The vast array of careers in the packaging industry can be hard to quantify as the technical opportunities sit alongside sales, administrative and financial, as well as business development, communications and R&D. Here is an insight into the career development of product quality expert Oleksandr Grynko, whose background in chemistry has seen his work life evolve into a senior management role with a multinational plastic packaging manufacturer.
Highly experienced and dedicated to integrating his extensive chemistry knowledge into his work, Oleksandr is thoughtful, considered and approachable.
Growing up in a small city in the centre of Ukraine, Oleksandr starts by sharing his education, and how his early inspiration led to his career in the packaging industry. He says, “After going to school in my home city, I moved to Dnipro, although it wasn’t called Dnipro then. Here, I studied at college for four years. I have loved chemistry since high school; I love to watch the process of one substance magically turning into another. There are countless chemistries – inorganic, organic, physical, quantum, analytical – and I chose analytical chemistry at college. But it wasn’t enough! So, I continued on to university and studied ‘trendy’ polymer chemistry and completed graduate school.”
Even though Oleksandr has always loved chemistry, he also dreamed of becoming a seaman as a child and travelling the world across the seas. But the ocean’s loss is the packaging industry’s gain, and he continued studying chemistry instead of taking to the waves.
Further studies in chemistry
After Oleksandr’s post graduate studies that saw him gain a PhD in Chemistry, adding analytical chemistry and chemistry of polymers to his ever-expanding knowledge, he took his first professional job in a large agricultural chemical company, where he was in charge of the chemical
laboratory.
Oleksandr continues, “This was only a two-month job, as I then joined the company that became RETAL in October 2000. The company was very different to what it is today, it was all just beginning. There have been so many big changes and I am pleased to be a part of it. There were only seven machines at the start! It’s great for me to always be involved in the process; building new factories, new opportunities, new developments...new, new, new!”
Initially the only engineer in the chemical laboratory and then progressing to chief of the lab with a responsibility for a team of experts, Oleksandr has enjoyed that his career development has run in parallel to the development of RETAL. He says, “I like to make the most of the opportunities I am given, but without making fast changes that are not carefully planned and assessed. That way, we can be sure that our progress is sustainable. I like to be involved with the progress of the laboratory and our capabilities - raw materials, closures development – to make the most of our equipment and the skills of the team.”
Having moved with his family to Klaipeda from Dnipro around eight years ago, Oleksandr is happy to continue with his outdoor hobbies of biking and fishing all together, no doubt looking out to sea and planning where their next travelling adventures will take them.
Read online at Eco-Plastics in Packaging
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RETAL Baltic Films enjoyed a welcome reception at this year’s Fachpack trade show for the packaging industry, held in Nuremberg at the end of September and now in its 40th year.
Focusing on presenting its complete range of films solutions across both flexible and rigid films, RETAL Baltic Films hosted a busy stand, showing its rigid mono thermoformable APET film with mono top lidding BOPET film, with food contact approval.
General manager Viktorija Griziene says, “Fachpack was a great opportunity for us to present our complete rigid bottom and top lidding film solutions for a range of food and personal care applications; we had plenty of samples available to show how the two elements work well together. Our team could also explain to visitors how our extensive in-house testing capabilities lets us really explore how to give our customers the best solution for their needs.”
Griziene adds, “It is clear that there is a growing trend for increased sustainability and an interest in mono films across the industry. Our Fachpack stand was buzzing with questions and answers. It was so interesting to share that we regularly collaborate with our sister company NEO Group and can now offer rPET integrated into our APET, created through chemical recycling, bringing a wider range of sustainable solutions to our customers.”
Chemical recycling helps to support a circular economy by reducing plastic waste, decreasing dependency on crude oil, and by lowering the carbon footprint of products made using the resulting rPET.
The multinational sales team from plastic packaging producer RETAL was out in force at the recent Plastics News Caps & Closures speaker event in the US.
Held in Schaumburg, Illinois, the prestigious event, hosted by the world’s leading online and print magazine for the plastics industry Plastics News, took place from 19 – 21st September 2022, with over 1500 participants.
RETAL’s sales director for Europe and the US Vitaly Lavrinenko and key account manager Gennadiy Khmelevskiy presented to a packed audience, with the subject ‘Staying Ahead of Legislation – Caps & Closures for Global Beverage Brands’.
The presentation started with details of the impending EU legislation regarding the requirement for all single-use containers of over three liters to have closures that stay attached, explaining how RETAL has developed closures in-house to ensure all its customers are in line with the new rules.
A mineral water bottle made with NEOPET Cycle (PET resin with 30% rPET integrated into the flakes produced by sister company NEO Group) and tethered closure produced by RETAL in Europe was used to demonstrate how the combination works. Lavrinenko and Khmelevskiy continued to explain how the R&D behind the development was achieved, notably sharing how close cooperation with global customer requirements were met alongside the EU Directive.
Following the 20-minute presentation, the RETAL team took a wide range of questions from the floor, with both noting that the audience asked many pertinent questions, highlighting that the dynamic US market is considering the potential realities of implementing tethered closures both to stay ahead of possible legislation and to support global brands in achieving their own ambitious sustainability targets.
R&D is an integral part of daily life for design engineer Andzejus Buinovskis. Buinovskis has worked at global plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL since 2015, bringing his creative design skills to his CAD-based role in the company’s R&D team at its largest facility in Lithuania. To demonstrate how R&D supports progress at RETAL, we share a day in the life of Buinovskis.
In terms of product development, Buinovskis acts as a pivotal point of contact between the sales team and the market, with his remit to translate the requirements of the customers into functional packaging solutions. A day in the life of Buinovskis reflects how design is integral to the ongoing development of packaging solutions at RETAL, including evolving tethered closure options, lightweighting and integrating environmental sustainability at every stage.
Buinovskis generally starts his day by checking what online meetings are scheduled to understand what new information may be forthcoming. A regular participant in meetings for various teams throughout the company, Buinovskis’s input is valued by the sales, NPD, communications and sustainability departments.
Read full article online at Packaging Insights
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The expansion of plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL in Donora, PA continues with investment, recruitment and production all stepping up a gear.
RETAL PA has so far included a further six injection molding lines to join its existing five lines, adding an additional 8000 sq. ft warehouse and recruiting 30 new employees to take the headcount from 40 to 70.
General manager and president of the facility Darius Janulionis notes, “This is an exciting time to be part of the US plastic packaging industry; we bring a fresh focus on sustainability in our portfolio and the demand for our expertise and our products is high. Customers increasingly appreciate our deep understanding of creating responsible packaging solutions. The new molding lines have been carefully chosen for their sustainability credentials, with the advanced technology meaning that each machine uses less energy to produce the same product.”
HR manager Elizabeth Giecek says, “We have a lot of roles available, including in the warehouse and in production, and we love to share how many of our team have been promoted internally, and that there is plenty of excellent training available for the right people. I look for enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and people that are happy to be part of our strong team.”
The team at RETAL’s Donora plant have generated excellent results, leading to the ongoing expansion program that is driven by strong demand from global food and beverage brand customers.
Direct applications for all open positions are welcome at RETAL PA, with further information available from elizabeth.giecek@retal.us
Read online at SP News.
In preparation for International Women in Engineering Day, packaging writer Emma-Jane Batey spoke to Brittany Brooks, sales representative at global plastic packaging producer RETAL, about her journey from humble beginnings, to mentoring the next generation of STEM students for a career in engineering.
Alabama native Brittany Brooks has forged a successful career in plastic packaging thanks to her determination to harness her intellect and utilize her opportunities. With a strong character and an even stronger dedication to being successful in everything she does, Brittany has recently been promoted to sales representative at global plastic packaging producer RETAL, at its Donora PA facility.
