Former Karlville France Exec Launches New Packaging Firm Amidst Industry Shift
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A new player has emerged in the flexible packaging market as a former executive from Karlville France establishes Fill & Sleeve Pack Solutions, following the closure of the French subsidiary’s production facility last year. This development underscores a strategic realignment within the packaging industry, particularly concerning the growing demand for flexible pouch solutions.
Last April, Karlville Development’s French arm announced the judicial liquidation and subsequent closure of its Vaux-en-Velin (69) site, resulting in the loss of 15 positions. The company had recently gained attention in 2023 with the launch of the Revo Pro filler, a machine designed for conditioning flexible plastic or paper pockets – a packaging format increasingly popular for cereals, fruits, and pulses.
From Closure to Opportunity: A New Venture Takes Shape
Six months after departing Karlville France, Laurent Corbet, the former commercial and technical director with a 15-year tenure, unveiled Fill & Sleeve Pack Solutions. The new company specializes in manchoning and filling technologies, focusing on the packaging of flexible pockets using a “plug” method. According to Corbet, this packaging type is poised for continued growth, extending beyond dry goods into the realms of viscous and liquid products.
“A packaging that will continue to develop in the segment of dry products, but also on that of viscous and liquid products,” Corbet, now president of Fill & Sleeve Pack Solutions, stated. The firm’s expertise lies in applying decorative or protective sleeves to these flexible packages.
Innovation and Expansion on the Horizon
Fill & Sleeve Pack Solutions isn’t simply replicating existing technology. The company aims to establish itself as an innovator, with plans to develop solutions leveraging artificial intelligence for vision control and retraction equipment. “Beyond this master’s degree in the sector, innovation will be in the DNA of this entity,” a company representative projected.
Strategically, the firm intends to pursue a multipartner approach to gain traction in competitive markets, with a particular focus on expansion into the Asian continent.
Meanwhile, Karlville Converting, the American parent company based in Miami, Florida, continues its operations, concentrating on complexing and sleeve machines. This suggests a continued, albeit refocused, commitment to the broader packaging machinery market.
