FIBC (Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers), also known as 'big bags', 'bulk bags' and 'bulk sacks' were first manufactured in the late 1950s or early 1960s. FIBC’s are predominantly packaging solutions offered for transporting and storing dry/flowable bulk packaging material used widely across various sectors from agriculture to industry. The weight of a bulk bag used to ship one to two metric tons of the product weighs 3-10 lbs, offering a low package: product weight ratio.
They are easy to store and handled in warehouses with standard equipment. Transportation and handling are done either by pallets or by lifting loops made with 1,2, or 4 loops. The filling and discharge of material can be customized to suit the customers' requirements. Based on various factors such as bulk density of the material, type of lifting, safe working load, electrostatic properties customizations are possible making it a truly versatile packaging solution.
The Global size of this industry in terms of quantity is 600 million pieces per annum with the largest consumers being the USA, Japan, Europe, Korea to name a few. India, China, Turkey, and Vietnam form the largest manufacturing arms of this product. India’s market share of export in the world has been steadily increasing over the last 10 years and it is noteworthy that it has grown to a 1 Billion dollar exporter.
As the global demand increases, the industry must adapt themselves to stay on top. One such company is Soliflex Packaging serving across various bulk packaging solutions. Soliflex has been growing rapidly and has adapted itself to the various challenges and demands over the years and it is one of India’s fastest-growing manufacturers.
Soliflex’s Growth Story
“Progress lies not in enhancing in what is but in advancing towards what will be,” said Kahlil Gibran. In line with this thought lies the growth strategy of Soliflex.
"At Soliflex, our work is the presentation of the capabilities of 1200 workers and staff,” says the Managing Director, N. Padmanabhan.
Soliflex takes pride in being India’s first company that is offering solutions to pack industrial dry products of volumes ranging from 500 kilograms to 40 tonnes all under one roof. Soliflex exports its entire production to the USA, Europe, South America, Middle East, and the Far East countries. Soliflex’s rapid growth can be attributed to its in-depth understanding of the product, market, and customer satisfaction. Managing Director, N. Padmanabhan explained to us that on-time delivery is the driving force in this industry.
Marketing Director, Nitin Ghodgaonkar says “Presales is crucial in our industry and that’s what really brings us the business. Hence Soliflex pays a lot of attention to presales given that every customer requirement is unique." Soliflex’s R&D team has contributed exceptionally to bring forth industry-first packing solutions that have impressed the customers time & again. “If the product is not to the expectation of the customer, then you cannot sustain in the international market,” says Nitin. Presales also helps to establish the company’s international quality standard in the minds of the customer ahead of
the purchase. By having an array of international certifications, Soliflex assures you that their products undergo extensive checks before it reaches the customer.
Set Apart By The 3P Philosophy
Soliflex has a 3P philosophy- People, Planet and Profit.
The People Infrastructure forms a pivotal element of Soliflex’s success. Soliflex as an organization wants to take its people forward towards its goal of being an industry leader.
Education and health are the basic needs of the well-being of the people in a community. Towards this, Soliflex contributes to the education of the children in its community. Soliflex has been proactive with its Covid response, as the country approached the second wave and access to healthcare was difficult. Soliflex created isolation centers for its employees along with immediate access to ICU beds. As soon as the vaccine rollout happened, Soliflex had a free vaccination drive for its staff, workers, and families. Soliflex is proud to say that its entire fraternity is now vaccinated.
“We, as a company, are proud of the fact that most of the people who have been with us have been with us through the entire journey. So we are happy that they are part of the growth. They have added value. Most of all, we are happy to share the sense of ownership with them, so they are able to take this organization to the next phase of growth because of that sense of ownership,” adds Mr. Padmanabhan.
Sabarish Padmanabhan, Business Head - Polymer Division
The planet is the greatest gift and wealth we possess. Soliflex lives upto its reputation of being a global brand by being environmentally conscious. Sustainability is one of the most recent topics of discussion worldwide and at Soliflex as well. The company is working tirelessly with its customers to identify ways to encourage sustainability in the ecosystem. In order to do so, Soliflex’s R&D team has been active in looking for the right material to make the product more recyclable & reusable, helping customers to identify the segments where the products can be reused. “We are trying to complete the entire circle and be a part of the supply chain where we want to make the products more sustainable,” adds Sabarish Padmanabhan, the company’s Business Head.
Soliflex is taking significant measures to reduce its carbon footprint. In accordance with this objective, Soliflex adopts solar power to the equivalent of saving approximately 10000 trees from being cut down. Eradicating unnecessary energy usage by using sustainable materials is what makes Soliflex an industry leader, not just in terms of production, but also as an eco-friendly global manufacturer.
On a trajectory to cross several more milestones in the future, Soliflex has safely become the heart and soul of the industry here in India and overseas alike
Increasing the networth of the organization and the people associated with Soliflex may it be workers, vendors, and buyers is a consequent result of the 3P philosophy.
Challenges
Sabarish points out that other than being capital and labor-intensive industry, there are various factors that impact this sector. Adding to all the usual challenges faced by manufacturers, Covid has made various changes to the way the industry now functions. Constant fluctuations in polymer prices, global demand changes, and adding to all this the huge pressure on the shipping lines during the pandemic have only made things a bit more difficult for the industry. As Sabarish points out, “Change is the only constant and we have learned to work around this.”
The Way Forward
On popular demand, Soliflex has also pinned to add capacity with the major focus on GREEN FIBC’s which are sustainable and environmentally friendly. The additional facility will get operational by the year 2022. On a trajectory to cross several more milestones in the future, Soliflex has safely become the heart and soul of the industry here in India and overseas alike.
