Craig Wellman admits to being a frustrated marketeer who likes engineering but was formally educated in business.
His interest in packaging began with his family business which covers rigid packaging and historically food retailing.
“My grandfather used to sell food and now we help package it,” Wellman says.
“I’ve always maintained a strong interest in how things work on shelf and for the consumer."
"Packaging embraces high end materials and process technologies across various disciplines along with marketing and branding, consumer trends, health and wellbeing, environment, logistics and more...there’s more to a bottle, cap or pouch than meets the eye.”
Wellman describes his recent appointment as National President of the AIP as his proudest industry achievement, providing the opportunity to work with a vast array of very talented people.
In his new role, Wellman sees his primary responsibility as supporting the AIP leadership team in guiding the organisation on behalf of its members.
“Our main objective is fostering a greater knowledge and application of packaging technology through education and training,” he says.
“This involves building existing and new relationships with industry, government and educational bodies here and abroad to develop (we hope) the education pathways from school leaver through to doctorate level over the long term."
"We also aim to maintain our international recognition as is currently the case for existing AIP Diploma and Certificate programs.”
“Working with like-minded associations including the PCA, APMA, WPO and others remains key to achieving our goals in a holistic way."
"Underpinning this will be a consolidation of the AIP’s operational infrastructure to ‘future proof’ packaging education for the industry over years to come,” Wellman adds.
Craig Wellman sees the most challenging aspect of his position role as achieving recognition for packaging technologists and their careers within multinational organisations as a distinct line of professional endeavour as opposed to something you just fall into from say a food tech background.
“Another challenge is to present packaging technology as a youthful profession to existing and new talent in the context of an ageing industry,” he says.
“This is vital to ensuring brand owners have sufficient feedstock of technologists — especially given the increased pack design ‘churn’ and technology shifts driven by the new ‘green economy’.”
In terms of the Australian industry, Wellman sees many factors affecting the domestic environment.
These include globalisation of pack designs, strong growth in Asian economies and the resulting placement of MNC manufacturing hubs in Asia, sustainability and green pack design shifts to name but a few.
“While industry is consolidating to respond with global muscle, Australia’s packaging industry is 60-70 per cent predicated towards food and beverage production where we are a net exporter.
I think this provides a basis for a continued and sustained future,” he maintains.
“Australia also presents as an ideal test market for MNC product development given the small scale and similar demographics to US and European markets which opens an opportunity for global product development, often on a lower cost base.”
“Further, the green economy in which Australia holds a strong position (eg; biomaterials) will create new opportunities for packaging technologists on both raw material advances and applications as many packs face re-design to reduce carbon footprints.”
According to Wellman, just some of the packaging technologies of the future include green materials, specifically biopolymers and continued development of existing material science for lightweighting.
Others include retail ready pack designs including shelf ready, trolleys & dolleys; stand up pouches versus bottles for supply chain efficiencies & environmental impact reductions; automated recycling and sorting system enhancements including resin compatibilisers; increased integration of packaging production and filling.
Wellman’s dream for the packaging industry is to see a robust and integrated network of talented people working together to enhance the lives of every inhabitant of our plant through improved packaging sustainability, functionality, enjoyment, efficiency and economy.
“In doing so, we will develop vibrant careers for tomorrow’s school leavers in packaging,” he says.
“Packaging training in Australia is in strong demand, but with the exception of existing AIP certificate and diploma courses, remains largely unfilled,”
“In the short term, new developments will involve short courses with the Australian Industry Group in a wide variety of packaging topics including a follow up to Conference with some new ‘green packaging’ workshops late this year and early in 2009,” Wellman says.
“The AIP is uniquely placed to deliver educational services over the long term which we hope will open the pathway from school leaver through to tertiary qualifications — as is enjoyed in many other countries around the world.”
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