Setting the Course for 2024
Bringing together expertise, high-quality ingredients and introducing new flavours form the foundation for creating innovative and exciting food. The same principle that can lead to entirely new taste experiences also applies to developing fresh approaches to serve our Saint-Gobain® Tape Solutions customers. This January, Saint-Gobain tape enthusiasts from across Europe gathered in Madrid, Spain, to combine fresh ideas, new insights and capabilities to optimise processes for new flavours and innovations in delivering high-end products to our customers.
During workshop sessions, presentations and productive discussions, the team laid the groundwork for setting the direction for 2024 and beyond. The good news is that new capabilities, including the integration of two new production sites in Kolo (Poland) and Willich (Germany), as well as significant upgrades to existing capabilities at our sites in Chaineux (Belgium), Waakirchen (Germany) and Biandrate (Italy), are already in progress to better meet our customers’ needs.
However, adding only high-end ingredients, such as new production lines, is just the first step towards achieving new levels.
Designed to strengthen customer connections
Having the right ingredients is beneficial, but combining them effectively based on customer requirements is crucial for achieving excellent results. In our case, detailed customer feedback analysis collected across Europe in recent months was thoroughly discussed to identify internal cross-department process optimisation opportunities. From the many ideas presented, some will be directly added to the 2024 customer service offering.
In the coming weeks, our team will focus on projects to reduce lead times, improve efficiencies and free up resources that can contribute to further growth and the development of innovative ideas in customer engagement, with the aim of strengthening customer confidence and streamlining mutual planning.
Fostering sustainability efforts
Food is not merely about satisfying hunger; it can stimulate various senses and have effects that go far beyond mere satiety. This concept and the drive to add value beyond the ordinary also apply to our tape solutions. By advancing our unique solvent-free UV-cured acrylic technology and projects on solvent recovery in other tape manufacturing technologies, Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions aims to further reduce the use of chemicals, waste and carbon emissions.
Projects such as the extraction, storage and reuse of solvents, as well as saving energy in heating and cooling equipment, will enable us to increase production speed, which can be a double benefit for our customers. It will lead to reduced lead times and support the need to achieve ambitious sustainability goals.
Motivated to Collaborate and Enhance Partnerships
Ultimately, motivation, collaboration and enjoyment are the key ingredients for achieving exceptional results. Spending quality time together, enjoying shared dinners or evening activities such as flamenco shows, helped forge strong relationships within the team. The positive atmosphere created by the combination of professional working sessions and inspiring locations provides a solid foundation to begin 2024 with renewed energy, which we hope will be reflected in personal interactions with our partners.
2024 promises to be an exciting year. Stay curious about how our teams’ efforts to continuously improve processes and services will strengthen reliable connections.
