Three Australian manufacturers have commercialised world-leading packaging solutions, transforming their industries with advanced technologies.
TomKat, Bouncee, and Great Wrap have collectively generated $120 million in revenue over five years, fueled by a $1.2 million co-investment from the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre (AMGC).
Queensland-based TomKat, alongside Victorian companies Bouncee Containers and Great Wrap, have met their commercialisation targets with AMGC support, offering groundbreaking packaging solutions to both local and global markets, AMGC said in a news release.
These advancements include compostable biopolymer stretch wrap, reusable insulated packaging embedded with Internet of Things (IoT) technology, and a closed-loop replacement for expanded polystyrene.
TomKat, founded by Tom and Kath Long, has introduced KoolPak, a Near Field Communications (NFC) enabled thermal container designed for cold chain transportation in the food industry.
The product, developed with insights from the seafood sector, has excelled in field trials with a major global seafood producer.
Tom Long, Co-Founder of TomKat, remarked, “Our KoolPak product is a flexible and reusable alternative to polystyrene containers, offering customers access to real-time data through embedded smarts that monitor temperature and track the location of high-value perishable goods.”
“Thanks to AMGC, we have accelerated our commercialisation efforts which has given us a first mover advantage. Our biggest challenge now is whether to expand operations locally or abroad to keep up with demand,” said Long.
In Victoria, Bouncee has unveiled a collapsible, insulated crate designed to maintain precise temperatures for food and pharmaceuticals during staging and delivery.
The crate is manufactured using an advanced composite of expanded polypropylene and rigid polypropylene, ensuring optimal insulation and durability.
Bouncee Chief Executive Hamish Hingston stated, “We developed Bouncee to help high-volume grocery and healthcare businesses combat the increasing costs of delivering temperature-controlled perishables and to eliminate the associated food and packaging waste.”
He continiued, “AMGC’s support has meant that we were able to establish our first production line in Australia and capitalise on market opportunities that would have previously flowed offshore. In the last six months alone, Bouncee has been implemented by more than 25 businesses in Australia, and we are looking to grow our local workforce and international partnerships to keep up with demand.”
Great Wrap, founded by Julia and Jordy Kay, has pioneered compostable cling and pallet wrap, using plant-based oils and biopolymers to create the only Australian-made compostable stretch wrap.
Julia Kay, Co-Founder of Great Wrap, said, “Seeing the sheer volume of single-use plastic pallet wrap being used over our careers was horrifying to us. We knew we could be a catalyst for change, so we started Great Wrap and while the learning curve has been exponential, the market acceptance from consumers to corporates has been astronomical.”
Jordy Kay, Co-Founder of Great Wrap, added, “AMGC’s co-investment arrived at a crucial time for Great Wrap, it allowed us to move rapidly from pilot to mass manufacture and do so with enough flexibility to adjust the program goals along the way.”
Today, Great Wrap boasts more than 60,000 customers, has recently partnered with Opal making them an exclusive distributor of Compostable Machine Pallet Wrap and the team are working to end the human reliance on traditional plastic.”
With almost $1.2 million in Commonwealth Funding, these three projects are projected to deliver over $120 million in additional revenue within five years.
Jens Goennemann, Managing Director of AMGC, praised the achievements, stating, “Australian manufacturers are the total package. KoolPak, Bouncee, and Great Wrap each offer distinct products, and they collectively aim to provide greater value to customers while reducing waste – both globally relevant issues that will contribute to their commercial success.”
For more details on each project, visit:
