Xeikon targets further folding carton growth through ECMA membership

ECMA, the European Carton Makers Association, is an international network of folding carton converters, national carton associations and suppliers to the carton industry. It provides the European folding carton industry with a business network, and hosts an annual congress, taking place September 9-12 in Bucharest, Romania this year, as well as organizing an awards competition in parallel with Pro Carton, an association of carton and cartonboard manufacturers.

ECMA claims to represent around 70 percent of the total carton market volume in Europe, and a current workforce of about 45,000 people.

Current members of the association include: converters Amcor Tobacco Packaging, A&R Carton, ASG-Worldwide, Benson/Graphic Packaging International, Mayr-Melnhof Packaging, Pringraf and RR Donnelley Europe; industry suppliers Bobst, Esko, Gallus, Heidelberg, Highcon, HP Indigo, Kama, KBA, Iggesund, Pankaboard, Stora Enso and Metsä Board; associations BPIF Cartons, the Romanian Packaging Association, Fédération Française du Cartonnage and Turkey’s Karton Ambalaj Sanayicileri Dernegi; plus a host of overseas members from China, Japan, Israel, Argentina and India.  

ECMA has also established an ambitious program, Roadmap 2015, dedicated to supporting the healthy development of European carton makers, raising the profile and professionalism of the European carton industry, developing advanced international standards and best practices, and helping carton makers grow their international network and expertise.

Filip Weymans, director of segment marketing for labels and packaging at Xeikon, said joining ECMA is part of a move by the digital press manufacturer to intensify its focus on the folding carton market and further its strategy to make folding carton the second biggest pillar within its labels and packaging division. 

Xeikon has previously detailed its ambitions for the folding carton market to Labels & Labeling, and has been a regular feature of package printing feature areas at recent Labelexpo events. It will feature in the Packprint Workshop feature area at Labelexpo Europe 2015. Folding carton has also been a prominent element of Xeikon’s own Café Packaging Innovations events. Read more about the latest installment in issue #3, 2015 of Labels & Labeling. Further, Xeikon will participate in the 2015 ECMA Congress.

‘Within this the membership to ECMA plays also a crucial role as Xeikon sees this body of European folding carton printers as the best platform to inform printers about the values of Xeikon,’ Weymans said.