Aptar president and CEO Stephan Tanda spoke at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2018 Global Agriculture & Materials Conference last week. The conference, which took place on February 28, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, brought together leaders from across the packaging and shipping industries to discuss the biggest trends and challenges facing companies today.
Stephan was part of a four-person thought leadership panel that discussed and answered questions on the subject of e-commerce and the impacts of the dynamic direct-to-consumer shipping movement. CEOs and executives from other industry leading companies, including Hudson Windsor and Sealed Air, joined him on the panel, which spurred a robust conversation about how e-commerce is changing the way businesses think about packaging.
Stephan talked about evolving customer needs and preferences, such as the growing demand for streamlined packaging that allows products to be more easily and efficiently shipped to consumers. He also spotlighted the rigorous tests being conducted by supply chain leaders and brand owners when it comes to packaging performance in the challenging e-commerce channel. He stated, “We are speaking about very different touchpoints in the new supply chain. We may have 5 touchpoints in a traditional retail supply chain, and now we have to test for 20 collision points in the new e-commerce supply chain.”
Stephan also described how Aptar is helping customers understand and address the changing needs of the supply chain through innovation. For example, Aptar has several existing technologies and is developing new solutions to address e-commerce needs including Aptar’s Bonded Aluminum to Plastic (BAP®) sealing solution. BAP can reduce the amount of material used in the closure and container, which makes the product lighter and easier to ship. BAP is also counterfeit deterrent, which enables greater safety and quality control, and has a secure seal, which reduces the risk of the product leaking or spilling. He added, “E-commerce is allowing us to engage with our customers in a new way. It really creates a whole new conversation with the brand owners and that is driving innovation. We always love to discuss our innovation when we talk to our customers.”
Aptar’s name is derived from a Latin word meaning to be adaptable, to become the best fit for the situation. Aptar will continue to invest in and develop new dispensing and sealing technologies to adapt and meet the changing needs of the market, our customers and consumers round the globe.
Photo: Aptar president and CEO Stephan Tanda (second from right), participates in a panel discussion on the challenges and opportunities in the dynamic e-Commerce supply chain at the Bank of America Global Agriculture & Materials Conference held February 28, 2018.
