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Special Features


a driving force in food packaging innovation

Obeikan MDF are owned by the Saudi Arabian company Obeikan Investment Group (OIG), currently investing significantly in its high-tech, growing business in Valencia, Spain.  OIG also operate businesses in paper and board, plastic, liquid packaging, and education.

Obeikan MDF have a unique packaging business focused on the manufacture of boxes and other container forms by laser cutting medium-density fibreboard.  The packs can be flat packed and assembled on site for transport efficiency and offer a significant alternative to corrugated packaging, particularly in the premium food space.

Salvador Martinez is the Managing Director of Obeikan MDF where he has worked since 2009.  Prior to Obeikan, he held senior positions in Grupo MEDI, GrupoLLadro and GrupoEstudioCeramico.  He has a degree in Economic Science from the University of Valencia. We had a brief chat with him on the phone to learn more about the company's products and direction.

Interview

  • Are you the only company cutting MDF with lasers to make packaging?

    Salvador: In Europe, yes, we are the only ones using this technology. Our original partners continue to operate in Chile. We have recently made a significant investment in new, state-of-the art machinery to do this with a significant capacity and many improvements to the quality of the finished product, meaning laser accuracy.

  • What are your core markets?

    Salvador: Our core market is still the premium fruit and vegetable retail distributors in Spain and Europe. That is where we started, but there is still huge potential for growth beyond there.

  • Are you creating more than boxes using this technology?

    Salvador: Indeed, we can use CAD to design a new concept and generate a new product very easily. A significant example of this is our briefcase for carrying food. It has met with widespread acclaim in China for the Chinese New Year and other holidays where people take fruit as a gift to their families and want to provide it in an attractive display. It’s a Chinese tradition.

  • How is the economy affecting you?

    Salvador: We are working with primary food producers - that is where the initial focus of our business is. People have got to eat and it's a growing sector. So, although we are aware of global issues, we are in a good position economically. ObeikanMDF is a success story despite the problems related to the Spanish economy and difficulty in getting credit. ObeikanMDF is proud to be generating employment in the Valencia region.

  • And what about the future?

    Salvador: We are building a new manufacturing plant in Alzira, near Valencia, with an investment of 140 million EUR. The goal is for the first phase of the facility to be completed in 2015, and the second phase in 2018. The plant will have a floor area of 34,000 square meters and will be fully operational by 2020, when it will have a production capacity of 200 million packages per year.

  • Obeikan's standard MDF box is an ideal container for produce. The boxes are easily assembled on-site and can be pre-decorated to match a shop's style.

  • The latest member of the Obeikan MDF family includes a box that's more closed than its older brother, with a convenient handle for getting it home.

  • Design is a key element when creating a packaging concept. Obeikan MDF boxes can be as staid or as fun as they need to be, as evidenced by the above "traveller concept".

  • You have recently been elected to the board of Valencia Football Club. How's that experience?

    Salvador: Yes, it is a dream to be part of the club that you have grown up with and supported. I am lucky to have this opportunity to support the club by applying my business knowledge. Speaking of which, I'd also like to take a moment to thank Webpac for its support of Obeikan. Webpac provides us with a number of professional channels for effective digital communication, including our award-winning web site, of which we are very proud. Webpac has been an intrinsic part of the success of Obeikan MDF.

You can find out more about Obeikan MDF at www.obeikandmdf.com

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  • Modified 18 Jan 2016
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