We met Scott Chen recently and asked him to sit with us and tell us a bit about SR Packaging and its latest investments in technology and facility upgrades. The company has experienced steady growth since 2010 and according to Scott, it's due to SRP's rare ability to develop packaging that looks good AND works well.

Scott, what is your role at SR Packaging?

I started at SR Packaging in 2012 as the Vice President, at our headquarters in Taiwan. I manage our sales and marketing strategy. I also feed information on market trends and customer requirements to our R&D team, which allows them to develop unique and innovative packaging concepts. I have a background in mechanical and material engineering, so I'm capable of acting as an interface between the commercial and technical sides of the business.

What sort of products does SRP produce?

We produce a number of standard items as well as tackle custom jobs for international brands. Within our standard ranges, we offer a wide array of solutions for personal care and cosmetic brands, including PET bottles, PP tubes, laminated tubes, different types of closures and caps, dispensing pumps and sprayers, colour cosmetic containers for make-up products, and many more. We also work with vetted, qualified suppliers all over the world to offer packaging products and accessories we may not produce to round out our offering and make sure our clients have access to one of the world's most efficient one-stop packaging providers. Even though we produce a large number of standard items that can be customized at our cutting edge decoration facility, we also pride ourselves on being an excellent ODM manufacturer, and produce many fully bespoke product runs annually. One of the things that makes SRP unique is our commitment to technology - we're always looking for new ways to improve our equipment and capitalize on the latest techniques.

What's the hardest part of your day-to-day?

Time. There never seems to be enough of it. I have to manage sales and marketing and I have to feed our engineers data in order to guide the packaging design process. Every new concept we produce is a challenge. We try to match our new product development process with what we know of our customers' requirements as well as observe real market trends. At the same time, we want to surprise the market with original concepts simply not found elsewhere, so we have to balance what customers want and what they don't yet know they want. That's how our business grows.

Is that how SRP distinguishes itself from the competition?

Well, we're first and foremost a producer. We have a contemporary and efficient factory, a warehouse brimming with numerous stock products created from proprietary moulds, and we devote ourselves to providing complete project planning for our customers. The thing is, you could say that about a lot of companies. I honestly think our key differentiating characteristic is that we always stay two steps ahead of the industry. We are more aggressive when it comes to pursuing new design concepts and making technological breakthroughs. We work pro-actively with clients in order to foster positive interactions and drive successful projects and launches. We can take on as much or as little as a company requires.

What is SRP working on and how do this year's innovations compare with last year?

We believe 2017 will be more luxury-oriented compared to what was offered in 2016. We did a magnificent job last year on advanced tooling to achieve wood texturing without further decoration processes, it was all very original and natural. In 2017, we will drive that further forward, combining more techniques to achieve extraordinarily high levels of quality to really impress the market. We have a number of launches planned, including new caps and closures we'll be releasing shortly. We've made a number of particularly interesting breakthroughs in closure design and dispensing systems. We've also expanded our decoration capabilities, and they were already extensive to begin with. Apart from R&D, we're also moving forward with upgrades to our machinery. We need to exploit the latest technological advancements, so we invest in advanced robotics and automation to make sure our lead times match customer project plans. This way, we also enhance our production capabilities, reliability, and stability. We actually started to upgrade our facilities in early 2016 at our Shanghai and Guangzhou factories, especially with regard to tube production. We are still expanding our production ability and customer services. You'll be able to see our latest items at a number of shows this year, like China Beauty Expo in Shanghai, Cosmoprof Asia, and CosmeTech Tokyo.

What is the most interesting part of working in the packaging industry?

Keeping up with market trends and staying ahead of the curve is both challenging and immensely satisfying. Watching the evolution of the packaging industry is genuinely interesting, it clearly reflects societal and commercial values. These days, most marketing people are keen on the "WOW" factor, compared to previous years. The idea of immediately and pleasantly surprising the consumer with a unique packaging concept has become a new and ubiquitous golden rule in the packaging industry, especially among major brands. The problem is that many companies focus on creating a packaging component that might not be the best design, technically speaking, but it does offer visual impact. We try to avoid producing eye-catching items that work poorly, you have to balance visual appeal and technical functionality. The packaging sector is very competitive, and everyone is willing to offer a brand new look, whether achieved through shape, decoration, or material. The potential is unlimited, it's not even limited to price any more. Current market needs drive big changes and require constant evolution and improvement. Consumers today are not specifically loyal to many specific brands, that's why the brands are in constant need of novelty and creativity to reach their target markets. Markets change quickly, and it's often a challenge to meet shorter and shorter lead times. Fortunately, our team thrives on challenges.