January is already behind us; we are all completely used to 2020. An excellent moment to look back at 2019 and offer an outlook on 2020. Eduard de Haan, CEO of JASA, says: "For JASA, 2019 was a year full of highlights and 2020 will be the year of even less plastic for us".
The 1st highlight of 2019: the launch of the apple Sleever
During Fruit Logistica 2019, JASA launched the apple Sleever. A great success! Sustainable sleeve packaging offers many advantages:
- 100% paper
- No plastic
- Rapidly packaged
- Energy efficient
Our customers like it. "With dozens of installations and more and more supermarkets switching to sleeved apple trays, we can call it a mega success! And the JASA Sleevers do not only operate in the Netherlands, but they also swooped the market in Germany, France, Italy, Austria, and America", says Eduard. And an extra cool fact: this sustainable paper packaging even reached the hands of Queen Máxima!
2nd highlight of 2019: the launch of the Bag-2-Paper™.
Another sustainable innovation launched during Fruit Logistica 2019: Bag-2-Paper™. Thanks to the vertical packaging technique the Bag-2-Paper™ machines are extremely fast. And as no heat is used to seal the packs, the Bag-2-Paper™ machines are also very energy efficient. This is good for the environment, as well as for the operating costs. "Of course, we already knew that we launched a real innovation, but the fact that the Bag-2-Paper™ has won three awards is the crowning glory of our work! The Bag-2-Paper™ won the NL Packaging Award 2019, the WorldStar Packaging Award 2020, and the WorldStar Sustainability Award 2020. Just like our JASA Sleever, this innovation did not stay within our national borders. The Bag-2-Paper™ is, among other places, also found in Australia and America.
3rd highlight of 2019: our branch office in the USA fully operational
JASA spread its wings to America, and 2019 was the first full year of operation. "We've had a particularly good year in America. The first direct orders were placed, and not only for potatoes, carrots, and onions, but also for processed fruits & vegetables". Setting up a branch in America is a complex process. The fact that JASA already has several projects running there is a fantastic result.
4th highlight of 2019: quality & growth
JASA continuously works to improve the quality of both its products and its organization. And the market is noticing this. "We established a 35% growth, which is great! In addition, we have many new customers in market segments outside the VFP sector, such as meat, tapas, poultry, and meal salads". For example, JASA packaging machines now pack apples in trays, as well as buckets of tomatoes, bowls of meal salads, and trays of shrimps and olives.
The biggest challenge of 2019: managing the enormous growth
Just as there were highlights, there were challenges in 2019. The biggest challenge: managing the vast growth of JASA. "The fact that we had so many highlights and have grown enormously is, of course, fantastic! However, the challenge is to manage all that. Making sure that everything and everyone continues to work properly, that's not nothing".
1st target 2020: less plastic
JASA doesn't want just to do its bit to reduce plastic, we actually want to make a difference. That is why we made it possible to process different packaging materials on JASA packaging machines, such as paper and recyclable packaging, materials which do not contribute to the plastic soup. For the real paper enthusiasts: when it comes to vertical packaging, JASA can basically process all paper packaging, not only its own Bag-2-Paper™ but also that of Semoulin, Cartomat, Paper-Vento, and so on. "We already use a lot of paper packaging for different types of potatoes, fruits, and vegetables, and we want to expand that. For example, with pears, kiwis, tomatoes, and avocados. This way, we can contribute even more to reducing the use of plastic film material".
2nd target 2020: Tray lines in Germany
JASA is already operational internationally and now wants to conquer the German market for processed fruits & vegetables. "We are going to set up our own branch in Germany, focusing on tray lines for processed fruits & vegetables. This will enable us to ensure that less plastic packaging is used in our neighboring country as well".
3rd target 2020: extra focus on Lean and QRM
To optimize the efficiency and quality of JASA, even more emphasis will be placed on the principles of Lean and QRM in the coming year. "JASA is already working by the principles of lean and QRM; however, in 2020, we want to develop this further to continue our growth.
4th target 2020: continuous improvement
Standing still and leaning back, does not happen at JASA. "Because of our enormous growth, we continuously focus on professionalizing our processes and systems, while increasing the knowledge and quality of our employees. It is a major challenge to manage that." Just as in 2019, JASA aims for increasing growth in 2020.
In short: less plastic and more paper - not only in the Netherlands but also across the border - and always improving. JASA looks forward to a sustainable 2020!
Read more about paper packaging over here.
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