Grafobal Skalica, jt. stock co., is among progressive companies in Central Europe. The ranking is given by the tradition and impact in printing and packaging manufacturing . A lot has changed since 2 November 1905, when the production opened in a tiny plant and its department of manual cardboard manufacturing and book printing. Yet the tradition of passing the skills between generations and providing jobs often to entire families have been preserved.

At the end of the second millennium Grafobal roofs a group of firms containing the joint stock company, Grafobal, Ltd. Prague (CR), Grafobal, jt. stock co., Vilnius (Lithuania), Polygraf Print, Ltd. Presov and Slovenska Grafia, jt. stock co. Bratislava (both SR). Grafobal Skalica is the founding mother company and as the major company manufactures packaging made of folded cardboard not containing wavy layer of paper. The packaging is designed for consumer use such as medications, foodstuffs, cheese, shoes - everything than can be packaged in such a type of packaging with high quality print. This involves specialisation of printed packaging manufactured for decades.

Traditional assortment includes labels for alcoholic beverages and soft drinks, chocolate and any labelled products, and printing (leaflets, brochures, calendars, toddler hard page books, puzzles, printed paper).

Wavy cardboard - Grafobal's hit

The most recent yet still prospective key assortment since 1994 is packaging material made of wavy cardboard. Moreover, Grafobal introduced a new waving line for the wavy cardboard production in 1998. According to Marian Gaza, Marketing Manager, the investment of SK 150m doubled the capacity of the existing line and expanded the offer of wavy cardboard with the F type - mini wavy cardboard. This is only offered by Grafobal as an exclusive manufacturer in both CR and SR. It's used in retail packaging for glass, electronics, toys, shoes, etc.. It enables to save up to 30 % of space and transport cost. Major use of the above cardboard is in food industry, as it is used for sales displays connecting the function of classical sales packaging with transport. A retailer only has to place the display in the store and after removing the lid the goods are ready for offer and function as advertising. That saves the transport packaging and work connected with placing goods on the shells. This type of cardboard broad Grafobal, exclusively in SR, an award Golden Embax-Print for a carrier of six bottles of drink. This opened the door to an international contest of the World Packaging Organisation. One of the company benefits is complexity of its services. Customers interested in labels, retail or transport packaging can receive advertising catalogue or board. The speed of supplies is an important factor. It ranges from 3 to 6 weeks. In complex orders, such as consumer proposals the orders are approved by the top management, since they involve an important activity or a new product which take longer time, as each preparation step is subject to customer approval. Repeated orders, however, take only 1 to 2 weeks, as Grafobal knows exactly what to do.

Marketing also to Eastern neighbours

Grafobal in Skalica places two thirds of production in SR. The rest is sold through trade activities in Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Gruzia, Moldova, Poland, Hungary, and particularly the Czech Republic. According to M. Gaza, trade can be implemented to a maximum of 1000 km from the production centre. Along with increasing distance the cost of transport grows and a product is too expensive because of sales price.

That's why Skalica came up with the philosophy of opening branches outside Slovakia. Although Grafobal, Ltd. Prague in Slany provides full scale manufacturing of packaging only from folded cardboard, it also provides sales services for the mother company. The company received ISO 9002 from Belgian SGS EQCI company for manufacturing of packaging from smooth cardboard. Its clients include Cokoladovny, jt. stock co. (hereafter referred to as "a.s.") Prague, Vitana a.s. Bysice, Setuza, a.s. Usti nad Labem, Jemda, a.s. Jemnice, and Megafyt, Ltd. Vrane nad Vltavou. In 1997 Grafobal Prague received an award "Packaging of the Year" for ecological folder Telebrix made for Leciva, a.s. Prague. At the 8th annual international fair for printing, paper industry, packaging and packaging equipment Printing 98 (10-13 November 1998) Grafobal Skalica was awarded "Gold Pack" for hosiery packaging LINORA and an award in the "Gold Stamp'98" contest for ISABELA label. Slovenska Grafia Bratislava also received an award "Golden Stamp" for a set of magazines and Polygraf Print Presov for diary sekretar and exhibited table and wall calendars.

Slovak Trade FORUM