Yuka Chang has seen TYH Container mature from a domestic Taiwanese packaging supplier into an premium beauty provider working with international brands. From premium jars to patents, Yuka tells us how the company has developed in order to fulfil the cosmetic industry's constantly evolving requirements.

Yuka, what are your responsibilities at TYH Container?

I'm the General Manager at TYH. My position includes sales and marketing as well as management of factory production.

When I joined the company in 2003, TYH was established as a traditional domestic packaging supplier in Taiwan. In the fourteen years since then, the company has matured considerably. Now it is an international packaging supplier offering a professional trading, sales and marketing experience to its customers.

TYH Container has a broad product range. Does the company specialize in anything?

We design and produce almost all of our products - it's only a few products that are sourced according to customer requests.

Our speciality is towards beauty and cosmetic brands, with Europe and North America being our major markets, although we do work with many companies in Europe as well as Australia.

A lot of TYH's work is with contract manufacturers and trading companies. We're involved with a number of confidential projects, and not able to provide further information.

Is R&D important at TYH Container?

Research and development is very important. We develop new products to fulfil the need and create things that are necessary. The department benefits from an annual budget and there are always plans for the development of new products. We introduce new products each and every year, most notably plastic components.

Furthermore, for all of the company's new products, we apply for the appropriate patents to protect our innovations and creations from infringment.

What inspires you to work in the packaging industry and why?

Personally, I really like the beauty and cosmetic aspect of the business. I'm drawn to it because it's all about "being beautiful" and that is something which has become integrated into our daily lives, despite the fact that the components are plastic and very technical.

I'm especially proud when I see the TYH's packaging on the shelf. It's gone the full journey through production and is calling out to the consumer to pick it up from the shelf to use and enjoy it.

Is it difficult to run a business with so many product types and specifications?

Before I joined the company, TYH focused on domestic sales only. The company provided plastic injection components which were targeted for food, beverages, and toiletries. In many aspects it was simpler compared to that of the current beauty & cosmetic business.

Around 15 years ago, the company started to expand and made the decision to become a cosmetic container provider. The biggest difference is that everything is far more precise: More delicate. The technical requirements and the decoration specifications demanded by customers are far more.

Fortunately, the company foresaw that the entire factory management system would have to work towards increased demands and new methodology was implemented. At TYH organized management is very effective.

What makes TYH Container different from other packaging companies?

We focus on premium brands and markets. Bio-cosmeceutical and professional beauty brands are our main targets and we are very competent in our ability to match the quality requirement of the product to that of the brand.

There are many competitors across Asia, particularly in China, and that is the reason we focus on the premium market. For companies or brands who are always looking for a premium packaging solution, with cutting edge design and good quality, TYH Container is their optimal choice.

Is there anything new in the pipeline?

Yes, we are currently introducing a new product every quarter. Our current focus is looking at lotion bottles, single-wall PP jars and several components. Our packaging solutions follow the latest packaging trends whilst fulfiling economent requirements as our customers seek out premium looks packaging that is also cost effective.

The beauty and cosmetic industry is constantly growing and changing and we enjoy being part of that - helping to make it happen with brand new innovations.

How have recent innovations developed?

Compared to that of last year, one big difference has been in the shape and form of the lotion bottle. The European market has been looking for a more elegant design so we have fulfiled that requirement.

Another example is the PP jar. It's not an uncommon piece of packaging, but what we've done at TYH is to enhance it with a better product design for a premium look which is more complementary to certain skincare products such as body scrubs or special creams.

How does the company keep up with such rapid changes in the market?

As I mentioned previously, we are always fulfiling the industry's constantly evolving needs. To keep up to date with beauty trends and publicize our new products, we promote ourselves at several international exhibitions as well as feature in industry related media. This year we will be attending Cosmoprof Asia and next year (2018) we will be at Cosmoprof Bologna.