LoeschPack develops and produces innovative packaging concepts, system and service solutions with the highest level of professionalism and flexibility. The experts see it as their duty to create added value for their customers. An interview with Managing Director Andreas Graf.
LoeschPack offers a broad, high-quality machine programme for all areas of automatic packaging of confectionery, chocolate and long-life baked goods as well as chewing gum and non-food articles. The company is one of the market leaders in the area of fold wrapping for chocolate and chewing gum. The continuous expansion and improvement of the product portfolio supports the expansion of the market position. The first horizontal flow-wrapping applications were positioned on the market in 2015. The specialists offer a High-end premium product with plenty of potential for expansion in the target industries and in the format sector. As a result, Loesch is increasingly developing into a provider of complex packaging systems in order to be able to supply flexible packaging systems from a single source with a full service package.
Andreas Graf in an interview
On the results to date, further development steps and visions, we have Managing Director Andreas Graf interviewed.
pj: Mr Graf, LoeschPack recently attracted attention with premieres at FachPack and previously also at interpack 2014 and ProSweets 2015. Have the developments been put into practice?
Andreas Graf: Yes, you could say that. We have been innovating very strongly in recent years and generate a large proportion of our machine sales precisely with these new products, which are strongly orientated towards the needs of our customers. We hold a lot of discussions to find out what the trends of the future are and how we can strengthen our customers in order to put this into practice. To the ProSweets 2015 we presented one of our biggest new developments in recent years: a Horizontal tubular bag platform, Loesch FSeries.
Loesch originally came from the folding wrapping sector, but this addition became unavoidable due to explicit demand. Our customers want everything from a single source and a reliable partner for their added value in the packaging sector. We have therefore invested a lot of development potential in this project and have already set standards in the market with the first machine. Other machines are already running successfully in production and the first major projects have been realised. Since the launch, we have implemented hugely important development steps to adapt the platform to a wide range of products and formats - and with great success.
But we have not rested on our laurels when it comes to fold wrapping either. Another focus of our development activities is the continuous improvement of the machines that have made us great. At FachPack 2015, we were able to present for the first time a Fold wrapping machine (LRM-HS) The chocolate bars are packaged tightly. This step was essential, especially for markets that require particularly tight packaging due to climatic conditions.
To summarise, I can say that the development of our new machines is very much geared towards the needs of our customers, the developments have been put into practice and you can look forward to seeing what else we will be presenting in the coming years.
pj: What is special about the solutions?
Andreas Graf: The confectionery industry, from which we mainly come, is an incredibly dynamic sector. Manufacturers are trying to differentiate themselves through their products, but also through a wide variety of packaging, and to achieve competitive advantages. This is where we come in. For decades, Loesch has been known for developing unusual and extremely flexible solutions and innovative packaging styles together with its customers. We take a lot of time to listen to our customers' various interest groups and develop customised solutions. With our technology, we are at the forefront of both fold wrapping and flow wrapping and can offer our customers the flexibility they need to expand their market position. In recent years, we have focussed specifically on the entire value chain of our customers in the packaging sector, where we can offer them the best possible solutions thanks to the Combination fold wrap and Tubular bag flexible, unique and efficient solutions.
pj: What are the advantages for customers and consumers?
Andreas Graf: Our customers benefit from the high standards of hygiene, The flexible and often tool-free maintenance and format changeovers, but of course also the high line efficiency, with Loesch complete packages available from a single source. But end users naturally also benefit from the innovative approaches. On the one hand, the Product protection a major role and on the other hand, of course, the „Look and feel“ fit. A product, especially when it comes to food, must be perfectly hygienically packaged and reliably protected from external influences. And the packaging should, of course, appeal to the consumer. It is the first contact with a product on the supermarket shelf or in the online shop and must be convincing right from the start. The purchase decision and the decision to make repeat purchases are often made not least because of the packaging and thus contribute to a successful product.
pj: How will the development continue? Will the ProSweets a further step presented?
Andreas Graf: The development is in full swing, we have a highly flexible and Modular tubular bag platform which we are working on successively expanding. In future, there will be a very large format range and the possibility of packaging a wide variety of items on the F-Series. In just a few days, we will be presenting the next stage of development in Cologne, a flexible packaging line for chocolate bars in the high-performance range. But of course this is not the only project we are working on. We will be presenting further key new developments in 2016 and will be positioning ourselves at interpack 2017 with a firework display of innovations - you will be surprised.
pj: What are the market's objectives and how does LoeschPack want to position itself?
Andreas Graf: The objectives are clearly defined and can be easily summarised: System efficiency and performance, product protection, flexibility and quality. LoeschPack will continue to focus on these objectives and further optimise its product portfolio with regard to these aspects. In addition to the continuous improvement of our machine applications, we will also continue to develop in the direction of a system provider and constantly expand our portfolio in this direction. The market wants Complete solutions along its value chain - we already offer this to our customers today, but in the future we will increasingly focus on broadening our portfolio.
[infotext icon]On the ProSweets 2016 the packaging machine manufacturer will be presenting its innovative system solution for tightly sealed fold wrapping and flow-wrapping, emphasising its expertise as a system provider in the premium segment. The innovative fold wrapping machine is unique in that it offers a free choice of sealing or non-sealing options. Without the sealing function, the single-lane version can even pack up to 600 products per minute[/infotext].
