Baker Labels has added automated pouch insertion for its BakPac trade pouches division. The £500,000 plus investment brings the Brentwood business two Totani pouch inserters and the capacity to deliver 30,000 spouted pouches a week.
The business has been able to add spouts to its pouches whether by hand or by a Galaxy line with limited capacity. Now in line with a philosophy of investing in equipment that trade customers are unlikely to justify, BakPac has created another niche for itself.
Baker Labels managing director Steve Baker says: “Spouted pouches are a really exciting area for BakPac. The refill market in the UK is still at an early stage, but we believe it is a question of when, not if, demand grows. We wanted to invest now, get really good at the process and make sure we have the capacity and capability in place before the market really accelerates.
“There is also a strong trade supply opportunity here. We know there are other UK pouch producers and trade customers who may not have dedicated spout insertion capability, or the capacity to take on higher volume spouted pouch work.”
The company is sticking to a 7-10 day turnaround for orders and will stick to the 500 product minimum order quantity that applies to pouches. This is possible because the Totani equipment is both fast and simple to makeready and there is little wastage. The lower barrier than thought possible enables customers to test new products or skus and allows start up companies to design packaging that stands alongside that from the largest companies in any market.
Spouted pouches are proving popular in health and wellness, drinks and spirits (pre mixed cocktails especially), household products and automotive. Other sectors are expected to move in this direction to replace heavier jars, tubs and bottles with packaging that can be refilled and if using Baker’s Mono material, packaging that can be recycled.
The Totani machines sit alongside BakPac’s Galaxy pouch making lines in the unit that is a few metres down hill from the main factory. Baker is already contemplating further investment in capacity, something that would entail a rethink of how production is arranged.
Baker says: “This is a significant investment, but it is also the start of where we believe this market can go. For challenger brands especially, spouted pouches offer the opportunity to start small, test the market and scale with a packaging partner that has the speed, quality and flexibility to support them.”
It also keeps the company ahead of the pack. When Baker Labels first invested in pouch production it was one of the few capable of doing so. Today many companies are able to print digitally and finish the standard up pouch. Investment in spout insertion equipment returns the uniqueness that BakPac has had.
