Ceepackaging

Investment

Russian dairy group invests in new packaging technology

Galactika Group produces a wide range of milk, sour milk and yogurt products, including the Bolshaya Kruzhka, Milk Time, Tom and Jerry and Sudarynya brands.

It has over 1,000 employees and its products are sold in more than 8,000 retail and wholesale companies.

In 2008, Galactika opened a state-of-the-art, RUR2 billion facility in Gatchina, in the Leningrad region. With plans to grow the plant from its current 420 tonnes of raw milk per day to over 800 tonnes, the plant includes the latest processing and packaging technologies.

Processing — for efficiency, quality and safety

The entire production process has been automised from the moment raw ingredients come into the factory to the moment the finished product leaves it. Today, the only manual process left in the factory is the physical attachment of the hose used to fill milk tankers — just 40 employees per shift are needed to run the entire operation, cutting down on the potential for human error.

“This plant sets a high standard for the Russian dairy industry,” said Anatoly Sirotinin, CEO Galactika. “The complete automation of production is a serious step forward.”

Packaging — convenience and differentiation

As consumers lead ever-busier lives, packaging convenience can influence their purchasing decisions. So, in addition to its investment in high-tech processing solutions, Galactika sets its products apart with innovative packaging.

It is offering a roll-fed packaging solution with a carton sleeve and an injection moulded top, which is sealed, to the package, in a single process. It offers many advantages, including bottle-style convenience, rounded corners for good grip, One Step Opening (OSO) re-closable caps with wider openings for easy pouring of thicker products and the positive environmental profile of a wood-fibre based package. With a 100 per cent printable carton sleeve, it also brings new marketing design options over packaging alternatives.

Galactika is selling premium, vitamin-enriched sour milk and whey-based beverages in 200, 250, 330, 500 and 750 ml packages. This allows them to target products at specific audiences and expand the product portfolio.

The Bolshaya Kruzhka brand sales volume has grown between 70 and 80per cent in just two years.