PETpla.net Insider 03 / 2012

EDITOUR REPORTS 34 PET planet insider Vol. 13 No. 03/12 www.petpla.net Wide variety under a small roof A small company servicing a very wide range of different needs: that is Plamegal Trio. Some time after the company’s establishment in the vicinity of Zagreb in 1991, Plamegal Trio was to be found initially specialising in the manufacture of COEX- and PE bottles and cans in the agro-chemicals und mineral oils sectors. However, the up-and-coming market in the still young and independent state of Croatia quickly convinced the company that it needed to embark on a signifi- cant expansion of its product range as well as making some changes to its products. It was here that, in 2005, they first launched production of PET bottles, jars and cans. Touring the production area at the rear of the company building, Mr Mrsic explains that Plamegal Trio has opted for machines from ASB, four examples of which, namely two each NB10LCs and ASB-50MBs, are currently in service. The container and bottle sizes vary depending on the ml range and culminate in volumetric capacities of up to 5l. What the company is really interested in are the possibilities for manufacturing a wide range of products as well as prod- uct flexibility, wholly as defined by the respective customer requirement. And, despite the fact that the different applica- tions derived from the foodstuffs and chemicals industries only account for small quantities, the company’s annual output is approximately 20 million units plus, of which around 60% are PET products. Today Plamegal Trio supplies Italy, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Macedonia in addition to the Croatian market and neighbouring countries. www.plamegal-trio.hr Jamnica We met: Mr Darko Vernik, Plant Manager, Mr Mario Kernjus, Representative of GEA Procomac (from left to right) Darko Vernik, Mario Kernjus and Kay Krüger in front of the Editourmobil Water from Croatia The Jamnica plant is situated south-west of Zagreb, at the “Jana” company premises. This plant is one of a total of three Jamnica group plants situated in the surrounding area and was established in 2002. The first and oldest of these plants is the Jamnica plant which has its headquarters in Pisarovina. In all plants high quality natural mineral water is bottled, both with and without CO2, but more of this later. However, by now we have already placed on record that Jamnica is, with a market share of 80% in Croatia and an export volume of approx. 100 My port of call was Ljubljana, where my first interview is with the bottler Mirna Dana to learn about the varied tastes of the market and the company’s product portfo- lio. Many years ago the company discovered a spring in its grounds and they have used the water for bottling ever since. I then visit Pivovarna Union in the city centre. They have been producing beer since 1864, and since the collapse of the former Yugoslavia, they have marketed bottled water in a variety of flavours. After an interest- ing tour of the plant, including the factory museum, I have to get to my next appointment one hour away at Pivovarna Lasko, the main shareholder of Pivovarna Union. Sadly, due to heavy traffic, I was late and my interview partner Mr. Miro Firm had to leave, so I had to content myself with a few photos of the plant. My next objective is Radenci, where I have a meeting with Radenska, also part of the Pivovarna group. The following day Mr. Martin Lah, Techni- cal Department Manager of Radenska, gives me an interesting exposition on the traditions and widespread popularity of bottled water here. My visit is all too short as I have to move on to Croatia, where I have two appoint- ments at Plamegal Trio (Zagreb) and Jamnica, their Jana plant. Plamegal trio Director Mr Ivo Mrsic gives me a rapid tour of the factory including the PET production line. My next stop is at water bottlers Jamnica, where I meet GEA repre- sentative Mario Kernjus and Mr Darko Vernik, plant manager. Jamnica and Jana have a large catchment area which is undoubtedly reflected in the size of the factory. A few final pic- tures of the Editourmobil and I set off for Sofia. - Kay Krüger -