GN Thermoforming expands Asian presence

Canada-based GN Thermoforming Equipment, a manufacturer of servo-driven, roll-fed thermoforming machines for the production of food packaging, has elevated its presence in Southeast Asia by expanding its agreement with current Chinese agent Vulcan Plastics Technology to include key Southeast Asia territories. Along with its responsibilities in China/Taiwan, Shenzhen Province-based Vulcan, a manufacturer of thermoforming moulds and cutting dies, will sell GN’s entire thermoforming machine line in Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore.

“We’re excited to announce this expanded partnership with Vulcan and we look forward to broadening our presence in Southeast Asia,” said Jerome Romkey, GN’s Business Development Manager. “Vulcan has well-established relationships in the thermoforming industry and the necessary resources that will help us grow our position in that part of the world.”

Vulcan, led by owner Simon Teng, has expertise in tooling for the thermoforming industry. Under the new agreement, the company is hiring dedicated staff to sell and service GN’s complete line of thermoforming machines, which includes contact-heat and plug-assist thermoformers. By late summer, GN will house a demonstration machine at Vulcan’s Shenzhen site for customer evaluation, testing, and processing trials. Other demonstration machines could be added later in the year.

“We welcome this expanded arrangement and are very pleased to be the primary seller of GN’s high-quality thermoforming machines in not only China/Taiwan but Southeast Asia,” said Teng. “We look forward to leveraging our thermoforming customer base and enabling GN to penetrate new market opportunities.”

Romkey said the timing is right for an expanded sellers’ agreement with Vulcan due to increased demand from Asian processors for Western-made equipment. These food packaging manufacturers are exporting outside of their domestic market and require more advanced thermoforming equipment that provides greater quality control and on-time capabilities. “The demand for quality control is increasing dramatically and end users are looking for more reliable and consistent machinery,” explained Romkey.