PETpla.net Insider 10 / 2014

EDITOUR REPORT 14 PET planet insider Vol. 15 No. 10/14 www.petpla.net preform converter market in Italy is approximately 10 bil- lion preforms.” Amos Tonoli went on: “Just to maintain our market share of 18% among the converters demands regu- lar investment in machinery optimisation, energy-reducing measures such as, for example, implementing gas heating for the dryers and possible reductions in preform weights. And we need to do all this as quickly as possible. As we say here, invest or lose out.” Tonoli continued: “This is precisely why we have invested in a further preform system with a higher number of cavities (144) for 0.5l preforms which will come into service later this year. From the point of view of applications, we envisage further growth in the sectors of detergents, household goods, foodstuffs and cosmetics, as well as in PET milk packaging. This will be the focus of our attention in the future.” Amos Tonoli gave us a brief financial summary: “In 2013 we succeeded in registering 15% growth. This year, we are once again looking at 10%, which is an ambitious goal. We are assuming the market will remain stable and that we will gain market share.” We from PETplanet wish them every success with their undertaking and move on. www.gardaplast.it Focus on private labels Fonte Ilaria S.p.A. & Fonti di Posina S.p.A. In 2011, MonteCristo based in Tuscany, made its debut in the beverages sector. The company, owned by the Biella and Colombo families, was formed following the acquisition of Fonte Ilaria in Lucca and Fonti di Posina in the Dolomites. Both were seriously underperforming before the take over, each producing only slightly more than 10 million litres of water per year. Antonio Biella (right), General Manager, and Alexander Büchler - PETplanet in front of the Editourmobil in Posina. MonteCristo concentrated on private labels right from the start. This is what Mr Antonio Biella, GM, has to say about the focus on the third party brands: “Although the beverages markets are stagnating, the proportion of pri- vate label bottling within the various segments is growing. This enables us to grow, even though, overall, the market is at a virtual standstill “. The few items bottled under their own brand name from their own “LISSA“ springs in Posina go mainly for export. The Ilaria water is destined for the regional market. The proportion of private labels / own label is 80% / 20%. The Group’s export rates are around 20%, the Posina location accounting for the lion’s share. 50% of production in Posina goes for export. Countries to which products are exported include Germany, Switzerland, Slovenia, Aus- tralia, Algeria, Libya and Japan. Following the takeover, a Krones line for CSD was installed at Ilaria alongside the existing Sidel line. In Lucca, 2014 production amounts to some 150 million litres, the product split being approxi- mately 40% water and 60% CSD. As regards bottle sizes, the 1.5l dominates, followed by 0.5 und 2l. The facility is working at full capacity; in addition, the CSD sector is promising improved margins, according to information pro- vided by Marketing Manager Emanuele Biella. At Fonti di Posina, the parent company has also invested in two new PET lines from Sidel. The first, for mineral water and CSD, went into production in October 2013, the second line (aseptics, combi predis) started up in January 2014. The special thing about this aseptic line is that the preform is sterilised with H 2 O 2 , and not just the blow moulded bottle. As the company does not run a filling operation in pH-critical sectors (as is the case with milk), the line represents an optimum as far as price and per- formance are concerned. 50 million litres were bottled in Posina in 2013. Of these 10 million litres were aseptic bev- erages such as juices and teas, otherwise mineral water was dominant. With the two new PET lines and the three remaining lines (two glass lines and an aseptic bottling line dating back to 2000) they are looking at bottling more than 100 million litres at the facility this year. The company’s mission statement also incorporates sustainability in all its aspects. Posina is striving to operate its production facilities as energy efficiently as possible and with very little production waste. However, even where the products are concerned, the Italians are putting ever greater emphasis on sustainability. This is why they are offering the private label bottles made from recycled PET. This is also the direction in which they are moving on the product side. Organic beverages form part of their range. In addition to juices, the organic ice tea “Infusion“ is a best seller here. And the filling process for all of these is, of course, aseptic. If the brand name owners do not wish to join them in moving in this direction, they create their own label for the foresee- able future and, if the sales figures are good, they transfer the new brand name to the private labels.