Page Tools
News
Sign up to receive ArcelorMittal Flat Products Packaging news alerts by email
Page tools
Print
Bookmark
Share on
Contact us Contact us
  • The gift of quality

     

Eurobox and Massilly use steel to meet customer demand for creative and sustainable packaging

With the festive season here, many of us are looking for quality gifts that are local and sustainable. Two of Europe’s leading packaging producers – Eurobox from Spain and Massilly from France – are meeting this demand with specialty packaging that sets brands apart and inspires consumers. Although they serve different sections of the specialty packaging market, both companies utilise steels for packaging from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products to realise their designs.

Specialty packaging is typically used as a secondary container for products such as premium cosmetics, champagne, and spirits. But it can also be used to package a range of other gift items including chocolate, biscuits, and even clothing. The packaging is usually designed to be kept long after the contents are enjoyed.

From niche products to global brands

Massilly, for example, are renowned for their iconic decorative sugar boxes – and many of their designs have become popular with collectors over the years. Today Massilly produce specialty containers in around 30 standard formats. “We can fully personalise the tins with embossing and special printed effects,” says Valérie Bindschedler, marketing director at Massilly. “We use offset printing for large-scale production, but we also have digital printing solutions for small batches from 200 pieces and up. That allows us to supply large brands as well as small businesses such as your local chocolate maker.”


Decorative tins allow brands to enhance their identity and value by using highly refined aesthetics. Eurobox is a niche player driven by innovation. The company specialises in the production of specialty packaging with special effects. “We like to combine metal with printing and modern materials to give the consumer a special sensation or a surprise,” says Ximo Devesa Rodriguez, general manager of Eurobox. “For example, we add flock, glitter, and jewels to the container for a luxury look and tactile sensation. We also have products which give off the smell of the product they contain, or which light up when the container is opened.”

Local label a key to success

Both Massilly and Eurobox agree that consumers prefer packaging made in Europe as Ximo Devesa Rodriguez explains: “We deliberately stress the European origin of our products. It’s important for European customers as products from Asia often have a negative perception with consumers.”

Massilly is one of only two packaging producers to be certified with the ‘Origine France Garantie’ label which indicates the product is fully made in France. “This is critical for the French market, but we’re also seeing the ‘Made in Europe’ label becoming more popular with consumers in the EU,” says Valérie Bindschedler. “That’s because the concept of ‘local’ products is gaining importance. If it’s a tin of biscuits, some consumers expect that everything from the butter and flour to the packaging is locally produced. These labels also reassure consumers that the product has not been transported long distances, giving it a lower environmental footprint than a comparable product from overseas.”

Quality steels and surfaces attract consumers

Eurobox and Massilly are able to realise their designs, thanks to high-quality steel for packaging from ArcelorMittal Europe – Flat Products. “The high quality of ArcelorMittal’s offer means excellent efficiency for Massilly,” notes Valérie Bindschedler. “That means less scrap and we don’t need to fine tune our machines as often during long runs. Embossing is also easier. We produce a standard container which features deep embossing in the corners of the lid. With ArcelorMittal steels the effect is much more pronounced than with lower quality steels from other suppliers.”


 

The finish and dimensional feasibility of ArcelorMittal’s offer are also important to Eurobox explains Ximo Devesa Rodriguez: “For a container to be successful, the metal must catch the consumer’s eye in the store. ArcelorMittal can supply steel with the high-quality finish and ductility required for forming. ArcelorMittal also provides us with standard tinplate in a range of different thicknesses. That’s important for products such as our container which holds two champagne bottles. It requires much thicker material than most specialty packaging.”

 


Proximity and good relationships

The relationship between ArcelorMittal and the two producers is also vital to their success notes Ximo Devesa Rodriguez: “Eurobox and ArcelorMittal have a very good relationship and excellent communication through ArcelorMittal’s steel service centre in Barcelona. ArcelorMittal also help our clients when they are looking for technical support to develop new products and processes – they are experts in this kind of development.”

“It’s not just about products,” says Valérie Bindschedler. “It’s also about people. The close partnership and reliability of working with ArcelorMittal are very important to us. It helps us to deliver better quality products.”

Another key advantage of ArcelorMittal is our proximity. “Time to market is very important for many of our customers,” says Valérie Bindschedler. “If we want to keep producing packaging in Europe, we need to produce and deliver customer orders quicker than it takes to deliver them from overseas. If we use an EU steel producer such as ArcelorMittal, our customers can usually have their packaging within six weeks. From steel delivery to delivery of the final product to the customer – time is critical.”

 

For more info on ArcelorMittal’s steels for packaging: packaging.arcelormittal.com

 

Copyright:
Image courtesy of Eurobox
Image courtesy of Massilly
 

About

Eurobox was established to provide high-quality and customised packaging solutions which complement the marketing strategies of major brands. The company augments its steel containers with a range of materials including textiles, jewels, and printed effects. Formed in 1997, Eurobox is based near Alicante (Spain).

More info: www.euroboxpackaging.com

About

Established in 1911 in Burgundy (France), Massilly has grown to become a global player in metal packaging. The company now has 25 subsidiaries in 15 countries. As well as food packaging and caps, Massilly produces aerosol cans, industrial packaging, and decorative tins.

More info: www.massilly.com

The ‘Origine France Garantie’ certifies that Massilly’s packaging is made in Europe 


Eurobox use a range of finishes including digital image transfer