A new study on Turkey’s flexible packaging industry suggests the country is worth a closer look. It offers strategic insights into the opportunities and threats this burgeoning industry presents.
Explains Paul Gaster, from PCI Films Consulting: “The perception amongst European packers and retail groups is that the best Turkish converters can now match the high level of product quality and service offered by their European competitors, while often beating them on price. This is on medium specification products such as OPP//OPP laminates, but nonetheless, a specification that accounts for valuable business.”
According to PCI, in just 30 years, Turkey’s flexible packaging industry has grown to become one of the top 10 in Europe. It generated sales of €380M in 2001 and is growing at around 10 per cent per annum – four times higher than elsewhere in Western Europe.
Turkish converters are said to be becoming increasingly formidable competitors in both Eastern and Western Europe, and beyond. In spite of the country’s severe economic problems, they have a strong and growing home market (eight per cent per annum), modern plant and equipment, low imports, and exports growing at 10-12 per cent per annum – mostly to Western, Central and Southern Europe, Russia and North Africa.
PCI’s report provides statistics on substrate usage, flexible packaging production, consumption, import and export, end use volume and values from 2002 through to forecasted figures for 2007.
More information from Paul Gaster on +44 (0)1295 817670. Email: info@pcifilms.com