has successfully 

realised many individual end-packaging solutions 

for the coffee industry. For example, at Deutsche 

Extrakt Kaffee GmbH (DEK) a Meypack case 

packer and shrink wrapper end-package jars of 

coffee, while at the Swiss company Delica, bags of 

coffee are packed in wrap-around cases. And at the 

Belgian company Café Liegeois, an array of different 

sized bags containing coffee pads receive their 

end-packaging on Meypack machines. All of the 

systems have a high degree of fl exibility thanks to 

fast format changeovers and a packaging process 

that is very gentle on products. And these projects 

have something else in common: DEK, Delica and 

Café Liegeois are all repeat customers, with Meypack 

machines already part of their machine inventories. 

After all, Meypack packaging machines are 

able to pack in display trays, which are extremely 

important for the coffee industry because of their 

utility at the point of sale in the supermarket.

Last but 

not least 

Technology offensive 2008 

MEYPACK PRESENTS OPTIMISED 

PACKAGING MACHINE SOLUTIONS AT THE 

INTERPACK 2008 

At the interpack 2008, the Westphalian 

machine manufacturing specialist 

Meypack will be highlighting its concepts 

to guarantee the highest possible 

fl exibility through automation and it 

will be demonstrating its popular FTS-B- 

HD 32 bag closing machine with its new 

pneumatics. 

At its trade fair 

stand, Meypack will 

be exhibiting its 

VP 501 case packer 

equipped with fully 

auto matic adjustment 

points. This machine is 

designed to process shaped bottles made 

of plastic, PET and HDPE. The machine 

can process up to seven different bottles 

– and that in more than 20 formats. The 

machine’s strengths lie in its special lane 

dividing system designed specifi cally for 

shaped bottles as well in the controlled 

guiding of the products from the infeed 

all the way up to the packing of the products 

in the wrap-around cases. The fully 

automatic format adjustments enable fast 

and precise machine changeovers. Thanks 

to the fully automatic changeovers, the 

saved formats and adjustment values can 

be reliably and accurately reproduced 

time and again. There are also innovations 

in Meypack’s bag closing technol- 

Meypack palletisers 

for the “Deutsche SiSi 

Werke” from WILD 

To the beat: The PKO’s servo-motorised turning station 

Two palletising solutions – a PKO and 

a PK 110 – were installed by Meypack for 

two packaging lines at the “Deutsche SiSi 

Werke” in Heidelberg, Germany. At an 

output of 6,000 single packets per hour, 

packets of the well-known children’s fruit 

juice drink brand, Capri-Sonne®, are fed 

Personnel 

Anja Siehoff joined the sales 

team for Germany, Switzerland and 

Austria on November 1st, 2007. She 

is responsible for project management 

and sales support and is the fi rst point 

of contact for the external sales force. Ms 

Siehoff is taking on the area of responsibility 

carried out by Waltraud Virow, who 

entered into partial retirement at the end 

of January 2008, after 17 years as a valued 

member of the sales department. 

ogy. The popular FTS-B-HD 32 has been 

re-engineered to simplify cleaning and 

maintenance. This machine continuously 

closes multi-layered paper bags using the 

proven FTS technique. The machine now 

has improved electronics and pneumatics. 

In addition, the cable and hose guides 

have been overhauled and re-arranged, 

which facilitates care, cleaning and maintenance. 

At the interpack 2008, the FTS-B- 

HD 32 will display its fl exibility by closing 

strippable bags. 

into the machine lying 

fl at in either two rows 

(PKO) or four rows (PK 

110) and are then erected 

by a star wheel erector. Via 

a servo-motorised grouping 

und turning station, 

the products are then multipacked 

and palletised onto Euro pallets, 

industrial pallets, ½-pallets and ¼-pallets. 

WILD is the world’s leading private 

producer of natural ingredients for the 

food and beverage industries. Since 1969, 

the “Deutsche SiSi Werke” have been 

producing the popular children’s drink 

Capri-Sonne®, the world’s most successful 

beverage brand for children. Packed in 

drink packets, the juice drink is produced 

in 18 countries and enjoyed in over 100. 

You will fi nd more about this exciting project in the next issue 

of the kompackt. 

Waltraud Virow Anja Siehoff Brian Gannon Reiner Müller 

In Export, Reiner Müller joined the 

sales team one year ago in preparation for 

the impending and well-deserved retirement 

of Brian Gannon, who left the company 

at the end of 2007 after 35 years of 

service. Reiner Müller is primarily active 

in supporting Export Director Klaus M. 

Vogel in external sales activities. 

DATES 

APRIL 24TH TO 30TH, 2008 

interpack, Düsseldorf, Germany 

SEPTEMBER 30TH TO OCTOBER 2ND, 2008 

POWTECH, Nuremberg, Germany 

NOVEMBER 12TH TO 14TH, 2008 

BRAU Beviale, Nuremberg, Germany

Meypack Verpackungssystemtechnik GmbH 

Industriestraße 3 · D-48301 Nottuln-Appelhülsen · Tel.: +49 (0) 2509 - 940 · Fax: +49 (0) 2509 - 948190 · info@meypack.de 

Kiebitzweg 18 · D-22869 Schenefeld / Hamburg · Tel.: +49 (0) 40 - 839020 · Fax: +49 (0) 40 - 8309482 · info@meypack.de 

www.meypack.de

Pearl of the Middle East - Meypack

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