Georg Menshen - Understanding the world as a market

In 1970, Arnold Menshen founded a company that still bears the name Georg Menshen GmbH & Co. KG to this day. This developed into a successful group of companies. Menshen, based in Finnentrop in the Sauerland region, produces high-quality plastic closures and system packaging worldwide.

The slogan for the innovative product developments is: „MENSHEN MAKES IT HAPPEN!“ Founder Arnold Menshen (1928-2012) from Werdohl certainly didn't have this saying on his lips when he returned to his hometown in October 1945 after the final chaos of the war. He initially worked in a car repair shop before starting work as a driver for a scrap metal dealer in 1951. Two years later, he set up his own scrap metal business. In 1959, he married Ursula Kracht, with whom he had three children. All five became partners in LUKAD Holding, which was founded later: L(utz), U(rsula), K(nut), A(rnold), D(orle). Through his marriage, Arnold Menshen came into close contact with the Stauffenberg company, another important part of LUKAD. This company manufactures pipe fastening clamps using the plastic injection moulding process, the so-called „Stauff clamps“.

From South Westphalia into the world

In 1970, Arnold Menshen began manufacturing these pipe fastening clamps himself. He rented a garage in a small village in the Sauerland region and started producing his „Stauff clamps“ with three employees and three machines. This was also the beginning of a new era, as the initial scrap trade developed into a group of companies that would have a lasting influence on developments in the world of hydraulics, packaging and plastic closures.

In 1972, the company moved to its current location in Finnentrop for capacity reasons. Since then, all the company's business activities have been centred there. Only a short time after the development of the „Stauff clamps“, Menshen took over the Production of plastic closures on. This division grew steadily. In the years after 1972, both the STAUFF Group and the MENSHEN Group expanded. However, they still have one thing in common: they are both owner-managed and thus send out a signal that characteristics such as down-to-earthness, commitment, a long-term approach, family awareness and tradition are not just empty words. They are the guarantors of a successful corporate culture, philosophy and strategy.

High-quality plastic closures and successful system packaging

It is no coincidence that Menshen, with around 1,300 employees worldwide, generates a turnover of over 200 million euros, making it a global market leader from South Westphalia. The most recent production facility was opened in Guangzhou in 2014 as the second site in China. Today, Menshen stands for high-quality plastic closures and successful system packaging worldwide. These are products for the cosmetics, chemical, detergent and food industries.

It is highly likely that each of us holds a product in our hands once a day in whose manufacture Menshen is involved in some way. Today, the company is around the globe represented. There are currently 14 production sites and branches in eleven countries. At the same time, this is also a sign of trust and a guarantee for successful, long-term customer relationships. Although the competitive market is largely saturated, the packaging specialists have been able to score points with a high level of customer satisfaction for decades. However, innovation also means cooperating with other institutions that are scientifically active in the research sector in the area of individual materials, for example.

Menshen has been thinking ahead and has had a production site in Barcelona for years, where its developers work closely with the relevant departments at the university there. The company is therefore not only close by, but right in the middle of product research and realisation. Here too, the path to success could not be shorter. These are unique selling points that are not easy to copy. Menshen is thus focussing on sustainability and future-oriented environmental awareness.

Development milestones

In the early 1980s, the number of employees in Finnentrop grew to a total of 70 and the number of machines to over 50. Progressive globalisation and the market's increasing demands for flexibility, quality, speed and pricing were the starting signal for Menshen to expand not only in the Sauerland region, but throughout the world. Gradually, new production facilities were opened in Europe and around the world and an international sales and dealer structure was established.

The customers grew and went out into the world and Menshen did the same. To this day, the former three-man operation with three machines has grown into an internationally positioned global market leader with its own development departments and a tool and special machine construction department, as well as around 1,300 employees and over 350 machines, producing over ten billion closure and packaging components every year.

Menshen - Milestones of development

1970 Foundation of GeorgMenshen GmbH & Co. KG
1972 Foundation of Waldwick Plastics, Waldwick (NJ), USA
1992 Opening of the new Menshen Packaging UK site in Cardiff
1995 Expansion of the Menshen Group through Menshen Emballage, France
1996 Growth in Southern Europe: launch of Menshen Iber in Barcelona
1998 Foundation of Menshen Mexicana SRL in Toluca, Mexico
1998 Opening of Menshen Packaging Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China
2000 Expansion of the production network by Menshen Kunststofftechnik, Sundern-Hagen, Germany
2004 Introduction of class 10,000 clean room production
2005 Now also in Russia: Menshen Packaging CIS founded in Egorievsk
2010 Shanghai: Installation of a clean room and relocation to larger premises
2011 Start of the assembly centre in Plettenberg-Kahley
2012 Integration of in-house special machine construction into the assembly centre
2014 Opening of Menshen Packaging Co. Ltd, Guangzhou, China
2016 Doubling of production in Shanghai[/infotext]

In addition to the steady international growth, the invested in the German locations. In recent years, the entire machinery has been brought up to the latest state of the art, new production halls have been built and investments have been made in sustainability, energy efficiency and environmental compatibility. A clear commitment by the owners to the German sites and therefore an important signal.

