HIGH-TECH CORE VALUES Sonoco Alcore is part of Sonoco, a global provider of consumer packaging, industrial products and protective packaging. The Sonoco Group is a global leader in a broad range of packaging businesses from rigid paper, flexibles and plastics to industrial products such as tubes and cores, reels and spools. It is also one of the world’s largest recyclers. Philip Yorke talked to Florian Heil, Sonoco Alcore’s new segment and key account manager, and Markku Ronnila, the company’s product manager for paper mill cores, about their next generation products and move into new markets.
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onoco is a $5 billion global provider of industrial and consumer packaging that was founded over 115 years ago in Hartsville, South Carolina, USA. The company’s first product was a coneshaped yarn carrier used for winding and transporting yarns. Since most of the textile cones of that day were wooden, paper cones were a novelty and this resulted in the company soon becoming the leading manufacturer of cones in the United States. Sonoco has grown consistently and today leads the world in its chosen packaging disciplines with 330 operations in 34 countries worldwide that serve customers in almost 100 countries on five continents. Like Sonoco, Sonoco Alcore works in close collaboration with its clients to develop and deliver innovative solutions that enhance and optimise manufacturing businesses’ efficiency and profitability. Sonoco Alcore delivers tube and core solutions and services to its customers in the paper, film, man-made fibre, yarn, metal and construction industries. The company has a sales and technology group dedicated to these specific markets and has the knowledge and capabilities to identify and solve the most challenging issues facing these industries. Today Sonoco Alcore takes a holistic approach to providing customised solutions to meet its customers’ individual needs.
Next generation technology Sonoco Alcore is the leading provider of cores for all printing and writing grade core applications. Recently this important division appointed a new segment and key account manager for its PMC, EMEA operations. Florian Heil comes from a background in corrugated packaging with experience gained with market leaders. His appointment heralds a new era in the creation of innovative products and enhancement of customer services at Sonoco Alcore.
In response to the evolution of highly advanced printing technologies and the introduction of unprecedented winding speeds and reel widths, Sonoco Alcore has developed a new generation of highperformance paper mill cores for the printing industry. M-Cores are proven to offer superior performance under the most demanding operating conditions due to their world-class straightness, bending stiffness and higher E-modulus values, even when compared with traditional high-grade paper mill cores used in the printing industry. Sonoco Alcore is also the leading provider of high quality cores for rolled pulp and non-woven materials. The company’s vast range of core sizes and features are designed to meet every application and to reduce overall operating costs. Ronnila said, “We tailor-make core products for each and every requirement and location and our RFID cores help significantly when it comes to operational savings and logistics. We make cores for wide web applications and in 2011 invested heavily in new, patented technology. We develop packaging paper cores for winding speeds up to 3000 metres a minute and our new technology means that these speeds can be achieved without the risk of vibration.” Heil added, “We are the clear technology leaders, we sell total solutions and we can offer turnkey solutions for our customers. We are committed to creating innovative products that add value and efficiency to our customers’ manufacturing processes. We have two labs in Finland and one in Germany dedicated to core technologies involving such things as dynamic strength and constant speed. We have plants throughout Europe and have three facilities in Russia. You will be able to learn more about our operations in Russia and our latest products at the Rosupack, Moscow trade fair from the 14–17 June this year, where we will have a major presence.”
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