Karatzis to 'net' customers with new U.S. manufacturing facility
Karatzis to 'net' customers with new U.S. manufacturing facility
Hoping to capitalize on the "tremendous potential" of the North American produce market, Karatzis Group S.A., a Greek manufacturer of packaging materials marketed under the brand "Hellasnet, with numerous applications in the produce industry, has begun to establish plans to set up a manufacturing facility in the United States.
Karatzis has been in business for over 30 years and is known as a pioneer and industry leader in high-density polyethylene packaging, said Stefanos Stamos, president of Automatic Packaging Technologies LLC in Orlando, FL, the exclusive importer of Karatzis products in North America.
Along with being the largest producer of HDPE knitted nets in the world, Karatzis also makes the most diverse range of HDPE packaging and crop protection products, Mr. Stamos added.
"There is not one other manufacturer that has this product range, Mr. Stamos said. "Most of our competition competes with us on one or two products at most.
Some of the items in Karatzis' product line are pallet netting, tubular netting, knitted bags on rolls, raschel bags and fabric (which are used to make L-Sewn bags for items such as citrus, onions and potatoes), hay bale netting and Christmas tree netting. For crop protection, the company also manufactures bird, early frost protection and shade netting.
Currently, Karatzis' products are sold in almost every state and territory in the United States from Puerto Rico to Hawaii through a nationwide network of distributors, Mr. Stamos said. Major clients using its products include such notable names as Del Monte and Sunkist.
According to Mr. Stamos, the unpredictable nature of the produce industry does not always allow companies to plan ahead for their packaging needs. A U.S.-based facility would give Karatzis the ability to ship the exact quantities that its customers require quickly, thus avoiding the associated delays of having to ship from one of its five European manufacturing plants.
"We are hoping to achieve the ability to supply our customers with just-in-time deliveries, Mr. Stamos said.
Karatzis wants to start small with its new facility and build on its core products of L-Sewn bags and shade, early frost protection, hay bale and Christmas tree netting. The first stage calls for a $10 million investment with plans for additional product lines and development. "The ultimate goal is make every product that is sold in the U.S. at this facility, Mr. Stamos said. Potential locations for the facility -- which Mr. Stamos envisions will be in operation in the latter part of 2006 -- include California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Nevada. Franco Greco, Karatzis' project development manager, is currently researching these locations, and the company will soon determine the final location based on numerous factors including availability of skilled labor, real estate and the various incentives offered by each state.
"We looked at the Far East but determined that North America would be better served by a facility located here, Mr. Stamos said. "Our philosophy is that if we believe in a market, we go to that market and set up there.
Karatzis has been in business for over 30 years and is known as a pioneer and industry leader in high-density polyethylene packaging, said Stefanos Stamos, president of Automatic Packaging Technologies LLC in Orlando, FL, the exclusive importer of Karatzis products in North America.
Along with being the largest producer of HDPE knitted nets in the world, Karatzis also makes the most diverse range of HDPE packaging and crop protection products, Mr. Stamos added.
"There is not one other manufacturer that has this product range, Mr. Stamos said. "Most of our competition competes with us on one or two products at most.
Some of the items in Karatzis' product line are pallet netting, tubular netting, knitted bags on rolls, raschel bags and fabric (which are used to make L-Sewn bags for items such as citrus, onions and potatoes), hay bale netting and Christmas tree netting. For crop protection, the company also manufactures bird, early frost protection and shade netting.
Currently, Karatzis' products are sold in almost every state and territory in the United States from Puerto Rico to Hawaii through a nationwide network of distributors, Mr. Stamos said. Major clients using its products include such notable names as Del Monte and Sunkist.
According to Mr. Stamos, the unpredictable nature of the produce industry does not always allow companies to plan ahead for their packaging needs. A U.S.-based facility would give Karatzis the ability to ship the exact quantities that its customers require quickly, thus avoiding the associated delays of having to ship from one of its five European manufacturing plants.
"We are hoping to achieve the ability to supply our customers with just-in-time deliveries, Mr. Stamos said.
Karatzis wants to start small with its new facility and build on its core products of L-Sewn bags and shade, early frost protection, hay bale and Christmas tree netting. The first stage calls for a $10 million investment with plans for additional product lines and development. "The ultimate goal is make every product that is sold in the U.S. at this facility, Mr. Stamos said. Potential locations for the facility -- which Mr. Stamos envisions will be in operation in the latter part of 2006 -- include California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Nevada. Franco Greco, Karatzis' project development manager, is currently researching these locations, and the company will soon determine the final location based on numerous factors including availability of skilled labor, real estate and the various incentives offered by each state.
"We looked at the Far East but determined that North America would be better served by a facility located here, Mr. Stamos said. "Our philosophy is that if we believe in a market, we go to that market and set up there.
