What it means to be a Hybrid Packaging Supplier

«Do not let the day end without having grown a little…». These words of the poet Walt Whitman not only seem able to give meaning to the future, but could be used as the manifesto of the approach of Berlin Packaging Emea, in the person of its CEO, Paolo Recrosio.

By Stefano Lavorini

The facts bear witness. 26 acquisition operations concluded in a few years in EMEA, starting from that of Bruni Glass in 2016, and then continuing until arriving at the last three dating to October 2022: StyleGlass, specialised in the decoration of glass packaging for the food, beverages and pharmaceutical products for final markets, in Greece; DiscoGlass, leader in the supply of packaging for high-end spirits with a solid reputation in the Cognac sector in France; and finally (for the moment) Bark Packaging Group, supplier of industrial, flexible and UN certified packaging in North Europe.

Convinced that the combination of different elements creates something better, in terms of offer and service to the market, Berlin Packaging has established itself as the largest Hybrid Packaging Supplier® at global level for packaging and closures in glass, plastic and other materials: worldwide it has 2,200 professionals in the sector and an international network of suppliers and warehouses, with the aim of accompanying customers in choosing the right packaging for their needs.

With an offer that covers numerous market sectors (beverage, food, personal care, home fragrance, industrial, beauty and others) and geographical areas, Berlin Packaging acts as a one-stop-shop that combines the best elements of Design & Innovation, Industrialisation Services and logistics management in the packaging industry.

Changing the rules of the game

I had the opportunity of meeting Paolo Recrosio at the last edition of Luxe Pack in Monaco and I tried get a better idea of the business model adopted by the company, which is, moreover, summarized as below on their website:

“We help people and companies to become bigger, more rapidly”. The Ceo of Berlin Packaging Emea appears to take a positive view: «Packaging is today considered as increasingly fundamental by companies, and today has a significant role in the offer of all brands. We look at the added value that packaging represents, and we work on being able to propose an ever-broader range of solutions and services in all markets».

Everything is possible

Berlin Packaging Emea is, by vocation, in the constant search for the best partners for the supply of packaging in glass, plastic, metal and closures, which must be in line with a clear strategy and an efficient management model. Recrosio is determined on this point:

«For the future, we aim to continue to expand still further, thanks to a consolidated organic and inorganic growth strategy, seeking to cover all markets of interest. We are a Glocal company, with a global spirit but which places great attention on the territories in which we operate, developing the various successfully performing businesses that become part of our group».

Down to details

There would be much to ask regarding how to manage this sort of confederation of businesses, which doesn’t seem an easy task. Again, in this case, however, Recrosio is surprising for his disarming common sense:

«We believe in and we provide every day a work approach based on reciprocal trust and synergies. We evolve the companies acquired from the point of view of management of the supply chain, IT, finance, human resources and marketing, and we leave the entrepreneurs the keys of the market, the customers and suppliers, to carry on the business with continuity. The combination of areas of expertise makes it possible to widen our proposal to the market, intercepting new opportunities across the board».

Always available, in all events

Berlin Packaging Emea can count on a team of 1,250 people in 14 different countries. The extreme differentiation is an obviously characteristic feature, but at the same time, however, there seems to be an increase in focus, considering the latest choices of the company.

«In 2022 - Recrosio confirms – coinciding with Cosmoprof Bologna, we created the Beauty division, which looks at packaging and the entire value chain: from decoration, to secondary packaging, from formulation to the service, seeking to make Berlin an increasingly global operator also for the finished product in the beauty sector. With regards to the spirits market, we intend to acquire a strong position in it offering customers innovation, design and sustainability, together with the management of the product from a logistics and distribution point of view. At Luxe Pack we launched the Spirits division, with which we intend to position ourselves as the best integrated commercial partner for the brands and companies that operate in the high-end Spirits sector, developing the in-house expertise that we have, and with which we have been developing also custom-made articles for many years».