Australian Expansion Boosts Customer and Technical Support

 

The newly expanded Convex Australia team, left to right: Anna Cowper, Helen Dunderdale, Lynne Woodward, Sarah Gee, Mark Tandy and Katherine Sheilds

Growing demand for both general and fresh produce packaging films has prompted an expansion program at Convex Plastics Australia.

Customer support has been boosted by a leadership change and three new appointments. Lynne Woodward has now taken over as Operations Manager, and National Manager Bryant Judd has now re-located back to New Zealand with a focus on developing the company's growing number of executive accounts. Lynne's previous role as Office Manager has been taken over by new appointee, Helen Dunderdale.

Mark Tandy has also been appointed as a Sales Consultant. Mark brings ten years' experience in the packaging industry to Convex Plastics, and is looking forward to providing his customers with value added plastic films.

The recent addition of several new temperature controlled cabinets has also tripled the capacity of the company's Sydney-based postharvest laboratory, and increased the level of technical support provided to their clients.

Newly appointed Technical Consultant, Sarah Gee, is now running the postharvest laboratory, and will be supporting Anna Cowper in her role as Technical Account Manager. Anna will continue to oversee the national delivery of technical support services to customers.

Over the past seven years demand for Convex Plastics' re~fresh modified atmosphere packaging has rapidly increased, with growers as far away as Korea now using it to get their produce to more distant markets, and keep them on the shelves longer when they get there. Convex Plastics have also recently established a postharvest testing facility in Kyoto to help fast track re~fresh film development for a major Japanese client.

Australian Technical Account Manager, Anna Cowper, says the recent laboratory upgrade will enable Convex Plastics to more accurately model the effect of temperature abuse on packaging, and factor any expected fluctuations in the cool supply chain into the final film design. This will enable each packaging film to be custom designed to suit both the respiration rate and handling conditions of the specific packaged produce.

She says, "We believe we now have enough infrastructure to ensure that Australian exporters have access to the best possible technology for shipping fresh produce around the world. Our aim is to add value to their businesses by providing them with a better offering to supply their products to world markets."