Diversity in series - customised packaging

Whether bottle, pouch or tube closures, system packaging or other injection-moulded packaging components from the extensive product portfolio or packaging solutions tailored to individual customer requirements: Reliability in series production and flexibility combined with creativity for special customer wishes and requirements characterise Menshen in a dense market environment. Continuous adaptation of the standard programme to market and customer requirements and the development of innovative and highly functional closures - often in collaboration with the customer - are evidence of the packaging specialist's innovative spirit.

As early as 1989, long before pouch packaging entered the world of packaging on a large scale, Menshen laid the foundation for the new packaging system. first closure for flexible packaging on. Many terms were used to describe the functionality of this new type of closure: Pourer or pouring aid, weld-in part or bag closure. At Menshen they are called World Spouts.

The field spouts are constantly being optimised and adapted to new customer and market requirements. Menshen now probably has the most comprehensive product programme in this area. The importance of world spouts is also emphasised by the fact that, in addition to the German sites, their manufacture also accounts for a large proportion of production in the Russian, Mexican, US and Chinese production facilities.

Marketing-effective development - target group-orientated differentiation

Packaging and its closures are constantly evolving and are an important part of a company's marketing strategy. Different industries and users therefore have different and specialised requirements for the closures of their packaging. These developments need to be met again and again with clever ideas and new developments. The fact that Menshen regularly has the right instinct here is impressively documented by Numerous packaging prizes and awards. From the German Packaging Award to the Swiss Packaging Award, the PackTheFuture Award and the World Packaging Award - new developments from Menshen are regularly among the nominees and winners.

„Those who are sustainably reliable, fast and above all innovative and creative are always a ‚nose ahead‘ of the others,“ emphasises Managing Director Ludger Braukmann.

Target group-orientated closures as a differentiating feature testify to expertise, creativity and innovative spirit. So what do the market and its consumers currently want? This is the question that takes centre stage when developing new products.

One example of a successful and extremely successful market launch is the ChokeSafeCap, a swallow-proof pouch closure from Menshen. Especially choke-proof closures for small children and a closure design that is also suitable for senior citizens help manufacturers to score points with consumers. With its innovative ChokeSafeCap closure solution, Menshen has developed an interesting range of different variants for food manufacturers.

Several basic variants are available for the production of these innovative closures, which fulfil the processing requirements of machines already in use on the market. This applies both when the product is filled through the shrink-wrapped part and when this is done via the pouch. The swallow-proof closure with improved barrier properties has a diameter of over 30 mm and is therefore significantly larger than a standard pouch closure.

Intelligent dosing - controlled product removal

From a completely different area, however „one2serve“, a flip-top closure with a valve for drip-free and controlled product dispensing. The controlled dispensing of liquid and viscous products such as honey, syrup or ketchup using a valve integrated into the closure is becoming increasingly popular. This dispensing method is also becoming increasingly popular in the personal care and detergent markets. The advantages of clean and precise dispensing are also becoming increasingly important in customers' purchasing decisions.

With its innovative development, Menshen has brought a pioneering flip-top valve closure with added value onto the market: the one-piece valve is produced without the use of silicone and instead uses a TPE, which makes the entire closure recyclable. Furthermore, additional processing, cutting and assembly steps are no longer required, as the production of the valve slit is already included in the injection moulding process. The valve therefore scores highly in terms of cost savings and sustainability.

The fact that Menshen has been talking about the „Closing disc edge“ shows its expertise in the coffee industry. Numerous customers trust the company's quality and reliability in the development and production of various coffee capsules, insert sieves and components for a wide range of coffee preparation systems.

Production and operating resources - sustainable and future-orientated

As well as being innovative in terms of its product portfolio, Menshen is also equipped for the future in terms of its production and operating resources. The production facilities manufacture according to HACCP and fulfil the strictest hygiene standards for food, such as BRC/IoP. There is also a Class 10,000 clean room production available. The production and assembly of high-precision plastic components has qualified Menshen for many years, particularly for the manufacture of plastic parts for the cosmetics and food industries.

In order to be able to professionally meet the constantly increasing demand in the markets of tomorrow, the company has continuously increased the capacity of the cleanroom, which has been installed at one of the German sites since 2004 and also in Shanghai since 2010. So the future and its challenges can come, Menshen is looking forward to it, because MENSHEN MAKES IT HAPPEN!