At Zacpac, the client comes first, so its new $25m packaging plant is open and running, while its new offices are still under construction. The facility built by the family owned business spreads across 8000sqm in Stapylton, Queensland. The company has grown by more than 30% year on year over the last three years, and this huge expansion project is in response to an influx of major multinational clients in the food and beverage, personal care, and wine markets.
It will significantly expand the company’s production of its corrugated packaging, litho laminated packaging, and litho cartons when it is fully operational in early 2015. By the end of this year, the new production hub will employ 30 people. Director, John Zac, plans to grow this to more than 100 in the following year, while increasing production and services from northern NSW to North Queensland.
One of the first machines to go into the Stapylton stable is not a high output machine for Zacpac’s large volume clients. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The BCS Autobox automated custom box maker supplied by DES, is now firing out boxes in runs as short as one. It is the first full installation of its kind in Australia, and the machine at the Stapylton plant will produce boxes for the whole group. The Autobox can manufacture boxes in any size or shape – from a small cupcake box up to a double sized fridge. It shifts from one style or size to another automatically, and starts producing straight away.
“The machine suits the company’s focus on shorter runs, which sets it apart from larger competitors who accept only high volume, high output jobs. As well as our big multinational clients, our customers also include mum and dad businesses working out of rental factories, who may only order 150-200 boxes at a time,” John Zac noted.
“While our machines are also high speed and high output, we go shopping for specific equipment like the Autobox to serve shorter runs. Even with our high-speed machines we can produce runs of just 250 boxes. Our opposition’s minimum is more like 2500.
The new production hub will complement the company’s existing distribution warehouse on the Gold Coast and shorten turnaround times for customers based as far north as Cairns.
John Zac added, “The latest expansion is all about living up to new clients’ expectations while maintaining service for our existing customers. Our customers expect us to deliver the most excellent of services, high quality, and the quickest possible turnaround, and we commit to delivering exactly that from order placement to delivery.”
“As we introduce a new machine, we install it and get it up and running. So we are slowly adding the next machine, and the next, and so on, to get production going at the new site. A project like this does not happen overnight. We will begin employing new staff as we add new machinery, and with each new machine we install, we will need more people at the company, thus creating more jobs.”
