Formidable footprint

Not only do these leased containers (named Goodpacks) offer superior conditions for transport at a competitive price, they also carry tremendous sustainability credentials.

“Firstly, the reusable nature of the format reduces waste from the start,” Gregoire continues, “and given that it is an alternative to wood in many instances, it also reduces demand for forest resources as well as avoiding wood contamination of the finished products.

“At the processing stage, Goodpacks reduce packaging requirements, increase filling efficiencies, as well as storage and transport. It also removes the need for wooden pallets which are used with drums.”

Indeed, Goodpacks are designed to increase the fill efficiency of shipping containers and can do so by as much as 29 percent against drums. Further, at the end user stage and due to their collapsible nature, they are more efficient than traditional container solutions to store, transport and empty, leaving less packaging to dispose of.

At the end of life, the containers are melted down and either remade into new Goodpacks or converted into another industrial application. Gregoire was employed by parent company KKR in 2017, which has pursued a bold diversification strategy since acquiring Goodpack in 2014.

While rubber still represents around 80 percent of business, the company has expanded its specialisations into a range of other, fast-growing subsectors such as tyres (downstream), food and beverage, automotive, machine components, chemicals and energy.

These diversifying activities are underpinned by a global network which, for Gregoire, is Goodpack’s key differentiator.