Sweet or salty? Propak packages it all
The Turkish packaging manufacturer for snacks has been part of the Constantia Flexibles Group for half a year. It's about time to get to know the company better.
In the last decade, Propak has established itself as one of the largest packaging suppliers in the European snacks market. Since June 2021, the company has enriched Constantia Flexibles Group and with its 352 additional packaging experts is now further contributing to its business growth. Pim Vervaat, CEO of Constantia Flexibles, states, “The acquisition is another important step on our Vision 2025 growth strategy and strengthens our position as a main player in the European packaging industry.”
The market & its shares
The youngest Constantia subsidiary is based in Turkey. Propak mainly serves Western and Northern Europe but is also covering Eastern Europe and the Middle East from its three locations: One office in Istanbul and Izmir each, and a flagship production site in Düzce. With ca. 60% of its business in the snacks market, Propak is a well-renowned leader in this field, but has also built up a presence in the markets for confectionary and dry food. Having state-of-the-art technology in its production site Düzce, Propak offers excellent quality flexo and gravure printing, adhesive lamination, especially for film laminates, and applications such as cold seal and heat seal lacquering wax and hot melt coating. The company is also very experienced in the film sector, so they have positioned themselves as a top supplier for leading brands in the industry.
The acquisition & its impact
"We were honored that a company of our size stood out on the international stage and was approached by a big player like Constantia Flexibles. I think our products lead our reputation," says a delighted Rifat Pullukcu, Sales & Marketing Director at Constantia Propak. He is one of the people responsible for the Turkish packaging company's great success. The workforce has responded very positively to the acquisition. They are very motivated and see good opportunities to develop further and possibly take on more significant roles within the company. In any case, the employees feel at home and are aware of an internationally active company's advantage. The colleagues at Constantia Propak see their strength in flexibility and high service level, which are also prerequisites for a customer-oriented approach. They feel to be a great addition to Constantia Flexibles. So is the development of new markets. "We are closing a gap," continues Rifat Pullukcu.
The workforce & their spirit
Teamwork is paramount, and Propak colleagues are a highly supportive group committed to the company as if it was their own. "There is a lot of heart and soul in it, across all generations, across all departments. Everyone wants to represent the company in the best possible way," says Rifat Pullukcu, explaining the working atmosphere. They learn quickly and implement this accordingly - with high quality. True to the motto "The customer is king," the teams also serve internal departments such as Sales.
The history & its future
Propak Ambalaj was founded in Turkey in the late 1970s. The company was the first flexo printing house to belong to a Turkish industrial group until 2007. Between 2007 and 2021, Propak was majority-owned by different investment funds until Constantia Flexibles acquired it in June 2021. In the past, the company had a small budget and few resources for innovation. By joining the Group, Constantia Propak has gained additional entry routes to the market, e.g., by producing the more sustainable EcoLam Mono PE innovation for the snacks market at the Düzce plant.
