Parkside invests in Malaysia to grow customer base in Asia

A new slitter and full platemaking technology is to be installed enabling the site in Kuala Lumpur to be self-sufficient from receipt of design through to end product shipment. In addition, a 10-color flexographic press will be transferred there from Parkside’s UK site, as previously reported by Labels & Labeling. The investments will result in a faster turnaround service and significantly reduce current lead times, according to the company.

John Taylor, general manager of Parkside Asia, said: ‘The print and packaging industry in Asia is beginning to accept and recognize the cost and efficiency advantages that flexographic printing can bring to their operations. As a leading player in this field in Europe, Parkside is eager to demonstrate its abilities in Asia and ensure its increasing number of customers in the region have access to local facilities and capabilities.

‘This investment will enable us to offer our international customers the high level of service they are used to from our UK operations and for Asia to build on this strength with local manufacturing, service and support.’

The Parkside operation in Malaysia employs more than 40 people and primarily manufactures and prints packaging for the tobacco industry. With the new machinery expected to be in place by end of the second quarter, print operators from Malaysia have been working at the company’s UK site in West Yorkshire to learn more about the operation of each piece of technology so that they can train colleagues back in Malaysia and ensure any downtime is kept to a minimum during installation. Parkside is also focused on growing its reach into specialty packaging for the food and beverage markets in the region in line with its core strategy in Europe.