“Once the customer is willing, it’s generally easy to switch to paper”

Björn Preine has dedicated more than half his life to the paper industry, a field in which he feels truly at home. Over the years, he has gotten to know many different areas and has continuously broadened his knowledge and expertise. His career path began in 2006 in Uetersen, a town in Schleswig-Holstein in the far north of Germany, where he completed an apprenticeship as a paper technologist. To gain more flexibility and open up additional career opportunities, he then did a second apprenticeship as a printer, specializing in flexographic printing.

He moved to Munich in 2012, where he completed an additional qualification as a state-certified paper technician. After returning home, he gained extensive experience as an application technician, specializing in wet-strength label and packaging paper. The decisive turning point in his career was the construction of the new production line 8 at Koehler Paper in Kehl. That motivated him to head south for professional and personal reasons and to take advantage of the unique opportunity to be involved in the development of a new business field right from the start.
He spoke to us about his work in technical customer service, his close partnership with colleagues and customers, and the development of efficient packaging that protects resources.

How did you come to join Koehler Paper?

In today’s business world, many companies are facing the challenge of having to fight for market share. A lot of businesses in the industry are not investing enough and are confronted with the problem of outdated factories and machines that have often been used for decades. It is quite something when, in the midst of this situation, new, innovative production lines that are an impressive size are developed, such as paper machine 8 and coating machine 8 in Kehl. For me, this presented a unique opportunity and was the main reason I packed up my life and moved to southern Germany.

My day-to-day work as a Flexible Packaging Application Engineer in technical customer service at Koehler Paper is very varied. My job means I am regularly in contact with our customers. To broaden my knowledge, I decided to pursue a commercial qualification, following my apprenticeships and further training in production and processing. I am currently working hard on preparing for my final technical business management exam, which is taking place at the start of 2024.

What is your job as a Flexible Packaging Application Engineer in Kehl like?

As the first point of contact for all of our customers’ technical issues, we act as the link between them and Production. Our tasks involve processing and coordinating all technical queries, starting from the moment when the customer decides on our paper and tests it. Working closely with Sales, we ensure that our customers’ needs are met as efficiently as possible.

Our tasks cover various different phases, starting with application engineering support during the test process, through to coordinating the procedure for qualifying paper on existing or new processing systems. We also actively monitor the market to identify new requirements and follow any changes in the industry. In the past, packaging was mainly used for protection during transportation, but now it has more varied tasks that include different functions, barriers, marketing, and branding.

In light of these changing requirements, we need to be able to react quickly to new market conditions. Because of our experience, we can provide support both for optimizing processes and for adapting to the changing requirements in the packaging industry. Our aim is to provide real added value for our customers through our service and our specialist knowledge.

Who do you deal with in day-to-day work?

First and foremost, customers are at the center of our work. We primarily focus on sharing experiences and executing projects, particularly when new products are about to be developed and tested. To ensure that everyone pulls together, we liaise regularly with our colleagues in Sales. It is essential for us to liaise intensively with colleagues in Production and Quality Assurance so we can ensure consistent product quality and react quickly to any technical challenges.

As many Production colleagues only see the white paper and rarely hold the final, packaged product in their hands, we also discuss finished products. This enables everyone involved to develop a better understanding of market requirements and to comprehend why certain criteria must be met in this form.

What are the greatest challenges that customers have when it comes to switching to paper?

Switching to paper packaging seems a challenge at first for many customers because paper is new territory for them. Customers are often hesitant and unsure whether their processing systems are compatible with paper. In addition, some things regarding the product requirements and paper characteristics are often unclear. Many of the current packaging solutions on the market are over-developed and offer more features than are actually needed.

Our main job here is to provide as much clarification as possible so we can show customers what possibilities paper offers as a packaging material and clarify what specific requirements a product actually has. As soon as customers make the decision to switch to paper, the technical execution usually proves to be quite simple. We have learned a lot in this area over the last few years and have found that the switch to paper does not generally require major investments or retrofits. Often, only the process settings need to be modified in order to process paper smoothly on existing systems.

How do you deal with different customer requirements?

We liaise closely with our customers, especially in complex projects, so we can understand their individual requirements first of all. We often find when collaborating intensively in this way that the challenges that seemed huge at the start are not actually that significant after all. We can offer solutions quickly thanks to our years of experience, our use of state-of-the-art production and research systems, and our team of experts, whose experience covers the entire supply chain.

What is the added value for Koehler of liaising directly with customers?

Liaising intensively with our customers on their extremely varied requirements enables us to continuously acquire new experience and broaden our expertise. We also share our experience and knowledge, so all stakeholders benefit from our direct dealings with customers. This partnership-based approach is very valuable for us.

Where will our journey take us? What kind of possibilities are still out there?

We are well equipped for the future of flexible packaging paper production. Our state-of-the-art production line and new technology center, which includes test facilities, are key elements for manufacturing innovative products efficiently.

Sustainability is very important to us, not just because of growing demand from our customers but also because of our own values. We know that over-developed packaging must be replaced in the long term to reduce material consumption and conserve resources. Our focus is on the production of simple, efficient packaging solutions that are functional, offer customized product protection, and can also be used for marketing and branding. We already meet all of these requirements with our flexible packaging paper today.

We are also actively setting ourselves sustainability targets in our product development. By continuously pursuing innovations in packaging paper, we strive to minimize our carbon footprint while ensuring top quality and functionality. Our customers can rely on us to meet their requirements for sustainable, efficient packaging solutions.