Formika is a leading packaging producer for the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Based in Poland, the company is committed to sustainability, quality, service and product safety. CEO Pawel Gurgul discussed the company’s mission and achievements, in conversation with Antonia Cole.
With one of the most modern factories in Europe, Formika is a leader of the packaging sector, CEO Pawel Gurgul said: “We are the bes t in class when it comes to quality and efficiency. Formika supplies over five billion packages annually to 40 countries across four continents. From Australia and Indonesia to Norway and beyond, our products make the lives of people all over the world easier.”
Founded in 1978 as an automotive parts supplier, Formika transitioned to selling packaging for the food market in 1991. As the first company to use the pressure and injection method, Formika became a leader in the Polish market and began attracting foreign investors.
In 1998, the company expanded its capabilities by using UV-flexo technology for aluminium lids. This was the first instance of this technology being used in Poland, which previously only had access to lower quality solvent-based flexo.
Formika continued to grow and modernise facilities with the introduction of a fully integrated ERP system and new presses in 2010. Four years later, the company opened its new production plant, featuring Eastern Europe’s only D Class clean room. The 6,000m2 plant has a capacity of
100,000,000 MB and some of Europe’s most advanced machinery.
“Due to the rapid growth of the company, 2019 saw the construction of another plant,” added Mr Gurgul. “Featuring a modern induction warehouse, a white room for pharmaceutical prints, halls for tube production, printing and cutting facilities, plus a new office space, the additional factory offers flexibility and security to our operation.”
Commitment to quality
In 2023, Formika generated a revenue of €62 million. The company employs 268 people and is committed to providing
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comprehensive training to each staff member, encouraging growth and supporting the success of Formika.
“We ensure that all staff members are kept up to date with the most modern
techniques and standards,” explained Mr Gurgul. “We are a very innovative company, and to support our advanced machinery, we need our skilled team of experts to maintain safety and quality levels.”
Formika has a broad portfolio of state-of-the-art equipment including eight printing lines dedicated to pharmaceuticals, with a capacity of 132 million running metres. There are 14 die cutting lines with a capacity of five billion lids and five rewinding lines with a capacity of 180km.
The company also has two tube lines, producing up to 45 million tubes. The D Class clean room has 26 HEPA filtres, sterile conditions, a system of locks and
specific pressure levels to ensure safe pharmaceutical packaging production.
“This year, we are investing in another tube line and are going to install a new hybrid machine,” continues Mr Gurgul. “This technology combines analogue flex with digital technology, resulting in improved print quality and safety. We are committed to innovation, and these investments will upgrade and expand our capabilities.”
Along with the modernisation of equipment, Formika has also been updating facilities to minimise environmental impacts. The company has implemented renewable energy into operations with
the installation of solar panels and has also added heat pumps to limit natural gas consumption.
By conducting energy audits, Formika is able to identify areas for sustainable improvement and minimise energy consumption. Initiatives such as automatic lighting and limiting resource usage all work to limit the company’s environmental impact.
“All of these investments contributed to us winning a 2024 Forbes Diamond award,” said Mr Gurgul. “The award recognises our increased value as a company and how we’ve demonstrated dynamic growth over the past few years. We are very proud of
receiving this award as it encapsulates all the work we are doing in innovation, sustainability and understanding customer needs.”
Community impact
Another recent achievement for Formika is the 10-year anniversary of the Formika for Children Foundation. The philosophy of the foundation is to offer support to children and young people who are suffering from personal or economic hardship and provide equalising development opportunities.
Since 2014, the foundation has helped more than 5,000 people, organised over 300 support projects and offered afterschool activities to almost 600 children. Additionally, it has sponsored holidays for 170 children and school lunches for 700 children in need.
“There is also a programme called Power4Future that is creating a scholarship for 43 young people and another project where 27 orphanages and daycare centres were renovated,” commented Mr Gurgul. “This is only a selection of the great work the foundation is doing. At Formika, we are all very proud of the foundation and there are many volunteers within the company dedicated to improving the lives of young people.”
As well as supporting communities, Formika is helping clients to be more sustainable through research and development into environmentally friendly packaging. The company is focusing on the use of mono materials, from CPP lids and PP cups to PET lids, green PE and
HDPE tubes. Formika’s R&D department has developed these materials to offer exceptional quality while also being recyclable and having a limited environmental impact.
“Our eco-tubes are made from high-quality materials and use 45 per cent less packaging in the tube body,” added Mr Gurgul. “We are also now producing post-consumer recycling tubes, which significantly improves the environmental footprint of both us and our customers. There are always new innovations and technologies entering the market and we strive to stay on top of these and make our operation as sustainable as possible.”
Collaborative success
Formika hopes to strengthen its position in the European market by attending events such as FACHPACK. Through involvement in large industry conventions, the company can interact with new potential customers, showcase its portfolio and build upon existing relationships throughout the sector.
Events are a great opportunity for Formika to not only increase brand awareness, but to also gather feedback and market research. The company welcomes open discussions with customers so as to better understand consumer and client needs, as well as to discover new market innovations.
“As a company, it is so important for us to build up these relationships on trust,” said Mr Gurgul, in conclusion. “We maintain open lines of communication to understand our partners’ needs and strive to be a strong and reliable partner in return. Going forward, we hope to work with our partners and suppliers to limit the impact of our supply chain and drive the industry towards net zero emissions.
“The passion and energy within the Formika team will allow us to minimise our own impact and provide sustainable solutions to customers. The company is always developing new ideas and initiatives to help people and the planet. We have built our company culture on innovation, and this will propel us into a greener future.” n
