Reaching for the stars

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Change is underway at ERP The winds of change are blowing through East Rand Plastics, with recently appointed general manager Dieter Kreissel firmly at the controls. East Rand Plastics’ management team, from left: Dieter Kreissel (general manager), Ramon Scheepbouwer (sales manager), Wessel Richter (financial manager), JP Venter (operations manager - retail) and Terence Oliver (supply chain & logistics manager). East Rand Plastics is the largest operation in Astrapak’s portfolio – but that hasn’t shielded it from torrid times. There was the severely debilitating industrial action in the last financial year, including violence, damage to property and the replacement of almost the entire workforce; and the business has been hard hit by the slowing economy and increased competition in the marketplace. Quality suffered, customers were dissatisfied and the sales team were disillusioned. But reorganisation within the Group, Craig Lowe assuming executive responsibility for the operation, and a coordinated turnaround programme have started to make the difference. And the appointment of Dieter Kreissel as general manager is set to accelerate that process. Dieter hails from the automotive industry; for the five years before joining Astrapak, he was general manager of a plant that had 400 CNC machines with 60 production lines supplying components to every car manufacturer in South Africa. He has a metallurgical background, has completed an MBA, studied strategic business management in Germany and is an ISO 9000, 14 0000 and ISO TS 16949 auditor. So it’s fair to say that Dieter has a firm grasp of business and quality. ‘I’d spent almost 15 years in the automotive sector, which included bringing a business back from the brink to profitability,’ he says. ‘In fact, in my last year we were awarded Supplier of the Year status by Toyota SA and were in line for a similar accolade from Mercedes Benz.’ The timing for someone of Dieter’s experience to land at East Rand Plastics couldn’t be better. ‘What really impressed me when I first arrived at the beginning of August and started to understand the situation was the workforce’s desire to go forward in a positive way,’ he says. ‘I believe that the staff have a desire to be led and create a successful working environment for themselves. Everyone here has at least a matric certificate, they’re keen to learn and improve their lives – and that’s music to my ears.’ With around 400 employees at East Rand Plastics, Dieter has made it one of his personal goals to ensure that each person is treated with integrity and honour. ‘One of my core responsibilities is to lead a profitable and sustainable business, the kind of operation that will yield well-paying, long-term employment opportunities for our staff,’ he says. ‘But they also have responsibilities and must reciprocate with commitment and a desire to consistently produce high-quality work. If we combine our responsibilities, we’ll take East Rand Plastics to heights it’s never experienced before.’ 10 ASTRAPAK NEWS
ERP enters the myth-busting game Fact or fiction: the Flexibles business must remain stuck in the commodities game. East Rand Plastics goes myth-busting. Like the premise behind the popular TV show Mythbusters, East Rand Plastics are about to challenge an often-touted fable with the launch of three new brands: AstraFresh, AstraFreeze and AstraTough, each serving a particular segment of the market. ‘Thanks to some creative thinking, customer research and technical capabilities of our new Kieffel multilayer extruders, we’ve been able to take a different approach and develop some innovative packaging solutions,’ says industrial sales manager Ramon Scheepbouwer. AstraFresh will be the first bag in the country to extend the shelf life of bread. Sophisticated technology in the formulation of the protective layers will ensure that oxygen is removed at the same time that any microbial action is eliminated or reduced. The end result will be a loaf of bread that retains its ‘springy’ feel longer and doesn’t become mouldy. Shelf-life extension isn’t a new concept in the plastics sector – Knilam Packaging (see story on page 5) has been a leader on the modified atmosphere front for several years – but it’s in the traditional film or Flexibles market where not much has happened until recently, when Peninsula Packaging broke new ground with their lettuce bag highlighted in the last edition of Unpacked. ‘One of the significant advantages of plastic over other substrates is the ability to innovate and add value through technology,’ says Ramon. ‘Our new products are going to add value for both our customers and the end consumer, and that’s the hallmark of real innovation.’ Frozen foods are also set to benefit from technological advancements, and the AstraFreeze brand will offer better sealability and improved puncture resistance, resulting in less wastage for packers as well as consumers. The bag-tube market, characterised by rough-and-tough handling conditions, will see advantages from the AstraTough range of speciality formulations. Typically this includes products like fertilizer and lawn dressings that are loaded and unloaded by hand or on mechanical bag stackers. Durability to withstand these conditions is extremely important, as breakages lead to the loss of significant value. ‘We at ERP can be justifiably proud of the equipment now in place – and we have a new eightcolour printer on its way which will boost our capabilities on that front too,’ says Ramon. ‘These technical advances will enable us to devise new solutions for customers and consumers alike, and that’s good for business.’ ASTRAPAK NEWS 11
Page 1 and 2: Edition 3, 2011 A world of opportun
Page 3 and 4: Message for the Festive Season It
Page 5 and 6: warehousing if required in the futu
Page 7 and 8: Packaging that’s as smart as a fo
Page 9: Courtesy of Plastics|SA and Plastic

Reaching for the stars

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