Other manufacturers left in dust

By ELLEN READ

A manufacturing plant in Penrose, Auckland, is setting new hygiene standards for its British parent company, DS Smith.

Rapak Asia Pacific's new 5500sq m state-of-the-art facility, which makes bag packaging for liquid products, is claimed by general manager Andy Lewis to be one of the cleanest manufacturing plants in the Southern Hemisphere.

The building has an air filtering system and is pressurised, which means air can get out but not in. Employees look like they are wearing space suits and must have an "air shower" before entering the plant.

Officially known as "bag-in-box" packaging, but more commonly called bladders, the Rapak products are used in the dairy, food and beverage industries.

The new plant, part of the company's move from Feilding, is aimed at increasing sales in Asia.

British packaging group DS Smith, which has annual turnover of about £1.5 billion ($4.3 billion), has invested nearly $10 million building and outfitting the plant.

Last month it bought the half of Rapak it did not already own from Nasdaq-listed packaging group AEP Industries.

Rapak Asia Pacific