Mega Source spreads its wings

Mega Source, a Taiwan-based company that offers top coating on synthetic paper, BOPP, PP and PET materials, has seen success in the Southeast Asian market after it started operations at its new factory in Bangkok in 2016.
Mega Source’s factory in Bangkok

Spread across an area of 188,000 sq ft, the Bangkok plant houses one coating machine and a slitter alongside other converting facilities. With space to install more machinery, the plant has the total capacity to produce 2,000 to 2,500 tons of coated material a month. The factory caters to label requirements mainly for the ASEAN region and has started exporting to other countries as well. 

‘People in the region are more inclined towards using packed items,’ says Sandy Lin, president of Mega Source. ‘We see a trend of packaging shifting from paper to films. Thailand and Malaysia are the biggest markets in the region for our company. 

‘We are, however, focusing on increasing our reach worldwide and filling the capacity at our factories. We aim to gain greater market presence through innovation, strengthen customers’ relationship and offer our coating materials directly to various OEMs, potential brand owners and distributors. This will enable us to utilize economies of scale, thereby lowering costs with our partners.’

Mega Source specializes in producing top coated paper and films, and facilitates other companies with limited resources to do it at their end by sourcing base film and paper, and coating it with soluble chemicals coating. ‘We advocate sustainability in our business operations and work with eco-friendly coating materials and chemicals in our production. The chemicals used are toxin free and do not contain any heavy metal contents. Therefore, Mega Source synthetic papers are 100 percent recyclable and can be repeatedly recycled,’ says Lin. 

For the label industry, Mega Source offers several coated films such as transparent, white gloss, white matt, direct thermal, metallized, thermal transfer films are among others. These coated films are scratch proof and water resistant. ‘We focus on providing quality coated films that could enhance performance on modern presses. With these attributes, Mega Source has successfully obtained several test certifications,’ says Lin. 

Mega Source gains competitive advantage by directly importing chemicals and customizing precise coating formulations based on each specific client’s requirements. ‘We formulate the right coating for specific requirement based on end use requirement. Besides tailoring our service to fulfil each clients’ expectation, we offer complex coated materials for companies in small quantities which we believe is an exception in today’s market,’ informs Lin. ‘It is because we have technology know-how that we can also fix any problem that may arise in the coated material, which is a unique service.’

All products undergo stringent quality checks. The company has a printing set-up to check the coated material for printability before it’s shipped. Synthetic paper from Mega Source is a 3-star approved product is certified for printability by HP, Fuji Xerox and Konica Minolta. In addition, the company has achieved various certifications including ISO 9001:2015 and FDA. 

Indian operation 
Mega Source is increasing its presence in India through a liaison office in New Delhi with dedicated team of Ajay Bhatia, Shweta Chhabra and Anita Malhotra. 

The Indian market generates 100 to 150 tons of sales in synthetic paper each month. Mega Source perceives huge potential for quality synthetic papers from increasingly sophisticated consumers. Tapping into this growth, Mega Source has set an ambitious target of supplying the Indian market with 2,500 tons of coated synthetic paper a year. The company aims to increase its local footprint to a 50 percent market share.

The company pegs the Indian market at 2,500 tons per annum and is currently vying for 10 to 15 percent share. ‘We are confident of achieving this goal in due time. With a local distributor, we will be able to supply to more companies that may need our material in smaller quantities. These steps will help us make a strong footprint in the country,’ concludes Lin.