PETpla.net Insider 09 / 2010

imprint EDITORIAL PUBLISHER Alexander Büchler, Managing Director HEAD OFFICE heidelberg business media GmbH Landhausstr. 4 69115 Heidelberg, Germany phone: +49(0)6221-65108-0 fax: +49(0)6221-65108-28 info@hbmedia.net EDITORIAL Doris Fischer f ischer@hbmedia.net Michael Maruschke Ruari McCallion Tony O´Neill Ilona Trotter Wolfgang von Schroeter Anthony Withers MEDIA CONSULTANTS Ute Andrä andrae@hbmedia.net Miriam Kiesler kiesler@hbmedia.net phone: +49(0)6221-65108-0 fax: +49(0)6221-65108-28 France, Italy, Spain, UK Elisabeth Maria Köpke phone: +49(0)6201-878925 fax: +49(0)6201-878926 koepke@hbmedia.net LAYOUT AND PREPRESS EXPRIM Kommunikationsdesign www.exprim.de READER SERVICES Kay Krüger reader@hbmedia.net PRINT WDW Druck GmbH Gustav-Throm-Straße 1 69181 Leimen-St.Ilgen Germany WWW www.petpla.net | in dia.petpla.net PETplanet insider ISSN 1438-9459 is published 10 times a year. This publication is sent to qualified subscribers (1-year subscription 149 EUR, 2-year subscription 289 EUR, Young professionals’ sub- scription 99 EUR. Magazines will be dispatched to you by airmail). Not to be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher. Note: The fact that product names may not be identified as trade marks is not an indication that such names are not registered trademarks. 3 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 09/10 www.petpla.net In this issue we start our market report on France, covering the economy, beverage market data and the PET story of this country, which - with global converters, global fillers and global makers of PET machinery - has played a major role in the history of the PET con- tainer. The following three issues will continue the France report, where we will be covering our meetings with several of the big players in the French PET market. Cooperation in regional reporting As for many of the preceding regional market reports in PETplanet Insider, we also owe our thanks to the French for giving us their support. We owe thanks to all those who were instrumental in creating this report, who supported us, talked to us openly and have allowed us a close look into their businesses. It has been our experience that readiness for such open communication varies from one country to another as well as from one company to another. Clearly it depends on the individual manager in charge. If, for instance, a leading manufacturer (name withheld) went out of his way in Brazil to support our Focus on Brazil, but the same manufacturer had no time in France for our Focus on France, it seems to us that this is not company policy but an individual decision. Or, in another French instance, a prominent filler and brand owner (name again withheld) refused to let us visit his factory in case we discovered that he is co-packing for others. But in general our reception in France was outstanding, and almost perfect. Fair and factual reporting about PET and the beverage business can only be achieved together with the players in the market, with their willingness to cooperate and with their knowledge and experience. Only by the participation of the key players can justice be done, and of course will be done where possible. Fact checking Right from the start in 2006 the regional reports were more than a summary of collected facts and data. Since each regional market has its own flavour, its particular people and personalities, and its competitive atmosphere, we wanted to write about all this, about our very personal observations, impressions and reflections. But here we often step on sensitive ground, since our observations are not necessarily identical with the views that a company has of itself, or in concert with the aims of some marketing department. As a matter of routine the reports are sent to the companies concerned for so-called “fact checking”. As the word implies facts should be checked, also quotations should be changed if the person interviewed wishes to complement his statement. But the writer’s observations should not be changed. These are personal views. We recall that over the years, in the majority of instances, our text was treated with full respect. In other instances it was returned almost totally re-written - the latter of course being unacceptable. In France writing about the beauti- ful landscape full of well-laid-out vineyards such as around St. Alban or Lake Geneva, was seen as quite acceptable. Descriptions of the very lean organisational structures of family- owned companies, the powerful presence of pioneering market leaders in Le Havre, and also Luxembourg, and all other complementary features of the PET protagonists, does not present a problem. The position becomes controversial however when it comes to quoting precise numbers, touching on the controversy of bottled water versus tap water, or flakes versus pellets for recycling, or the issue of carbon footprint and its influence on the environment, or the conflict of established brands and traditional businesses with private brands, or where the activities of co-packers or company strategies are critically reflected. Uncomfortable messages are part of regional reporting and should remain there. To all of our PET friends, who will surely invite us in future for the sake of market report- ing: Kindly accept the concept of the Regional Market Reports. Please check facts and quo- tation, but please leave the text and interpretation to the writer. In this way we will be able to deliver a true, well-balanced and objective picture of the regional market - which is, after all, the reason why the series is successful and is read in 137 countries world wide. Many thanks, Yours, Wolfgang von Schroeter EDITORIAL dear readers,