Born in a small town in Alabama in the southeast of North America, Brittany did not come from a wealthy or educated immediate family yet has consistently succeeded against a backdrop of limited support in her higher education. She says, “My grandparents have always encouraged me to learn and use my brain. My grandad was a retired math professor and he shared with me a love of math; he'd teach me things I wasn't supposed to know yet! I was also intrigued by science from a young age; my aunt would give me experiments to do and articles to read.”
Read online at Interplas Insights
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The expansion of plastic packaging manufacturer RETAL in Donora, PA continues with investment, recruitment and production all stepping up a gear.
RETAL PA has so far included a further six injection molding lines to join its existing five lines, adding an additional 8000 sq. ft warehouse and recruiting 30 new employees to take the headcount from 40 to 70.
General manager and president of the facility Darius Janulionis notes, “This is an exciting time to be part of the US plastic packaging industry; we bring a fresh focus on sustainability in our portfolio and the demand for our expertise and our products is high. Customers increasingly appreciate our deep understanding of creating responsible packaging solutions. The new molding lines have been carefully chosen for their sustainability credentials, with the advanced technology meaning that each machine uses less energy to produce the same product.”
HR manager Elizabeth Giecek says, “We have a lot of roles available, including in the warehouse and in production, and we love to share how many of our team have been promoted internally, and that there is plenty of excellent training available for the right people. I look for enthusiasm, a positive attitude, and people that are happy to be part of our strong team.”
The team at RETAL’s Donora plant have generated excellent results, leading to the ongoing expansion program that is driven by strong demand from global food and beverage brand customers.
Direct applications for all open positions are welcome at RETAL PA, with further information available from elizabeth.giecek@retal.us
Read online at Business Focus
Read online at SP News
Emmanuel Duffaut, sustainability director at RETAL, discusses the sustainable potential and performance advantages of PET for FMCGs in our latest Rapid Interview.
Your elevator pitch: introduce and sell us your company in no more than 280 characters.
RETAL is a plastic packaging partner to many of the world’s leading FMCG brands, producing preforms, closures, containers, and films. We create solutions that deliver on performance and sustainability, harnessing R&D, quality assurance, and close cooperation with our customers.
Where are your company’s locations? Are there any specific challenges or advantages relating to your geographical location that you could tell us about?
We employ close to 900 people in Europe, the US, and Ukraine, and serve customers in more than 70 countries. Our many production sites across Europe and Ukraine allow us to be close to our household brand customers.
Read online at Packaging in Europe
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RETAL Plastec has received the prestigious High Budget Honor from the “Aula Magna Mario Arcelli” of the Luiss Guido Carli University.
This award recognizes the strong financial performance of Italian joint stock companies, with categories noted including managerial performance, financial reliability, and ESG values.
With over 70,000 Italian companies assessed by the dedicated Scientific Committee of the university, the Felix Industry Awards and are now in their 41st year. Data analyzed included ROI, ROE and profit, as well as the Covid impact being taken into consideration.
General Manager Giampaolo Gatti says, “We share with you our happiness, our pride and our gratitude for what we have achieved. Our company was awarded the High Budget Honor on April 28th during the ‘Central Italy’ event in Rome. We are so proud to be acknowledged for our financial performance, including stability and reliability, as this truly shows how the hard work of our team is translated into tangible results.”
RETAL Plastec is one of two facilities in Italy for RETAL Industries Ltd, a multi-national plastic packaging solutions provider for many of the world’s leading household names in food and beverages.
Authenticity is a key driver for success, with the understanding that happiness and profitability come when people – and businesses – are working in tune with their ‘why’. For Olexiy Shapovalov, appointed earlier this year as the new regional director for global plastics packaging manufacturer Retal in Europe and the US, his commitment to authenticity is his why and his how.
We may not need to answer the age-old conundrum of ‘live to work, or work to live?’ if our working self can be in tune with our true character. The ultimate goal of being ourselves while being appreciated and rewarded financially means that both elements are achievable. Of course, the challenge is in finding a career that harnesses our capabilities and our passions and pays us at the same time, but if we’re lucky enough to find that career, it creates a virtual circle in value for our employer too.
Read online at Plastics in Packaging.
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