Balkan films processor seeks NAFTA outlet

(Gornji Milanovac) is keen to find a distributor to help it expand beyond its present market of Europe, Russia/CIS countries, and the Middle East into the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) region, marketing the company’s high-barrier food packaging film. The family-owned operation was among MPW’s 25 Notable Processors in 2006 and named 2007 Exporter of the Year by the government for its innovative packaging products, which include five-, seven-, and nine-layer gas- and moisture-barrier printed, shrink web for hard sausages, fresh meats, fish, and cheeses.

When MPW visited recently, Spektar Managing Director Zoran Djordjevic and his two sons had just taken delivery of a nine-layer, triple-bubble blown-film line, producing web in 25-100µm tolerances, from extruder manufacturer Kuhne (Sankt Augustin, Germany)—the first such unit from Kuhne. The design, says Djordjevic, is based on Spektar’s existing five- and seven-layer production experience, and he says the new line allows up to 50% better shrink properties for packaging of meats and cheeses. His son Petar says the unit will complement the company’s current offerings since the seven-layer film (40-100µm) already produced there provides better puncture resistance for packaging some products, such as fresh meat with sharp bones, than nine-layer film. “We want to be able to offer customers the optimum choice of film structures to match their product,” he says.

In the past two years the company has invested about €5 million ($6.95 million) not only in the nine-layer line, but also in a new building addition to house the extruder as well as an 8+8 color flexographic printer from Windmöller & Hölscher (Lengerich, Germany), which will be delivered in June. Interested distributors can contact the company at [email protected] and [email protected].