From left to right: Joan Hanegraaf, Johan Kranenbroek, Ina Adema, Egbert Lichtenberg, Kees van Rooij and Rob Verhagen
The new building makes it possible to continue to meet the expected growth and sustainability in the market for high-quality flexible plastic films and packaging. Oerlemans Plastics has been active in this market since 1972 and will continue to expand its capacity as a producer and knowledge partner. The visit from administrative Brabant falls in the middle of the anniversary year, in which the 50th anniversary will be celebrated.
Director Johan Kranenbroek informed the guests about the momentum, in which the producer finds itself: “With this expansion, the company is making great strides based on extrusion capabilities (manufacturing plastic film and packaging) and offers new opportunities in the national and international market. The focus is on making barrier packaging, which is recyclable and offers a more sustainable alternative in terms of packaging for many products from the food world.”
“The expansion doubles the size of the current location on the Rietdijk industrial estate in Giessen, which already houses a print shop, warehouse, office, laboratory (OTC) and repro center (ORC),” clarifies Joan Hanegraaf; DGA CEO of the OPACKGROUP. Hanegraaf leads a group of seven producers with ten locations throughout the Netherlands, who collectively are in the leading group in the Benelux when it comes to making flexible packaging. “By combining knowledge and skills in research and reprography, for example, all companies in the group benefit from this expertise, but moreover our customers and other stakeholders.”
Especially for the OPACKGROUP’s sustainable profile, director of sustainability Rob Verhagen is developing a strategic program that is in line with the directives, which are being implemented from the government at both national and European level. “Consider the transition to the use of recyclable packaging in almost all the markets we serve,” Verhagen says. “As a manufacturer, we think along based on practical knowledge about the feasibility of the steps to be taken in changing packaging. The commissioner and mayors were also explained the strategy taken by the producer under the name IMPACT, which stands for Innovation, Employees, Partners, Ambassadorship, Climate Impact and Transparency. The last letter of this program was immediately applied in a beautiful way with the company visit.
