When Dutch packaging supplier Paardekooper went bankrupt, many vegetable processors and growers' cooperatives in the Netherlands were concerned about securing a reliable supply of packaging materials. Many of them soon turned to the Sylvaphane Group, a producer primarily focused on food packaging, which had previously worked mainly through resellers, including Paardekooper.
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"The customers were immediately helped quickly and effectively by the Sylvaphane Group, and not a single company had to stop production. That was very much appreciated," says Leo van der Meer. He moved to the Sylvaphane Group together with field sales colleague Michaël Vrij and four inside sales colleagues: Manon Rooders, Savannah Kosten, Roman Pardon, and Dyon Plas.
The Sylvaphane Group includes Sylvaphane Holland in Leek, which supplies packaging films made from oriented polypropylene (OPP), cellophane, and polyester (PET) to customers across Europe. Another part of the group is Sylvaphane Plastics in Tolbert, a producer of flexible polyethylene (PE) packaging. "With our PE production in Tolbert, including crate bags, cover sheets, pallet covers, and shrink hoods, we can offer a great deal to the fresh produce sector," Van der Meer explains.
The group also includes Plastics2Pack in Uden, where products such as tomato bulk bins are manufactured, and printing company Euroflex in Zwolle, which prints top seal films, OPP films, laminates, and paper. In total, the Sylvaphane Group employs around 250 people and generates annual revenues of approximately €100 million.
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"Sylvaphane is a family-owned company, but without multiple management layers," says Leo van der Meer. "Fresh produce is a major segment within the Sylvaphane Group. Despite its size, the group has not always been widely known in the fruit and vegetable sector, as it previously worked largely through resellers. Now that we are more directly and visibly active in the market, that is changing. As a Dutch manufacturer, we maintain short lines of communication, and we can also distinguish ourselves with a large commercial team that represents customers' interests effectively."
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Sylvaphane's core market is Europe, with a primary focus on the Netherlands, Belgium, and western Germany. "We have all disciplines in-house. With extrusion, thermoforming, converting, printing, laminating, and perforating, we support customers with a wide range of packaging solutions," Van der Meer explains. One of the strong performers in the portfolio is top seal film from manufacturer Mylar, which is now available to the Dutch market through the Sylvaphane Group.
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"The foundations of the company are solid, and we are working hard to further strengthen our commercial presence in the market, responding to demand from this dynamic sector with service and speed. We look forward to applying the experience we gained at Van der Windt and Paardekooper and working together on sustainable solutions, strong partnerships, and simply good packaging," Leo concludes.
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Leo van der Meer and Michaël Vrij
For more information:
Leo van der Meer / Michaël Vrij
Sylvaphane Group
Mob: +31 (0) 6 5109 2343 / +31 (0) 6 42713962
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.sylvaphane.com
