Richdale Plastics Victoria has won the Flexo Innovation Award for its Melbourne Coffee product at the recent FPLMA Awards.

An executive from Richdale Plastics picked up the award on the evening, saying that the directors of the business are very focused on the use of new technology and new machinery into the country.

“We invest a lot of money to guarantee the best results for our customers in the Australian market. We are very focused on the future – so that we can bring the best innovation and technology to the flexible packaging market,” the executive said.

“This product was entered to showcase the fact that you can make a pouch that is not PET or Nylon based and it can do the job just as well, if not better. We have put together the structure which is designed around kerbside recycling – it is ultra high barrier and it has foil qualities. It has won multiple awards now around the world.

“It is a testament to Richdale Plastics and its innovation and it is the first of many innovations we have developed over the last few years and there will be many more. We thank the Richdale directors for letting us create and innovate and provide us with a lot of freedom.

“We thank Jack, Todd and Chen to provide us with the faith and letting us loose to do what we do well. I encourage the entire packaging industry to get involved with technology – as that’s where it is going. Grab it and go for it.”

Richdale Plastics production improvement manager James Luttick was inducted into the Hall of Fame, with FPLMA president Vince Sedunary saying that the award is presented to someone in the industry that excels as being part of the industry for a long period of time.

“This person encapsulates that – truly and wholly. This person started off as an apprentice flexographic printer just like me. This person has progressed and progressed his career with a change from different companies along the way to be one of the very knowledgeable people in the industry with experience in operations, production and printing,” Sedunary said.

“He is passionate about what he says and passionate about what he does. This gentleman is also a previous vice-chairman of the old A/NZ FTA with one of his special passionate areas – like myself – being the apprentices of the industry as they are our future and our future leaders. I actually went to college with this person and you probably know who recipient is – Mr James Luttick.”

Luttick spoke about his experience in the industry, highlighting the evolutions that he has seen in his tenure.

“I started off as an apprentice in this industry on 3 September 1985 and I have seen not so much an evolution but a revolution in this industry with technology, aniloxes, inks, plates, pre-press – it is so different. I can remember getting a 400 ceramic anilox and saying that is so fine and compared to now – it has changed so much,” he said.

“I would like to thank the people that gave me the opportunity to get into the industry – Yvonne and Robert Wilson – I worked as a gardener for Yvonne and she said to me – ‘do you want to be a printing apprentice?’ and I responded ‘what do they do?’ – so I went down to the factory and saw the factory manager Theo Gross and he said ‘can you start Monday?’ and the rest is history.

“I have had a number of mentors over the years – Tony Cooper and other people who have given me opportunities including Greg Rosshandler, Phillip Rolls, the directors of Richdale Packaging – Jack, Todd and Chen who have shown the confidence in me to help develop and lead their business. It is such a great honour – thank you very much.”