Swift service seals the deal

While slow and steady supposedly wins the race, speed is essential to winning new business. After two decades of supplying flexible packaging solutions to an international customer base, KM Packaging Services knows the importance of speed when securing new clients.

The company says its speedy turnaround was what secured its latest order from Australian fresh food producer GA Zimbulis and Sons. Zimbulis approached UK-based KM Packaging to help it meet a tight launch date for a new range of ready-to-roast meals.

Following an in-depth review of the product specifications, KM Packaging was able to quickly identify the most suitable lidding film material, carry out initial performance tests on comparable aluminium foil trays and deliver trail reels overnight to Zimbulis’s production facility in Canning Vale in Western Australia.

The rapid response time allowed Zimbulis to undertake its own material assessments and learn how the lidding film would perform within real processing environments.

“KM Packaging’s speed of response has been impeccable and we have been hugely impressed by the service we have received,” said Michael Leen, Product and Business Development Manager for Zimbulis.

“Despite being over eight thousand miles away, our trial film reels arrived almost instantly and our full order was on site with us within a week of us placing our PO.

“Not only has KM Packaging been able to respond directly to our needs very quickly, but this has, in turn, helped us to meet the needs of our customer and ultimately help them launch a very successful product without any technical issues.”

Zimbulis’s key requirement for the lidding film was that it would deliver a reliable and secure seal that would ensure maximum product safety. Zimbulis found that the material supplied by KM Packaging demonstrated superior ‘sealability’ and ‘peelability’. From a retailer’s point of view, this enabled maximum shelf life and security; from the point of view of consumers, it was easy to use.

Made from polyester-based laminate, the high barrier lidding film is suitable for sealing meat products and other gas flush applications. In addition, it has excellent antifog and hot tack properties.

Zimbulis’s product comes with a watch-strap sleeve around the aluminium tray, so the clarity of the film was essential to maximise shelf appeal.

“The material supplied by KM Packaging is of extremely high quality,” Leen said. “The performance of the film has been outstanding and we are thrilled that our customer has been able to achieve the shelf life and beautiful presentation that they wanted.

“This could not have been done without the guidance and expertise from KM Packaging and we would be more than happy to recommend them to food manufacturers all over the world.

“Although the company is based in the UK, it operates like a local supplier. The efficiency of the KM Packaging team has been wonderful and no matter where their customers are in the world, we are confident that they will experience the same impressive level of service as we have.”