The fast-growing global packaging industry

Gilbert leads the Korean packaging market with years of experience and know-how

According to the Food Industry Statistics and Information System, the global food packaging market is growing at an average annual rate of 5% from $323.8 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $472.8 billion by 2028. In Korea, the packaging market is also exploding in line with the increasing number of single-person households and the consumption trend of online shopping, and the importance of packaging is growing day by day, from the production and distribution of products to increasing the freshness of products, as well as marketing. Gilbert, a company specializing in comprehensive packaging solutions, has been striving to provide the best solutions through continuous research and development since its establishment in 2003. The company is one of Korea’s leading specialists in food packaging. It responds to changes in global packaging trends the fastest and provides the best total packaging solutions that meet the needs of customers, starting with packaging consulting for domestic companies, and has recently accelerated the development of its own packaging equipment, packaging films, and containers. With a decade of experience at DuPont Tyvek, the world’s leading film company, Sohee Gang founded the company in 2003, and since then has been searching for the most innovative and outstanding packaging equipment in the global packaging market, as well as the products that customers need, including films and containers. Gang said “For more than 20 years, we have been working with the best domestic and foreign partners with skills and vision to provide the best equipment and films for our customers’ needs. We provide our customers with the highest quality packaging solutions through differentiated technology and customized consulting, and have recently transformed into a company that perfectly meets the needs of our customers by developing packaging equipment, films, and containers that are most suitable for packaging trends.” The machines Gilbert currently handles are diverse, including MAP top sealing, vacuum skin packaging, thermoforming automatic vacuum packaging, vacuum rotary packaging, and high-speed sleeve bundle packaging, and it also provides the necessary films and containers.

▲ Gilbert / CEOs Hwang Ho Seok and Kang Sun Hee

Higher performance, lighter weight than European counterparts!

Innovation in skin vacuum packaging 

Reverse export to Taiwan

Actively exploring overseas markets

One of the fastest growing segments of the packaging market is flexible packaging. Flexible packaging is lighter, takes up less space in transportation, and is cheaper to manufacture. Film packaging is a representative type of flexible packaging, and among them, MAP top sealing packaging and skin packaging have shown the most significant growth in recent years. MAP packaging is a packaging technique that fills containers with oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in the proper proportions to maintain the shape and quality of foods such as meat and fish. Skin packaging is a method in which the product is placed in a container for vacuum skin packaging, the scan film is preheated and vacuumed, and the product is wrapped in the shape of the product. It can be refrigerated, frozen, sterilized, and renovated, and it is easy to distribute fresh meat, poultry, pork, seafood, and ready-to-eat foods for extended shelf life. Gilbert has been attracting attention from industry insiders with the launch of its own skin packaging equipment, which is currently the fastest growing segment of the industry. It perfectly complements the shortcomings of existing equipment in Europe and Taiwan, most notably its light weight. The smallest of the three skin packaging machines, the ArtSkin Compact weighs only 200 kg and is highly space-efficient, and can be used as a tabletop by removing only the upper unit. In addition, the foot switch allows for greater operational convenience, and the lack of an air compressor minimizes noise and reduces costs. This product is ideal for large and medium-sized enterprises, as well as small butchers and supermarkets. Artskin Rotary is a product that can perform 4~5 cycles per minute, which is advantageous for mass production. The foot switch and start/stop button increase the convenience of the operator, and the front mold can be changed to use various sizes of containers, maximizing efficiency. It also has a built-in air compressor, and despite its high work capacity, it only weighs 430 kilograms. The ArtSkin Inline is the most productive and robust of the three. The packaging speed can be up to 7 cycles per minute, and the robustness provides excellent worker safety. It also has the advantage of being able to change molds according to various container sizes, and above all, it can be applied to automated/smart factory lines. It weighs 710 kg, which is very light compared to its packaging speed and work capacity. Gang said “In addition to their compactness, our skin packaging machines are also very good in terms of design and are very easy for operators to control.” Gilbert’s skin packaging equipment was showcased for the first time at the Seoul Food International Food Exhibition in May this year, where it received tremendous interest from both domestic and international buyers. The company recently achieved a reverse export of products to Taiwan, and is currently preparing for European certification. From next year, the company plans to actively explore the global market through overseas exhibitions. The company is also currently researching and developing a MAP packaging machine, which has already been designed and is expected to release in the first half of 2024.

Building automated lines to provide one-stop comprehensive packaging solutions 

Become a sound and sustainable company with strong leadership and unremitting efforts

Gilbert’s latest project is to build an automated line for all production processes, from packaging to palletizing, to provide higher productivity and reliability, and to increase efficiency by building a more flexible automated line. As the last step in the production process, packaging is the most labor-intensive part of the production process. After production, the products need to be wrapped, re-boxed, taped, and palletized. Afterwards, the product needs to be re-wrapped and ready for shipment. If the product is heavy, the risk of safety accidents is also very high. Gilbert has the technology to build an automated line from the packaging to the final palletizing, and has recently successfully built an automated line for a large domestic company. By providing the best packaging solutions, Gilbert is creating a new wave in the domestic packaging industry. CEO Hwang Ho Seok said “We provide the highest quality packaging solutions with differentiated technology and customized consulting. We are still a small company, but we want to be a strong and sustainable company, with strong leadership, where everyone is committed to doing their part.”